Did you know that THE BILL GATES owns three Porsche cars? One of them a 1999 996 Convertible, the same model and year as the one I have. I always said that Bill was a classy guy. lol. Check it out :-
http://www.bornrich.com/bill-gates.html

 

He was too cheap to get a TT?

 

I knew he owned the 959 but a 996? Hmmm, that caught me by surprise.

 

The shop I go to used to see them, but have not for a while...they think he isnt driving them much 0 but dont know for sure.....

He lives near me, I sometimes take the kids over to his place and show them - but I have never met / seen him around even though he is supposed to sometimes hit the same places - not sure how often he gets out to do "regular people" things anymore

 

He has always been a Porsche guy. In his younger days he would always get pulled over for far exceeding the speed limit in a 911. I think they even baked that into one of the movies on the rise of Microsoft and Apple.

 

After reading about the cars, it still amazes me that my base '99 911 is more powerful and faster than the car I have always idolized... the 930 Turbo.

 

Off topic, but if you watch the Motorweek Theatre videos posted on jalopnik it is always a shock. Stuff like, the new Iroc-Z Camaro has the detuned corvette engine which will propel it from 0-60 in 8.5 seconds and a quarter mile time of 15.5 at 85.6 mph! All stated with breathless awe.

My Volvo SUV smokes that.

 

I heard about 10 or more years ago he owned a 959 and a '99 996 Cab. I'm wondering if this is very old news?

I'd be surprised if he still has the '99.

 

On the bottom on the page it has FB posts from last year the earliest is June 2nd it looks like. Not sure how old the information they put on the page is though.

 

I've also read that since the 959 wasn't street-legal in the US for a long time, Bill Gates' car sat at the dock all along.

 

I think it sat for like 12 years and it isn't street legal. Balmer also has one as does Seinfeld. They are the only 3 in the us I think owned by private parties and none of them are street legal because porsche wouldn't wreck one for testing.

 

There are definitely more than 3 959s in the US today. How many? I don't know but 959s are now more than 21 years old and the problems around EPA certification no longer apply. It may require patience but someone can more easily import a 959 today under the Show and Display laws.

-Eric

 

I agree that there are many 959's in country now. There has to be at least 3 or so down in Canepa's Ca. shop alone! If I'm not mistaken(and I could be!), Bill spear headed the Show and Display legislation to get his 959 off the dock and in his garage. Not sure who owns it, but I've seen a 959 with only a few hundred miles on the clock recently frequent Metropolitan Detail, as well as Barrier Porsche here in the Seattle area. I enjoy taking our boat a little too close past Bill's dock on Lake Washington and watch his security forces scramble to protect the property!

 

LOL! Those poor guards, we've been known to do that on occassion as well.

And I think Bill's 959 has a few miles on it, as I know he does actually drive it around now and then. My friend spotted him and Melinda out in it awhile back in downtown Seattle.

 

If you are counting 959's, one has lived right here in Jacksonville, Florida for well over 20 years. It is a preproduction build that was the personal car for Helmut Bott for a couple years and then given to Robert Snodgrass. Bob was the General Manager of Brumos Porsche and Brumos Racing for over 30 years. Bob passed away about 5 years ago and his business partner, A. Dano Davis acquired it. It is still part of the Brumos Collection and was shown on the field just last week at the Amelia Island Concours D' Elegance in the Street 911 Class which was featured in front of the PCNA 911 50 Years display.