Magazine Extras:
Project lead, Helmuth Bott, referred to the 959 as “the most expensive promotional giveaway in Porsche history”. He was referring to the fact each example sold for approximately a tenth of what it cost to develop, a result of Porsche’s relentless pursuit of new technologies in creation of the world’s greatest sports car. The result was a 911-on-steroids capable of cruising on the street in comfort, racing at Le Mans and winning the Paris-Dakar.
Of course, in the long run, the 959 paid for itself handsomely — the many breakthroughs Porsche made in various fields of automotive technology when developing the 2.85-litre twin-turbocharged supercar trickled down to the manufacturer’s less exotic product lines, contributing to its status as the world’s most profitable car maker. Of course, this success didn’t come easy, but lessons learned (good and bad) during 959 production helped steady the ship.
For this issue of 911 & Porsche World, we tracked down one of only a handful of 959 prototypes. The car in question (F9, one of only three 959 Sport test mules) was used for evaluation of the model’s four-wheel drive transmission system. As far as historically significant Porsches go, this one is up there with the best of ‘em.
Issue Summary:
We showcase a 959 prototype, the new Cayenne S E-Hybrid, spend time with an ALMS-campaigned 996 GT3 RS and show you what to look for when buying a 924 Turbo.
Top 3 Issue Features:
FUTURE PAST - The 959 saw Porsche pushing the boundaries of what was possible with the day’s automotive technology. The result was a road car, endurance racer and Paris-Dakar winner years ahead of its time. We get up close and personal with an extraordinary prototype responsible for playing a huge part in the story.
RING OF FIRE - Lapping the Nürburgring is on the wish lists of many Porsche owners, but few recognise the simplicity of accessing this hallowed racetrack. In this article, we follow a group of Nordschleife first-timers as they journey to Germany’s Eifel mountain region in search of speed.
THE SWEET SPOT? - The upgrading of all E-Hybrid plug-in models for the third-generation Cayenne sees an all-new version added in the form of the Cayenne S E-Hybrid. It doesn’t have a V8, but it is the best of the bunch?
Magazine Extras:
Project lead, Helmuth Bott, referred to the 959 as “the most expensive promotional giveaway in Porsche history”. He was referring to the fact each example sold for approximately a tenth of what it cost to develop, a result of Porsche’s relentless pursuit of new technologies in creatio....
