A Stunning Gallery to Celebrate 30 Years of the Porsche 959

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A classic car that redefined performance and was an integral part of the 80s supercar era is being honored by Porche in Germany this weekend.   That care is the Porsche 959.   When the car first came out it featured what was then one of the most complicated and complex four-wheel drive system.  The car also featured turbochargers which got rid of delays in acceleration.  These technological advances gave the car 450 horsepower in its 2.85 liter six cylinder engine.

This resulted in what was considered the fastest production car in the world.   Zero to Sixty in 3.1 seconds and able to hit 200 mph on the radar gun.   While Porsche claimed the top speed was 195mph, owners of the vehicle said that estimate was on the conservative side.

The car was so influential that makers Lamborghini and Ferrari even had to go back to the drawing board to try and beat the 959’s stats.  This car is the reason you now see the Ferrari F40 (which was launched 2 years after the 959).   Even the term “supercar” is used to describe a car that hits 200mph.  This term exists because of the advancements of the 959.

Porsche only built 292 road-going versions in total and because the company refused to give the US government four examples for crash testing, it was illegal to own one in the US.  Today it is legal to own and drive a 959 in the US and much of this is thanks to Gates and his friends. He fought to get the “Show and Display” law passed, an act that enables certain cars to be imported into, owned and driven in the US that don’t meet Federal Motor Safety Standards if they represent “historical or technological significance” and were built in small numbers (fewer than 500 examples). And luckily, the 959 meets and succeeds all criteria.

In honor of the car we’ve selected a handful of pictures that are the epitome of the 959.  Enjoy!

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Written by Worthly