RE: Spotted: Porsche 959 prototype

[nottyash]

Contigo said:

nottyash said:

I couldnt resist taking this one parked up locally last week.

But come on to look at it's a bit on the fugly side! I appreciate the engineering and everything else but it's not a looker at all.

Yes, it didnt look much parked up. Its more the fact I used to lust after them when I was a kid.

[simont001]

That rear-up stance and positive camber on the rear wheels says only one thing to me - the back end is unloaded due to the absence of the engine ...

[LaurasOtherHalf]

Chrisw26 said:

LotusOmega375D said:

I remember seeing that one on the Ecurie Ecosse tour of Scotland in about 1989. It was just so quick and accomplished in tricky conditions. I'm glad it's alive and well nearly a quarter of a century later.

Yep May 1989 - it snowed of course. I think the owner brought it because something was wrong with his 288GTO.

Isn't that lord mexborough's car?

[stradman]

Not sure why fugly.
This is one of my babies in action....and I love her! [url]
And another pic
|http://thumbsnap.com/EaAjb3QT[/url]
and her with one of her stablemates!

[BIRMA]

Watched the Paris Dakar version of this car with total amazement and have had absolute respect for Porsche ever since

Edited by BIRMA on Thursday 17th January 07:35

[ukaskew]

nottyash said:

I couldnt resist taking this one parked up locally last week.

I genuinely thought this was a very bad replica at first. You've made an already odd looking car look even stranger with that angle.

[Podie]

LotusOmega375D said:

Anyway here's gratuitous photo of one that used to sit in the Daventry rally car museum.

I had no idea of the museums existence. Seems its now closed?

[The Moose]

There's one up at the silverstone experience centre tomorrow I have it on good information

[addzGU]

I loved these as a kid..nothings changed.

[959]

Nice wheels. Imagine a veyron mixing it with the buggies on this years Dakar.

I'll stop bidding at $650

[BlackCup]

stradman][url said:

I could not be more jealous of your garage....!

[HTP99]

addzGU said:

I loved these as a kid..nothings changed.

Yep same here, I would be tracking one down as soon as I cashed in my Euro millions cheque, I have an Autocar in my drawer at work with the original test of the 959.

Stunning cars.

I have only seen one on the road, it was parked up outside KFC in Guildford, I would have been about 18 at the time, 20 years ago.

[pSyCoSiS]

BlackCup said:

I could not be more jealous of your garage....!

Ditto...

Two truly EPIC cars!

[pSyCoSiS]

I love Porsches and the 959.

But, given a choice, I too would probably go for an F40 over this....

[Twincam16]

J4CKO said:

Grovsie26 said:

J4CKO said:

Wonder how a 959 would do against a GTR ?

Very badly lol.

It's such an ugly car. The proportions are all wrong. The F40 looks soooooo much better.

Was not talking looks wise, I cant be objective about the 959, it is burnt into my brain to love it.

Was more on about performance.

It's funny, really. As a child who first became conscious of performance cars in the late Eighties, playground battle lines were always drawn between the Ferrari F40 and the Porsche 959.

Bear in mind that we were children and so knew very little about the substance of these cars, I was always drawn to the 959 over the F40. The F40 kids seemed to think 'their' car was the best because it was the fastest (by all of about 3mph, IIRC), and for some reason the Ferrari name always seemed more mysterious and exclusive.

But I loved the 959 simply because it seemed so futuristic. All that flush-glazing, all those swoopy curves in an era when even some of the most expensive cars were square-shaped with rain-gutters and separate bumpers. Its very futurism was gorgeous.

Also, look at the way the 911 has evolved since. Technically and physically, Porsche is still hovering around the 959.

There are two kinds of 911 - the raw, RWD-only, potentially-lethal missile, and the high-tech 4WD techno-fest.

The 959 is the latter one, perfected. Porsche has built upon the former repeatedly with the likes of the GT2 and GT3, but no matter how advanced the Turbo has got, it's never quite topped the 959's sheer impact.

It is one of my lottery-garage cars. And bizarrely, the F40 isn't (although the 288 GTO is).

[Stinkfoot]

stradman][url said:

and her with one of her stablemates!

I hate you

[Krikkit]

While I'm not a Porsche fan (I just don't get 911's, but I can appreciate that others do), the 959 is a hugely interesting car for its tech. Given a lottery win I'd have one in the garage next to the F40, but they're not really competing with each other imo.

[Twincam16]

Stinkfoot said:

stradman][url said:

and her with one of her stablemates!

I hate you

Don't get too worked up. Underneath, one's a Covin-kitted Beetle and the other one's a Pontiac Fiero with a bodykit. Must be true, I've seen them on eBay

[161BMW]

I love the 959 so beautiful and stunning and so much technology. Definetely deserves a place in the hypercar kingdom next to the McLaren F1. The 959 u just look at it and know is a hypercar and is one of my dream cars. McLaren F1; 959; M3 CSL; M3 CS Coupe; E30 325i Sport are all in my dream car collection :-)

[Mr Roper]

stradman][url][img said:

|http://thumbsnap.com/EaAjb3QT[/url]

This shot is missing something, can't quite put my finger on it......Oh that's right, be a good chap a buy an F1 to complete the collection. Then you would own the three cars I had on my bedroom wall as a kid.

Absolutely fantastic.