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    Aug 3, 2005 3:42:49 AM

    Mike S
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    Mike S
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    What ever happened to the 959?!

    I was wondering, how come is it that the Ferrari 288 GTO is still very much alive and I still hear stuff and see recent real life photo's of it every now and then and was even lucky enough to see one pass me on the road the other day! But I never hear anything about the Porsche 959 anymore?! Was there a something in it's history that I don't know about?

    Aug 3, 2005 3:56:57 AM

    AndyM
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    Reply to: Mike S

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!

    You know, i'm not sure. I think that because it was soo ahead of it's time, that it never really caught on. I really wish it had.

    Aug 3, 2005 4:09:54 AM

    dan996
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    Reply to: AndyM

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!

    My friend from SA just sold his. He had it since 1988 and he brought it over from SA. He picked up his new supercar the Carrera GT. What is funny is that that car was faster than todays Turbo S, but not alot faster. Technology wise that car was 12-20 years ahead of its time. We are just now bringing all the technology into the street cars today.

    Aug 3, 2005 5:03:45 AM

    Mike S
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    Reply to: dan996

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!

    it's also quite a good looking car! looks like a 993 from the front but only 20 years ago!

    Aug 3, 2005 5:20:18 AM

    sdy284
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    Reply to: Mike S

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!

    plus they weren't legal in the US for a long time. But you dont live in the US....so thats not really a issue for you

    Aug 3, 2005 5:57:55 AM

    Mike S
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    Reply to: sdy284

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!

    ahhh, but what a shame, does anybody know how many were built?

    Aug 3, 2005 6:06:43 AM

    palenimbus
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    palenimbus
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    Reply to: Mike S

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!

    Anybody have some nice real life pics they can post?

    Aug 3, 2005 6:52:07 AM

    JP66 Offline
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    Reply to: Mike S

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!

    Quote:
    Mike S said:
    ahhh, but what a shame, does anybody know how many were built?



    I could be wrong, but I think only 200....

    Aug 3, 2005 7:59:04 AM

    FutchM
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    Reply to: Mike S

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!

    Fantastic car but massive failure for Porsche, they ended up losing money on every car produced.
    Now you don't see much around bc it has become a collector's item but also because they are extremely expensive to run.
    At Zuffenhausen, next to the production factory, there is a parking called the 959 cemetary, dozens of abandonned 959s, very sad, but it taught a lesson to Porsche, and it seems they have learned, not that I have the figures, but I think they've made a profit with the Carrera GT.
    From a technical point of view though, the car is a gem.

    Aug 3, 2005 8:30:34 AM

    palenimbus
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    Reply to: FutchM

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!

    What do you mean abandonned? Just sitting in the parking lot?

    Aug 3, 2005 8:48:38 AM

    killer
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    Reply to: sdy284

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!

    Very true. Wasn't Bill Gates one of the first individuals in the U.S. to get one? I heard that he had to design a crash test program that he developed with porsche (meaning software)... in order to get it to pass U.S. regulations (quite naturally, porsche wasn't going to crash a bunch of the cars just to get them to pass U.S. regulations).

    -A magazine a few years back did a cracking review of an older 959. They compared it to the 996TT and said it was technically faster and everything like that, however, it just feels different. The turbo's on the 959 were not as smooth as the 996TT... the person driving the car said that when the turbo's kicked in "it felt like someone kicked you in your stomach." The writer admitted that the car was very ahead of its time, however, compared to the current 996TT... the 996TT would be his choice... simply because the TT felt safer. The 959 actually scared him to drive b/c it felt a lot more raw than any current porsche.

    Aug 3, 2005 9:57:12 AM

    FutchM
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    Reply to: palenimbus

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!

    Quote:
    Danny G said:
    What do you mean abandonned? Just sitting in the parking lot?



    Yep, rusty, dirty, saw it in a mag, didn't believe it, then saw it myself on my factory visit in Zuffenhausen, it's next to the car park or the Exclusive building, very sad.

    Aug 3, 2005 10:23:22 AM

    palenimbus
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    Reply to: FutchM

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!

    Man that sux, I thought 959s are like F40s, could you imagine an F40 rusting away in some parking lot...

    Aug 3, 2005 1:03:19 PM

    964C2
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    Reply to: palenimbus

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!

    Here's one for sale, with pictures.
    http://www.carclassic.com/stock.asp?StockID=102457

    Aug 3, 2005 1:10:40 PM

    FutchM
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    Reply to: palenimbus

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!

    Quote:
    Danny G said:
    Man that sux, I thought 959s are like F40s, could you imagine an F40 rusting away in some parking lot...



    Not any parking lot, the factory's parking lot!

    Aug 3, 2005 1:24:37 PM

    964C2
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    Reply to: FutchM

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!

    ...in the late 60's Ferrari could hardly give away GTO's, now they change hands for $10Million +!!!!

    Aug 3, 2005 1:47:48 PM

    Trundle_GT3
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    Reply to: 964C2

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!

    They only produced somthing like 280 examples of this car.
    When I visited Werk1 in June there were 5 959's there for service.
    I wonder what it costs for a "factory service"? let alone shipping from Saudi Arabia..
    Thats WAY out of my league

    Aug 3, 2005 1:49:11 PM

    Mike S
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    Reply to: 964C2

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!

    that is extremely sad and depressing to hear fanch such a lovely car and what a masterpiece and it just lies there to rott!

    guess we know how many were made, 292, wow that is really little compared to the f40's 1300+ !!

    this is a 450hp 2.8 flat-6 twin turbo motor, top speed 190mph!!!!!! for a car made 20 years ago




    Aug 3, 2005 2:03:04 PM

    Grant
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    Reply to: FutchM

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!

    Quote:
    Fanch said:
    Fantastic car but massive failure for Porsche, they ended up losing money on every car produced.


    That car was never produced to be profitable. It was the test-bed for all of the technology that the firm produced over the following 10 yrs (AWD system, 6spd gearbox, PDK differential, twin turbocharging, aero package, brakes, etc.). It was a rolling sculpture for Research & Development (and R&D is never free).

    Aug 3, 2005 2:04:58 PM

    AndyM
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    Reply to: Mike S

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!



    More soon, no time to do it now.

    Aug 3, 2005 2:26:07 PM

    bazza
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    Reply to: AndyM

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!

    hahah ! i driven this car on forza motorsport xbox!!

    Aug 3, 2005 2:31:43 PM

    FutchM
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    Futch
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    Reply to: Grant

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!

    Quote:
    Grant said:
    Quote:
    Fanch said:
    Fantastic car but massive failure for Porsche, they ended up losing money on every car produced.


    That car was never produced to be profitable.



    I find that suprising.
    You're saying Porsche never planned on making money with the 959!!!
    Not very sensible if you ask me.

    I doubt any Porsche manager back in the 959 days would have actually said before its production that they're not planning on making money with it.

    R&D does not produce car, if it was only a tech benchmark product for future models, then they would have made just a couple just for Weissach's purposes.

    Aug 3, 2005 2:33:51 PM

    Mike S
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    Reply to: FutchM

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!

    Quote:
    Fanch said:
    Quote:
    Grant said:
    Quote:
    Fanch said:
    Fantastic car but massive failure for Porsche, they ended up losing money on every car produced.


    That car was never produced to be profitable.



    I find that suprising.
    You're saying Porsche never planned on making money with the 959!!!
    Not very sensible if you ask me.

    I doubt any Porsche manager back in the 959 days would have actually said before its production that they're not planning on making money with it.



    the veyron also isn't sensible, because bugatti/VW are making a loss on it, but they're just making just to show that they can?

    Aug 3, 2005 2:46:41 PM

    EricAlain
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    EricAlain
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    Reply to: Mike S

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!


    The car was designed to make money but turned into a financial fiasco because it was too expensive to make and they were too much ahead of their time. Finally they didn't sell enough cars as well ...

    Aug 3, 2005 2:54:37 PM

    Revvv
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    Reply to: Mike S

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!

    Like Trundle 997 says, 959 models just sit out side of
    Werks 1, waiting for there turn for service. I think Chauvier ( had a 959 ) and I saw no less than 4 outside, in
    the elements, in for factory repair. They were all examples
    that were really in poor condition, that were Autobahn
    cruisers, not garage queens. Pretty cool to have your Porsche fixed at the same facility that built it ! Revvv

    Aug 3, 2005 3:01:43 PM

    993Targa
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    Reply to: 964C2

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!

    Quote:
    964C2 said:
    Here's one for sale, with pictures.
    http://www.carclassic.com/stock.asp?StockID=102457



    Not a bargain compard to a GT2.. to be honest I don't like the looks

    Aug 3, 2005 3:16:47 PM

    Grant
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    Reply to: FutchM

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!

    Quote:
    Fanch said:
    Quote:
    Grant said:
    Quote:
    Fanch said:
    Fantastic car but massive failure for Porsche, they ended up losing money on every car produced.


    That car was never produced to be profitable.



    I find that suprising.


    The 959 was only homologated for racing in Gruppe B (against the Ferrari 288 GTO) and they only needed to build 200 for that purpose. Unfortunately, the racing series was stillborn and never happened. It was never intended to be sold as a production street car...

    Aug 3, 2005 3:32:54 PM

    LowPolarMoment
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    Reply to: 993Targa

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!

    Racing versions of the 959 put out 680HP from 2.8L. Here's a picture of one winning the Paris-Dakar event.

    Aug 3, 2005 3:36:32 PM

    AndyM
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    Reply to: Grant

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!









    I was lucky enough to see one at the Porsche of Nashua dealership. Incredible car.

    Aug 3, 2005 3:50:43 PM

    FutchM
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    Reply to: Grant

    Re: What ever happened to the 959?!

    I remember reading about those 200 models, the engineers had to align them next to eachother to prove the racing authorities that they were ready, which in fact they were not, those cars had then to go back to Werk 1 for production, cool story.
    And from the start those 200 cars were destined for the road of course.
    But you are right, these were the old days where Porsche was more focused on racing that sales numbers!
    You will find that story in either the 996 Turbo book published by the factory or the Porsche encyclopedia or something like that.
    But I specifically remember that very funny story about the 200 959s not ready production ready in time for Gruppe B homologation.
    And those races never happened, what a fiasco!
    It is still one of the all time great Porsches!
     
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