Catching a Legend Does this last air-cooled 911 Turbo finally match the landmark 959? BY CSABA CSERE

ince a particular road test in as tangible evidence that again mph in less than 20 seconds. 1987, IÕve had a ready saw a future in its rear-engine tradition. That night, we explored the 959Õs top answer for the question ÒWhatÕs the When the production 959 finally ap- speed on the autobahn but were prevented Sbest car in the world?Ó The Porsche 959. peared in 1987, it proved to be the fastest by traffic from seeing more than a true, Unveiled at the 1983 Frankfurt auto production car we had ever testedÐby far. two-way 190 mph. Even at that speed, show as the , the 959 Sidestepping the clutch at just under the there was still power to spare, so we didnÕt was conceived as the ultimate 911, a car 7300 redlineÐprocedure that 959 project doubt PorscheÕs claim of a top speed of so relentlessly rapid and so technically manager Manfred Bantle had assured me 195 mph. overpowering that it would provide a plat- would not grenade the gearboxÐlit up all But the 959 was much more than a form for world-class rally and road-rac- four tires in glorious fashion. Just as the mere vision-blurring rocket sled. Our ing efforts, as well as elevate the 911 to tires bit, the turbo boost kicked in, and we sound meter recorded interior noise of just the top of the sports-car heap. were off, furiously rowing through the six- 71 dBA at 70mph and 56 dBA at idle (qui- If that seems like overkill, remember speed gearbox to keep the rapidly spinning eter than garden-variety 911s of the day). that in the early Eighties the 911 was com- tachometer needle out of the red zone. The 959 also rode more comfortably than ing back from the brink. The companyÕs In 3.6 seconds, we reached 60 mph. A other 911s, and it came with a leather in- hope that sales of the new front-engined, mere 5.2 seconds later we were at 100 terior as well as air conditioning and the water-cooled 928 model would overtake mph. The quarter-mile flashed by in 12 usual power options. the 911 had not panned out. The 959 served seconds flat at 116 mph. And we hit 140 Engineer Bantle achieved this remark-

JULY 1997 PHOTOGRAPHY BY DICK KELLEY 63 able blend of velocity and serenity by even he lacks the juice to get an ex- packing every nook and cranny of the emption from the EPA and the DOT for 959 with the trickest hardware avail- this U.S.-illegal . able. The DOHC 24-valve engine, for This latest 911 Turbo S, however, example, came from the Le MansÐwin- has the credentials to make us stop pin- ning 962 race car, complete with twin ing away for the 959, at least on paper. turbochargers that were staged, like an With only a 20-hp deficit and weigh- old four-barrel carburetor, to boost low- ing 200 pounds less, it nearly matches rpm performance. the 959Õs acceleration. And thanks to To apply this power, Porsche in- its larger, grippier tires, it easily ex- vented what was, and probably re- ceeds the 959Õs cornering and braking. mains, the worldÕs most complex four- To see whether it matches the originalÕs wheel-drive system. A computer-con- sizzle, however, we rounded up one of trolled clutch determined the front-to- the few 959s in North America and rear torque split to match the dynamic drove them back-to-back. weight distribution of the car. WhatÕs This GuardÕs Red 959 belongs to more, flicking a steering-column stalk Danny Chauvier, the president of could alter the program to better suit Kreepy Krauly, makers of the popular wet or icy weather. self-powered swimming pool cleaners. Even the 959Õs suspension departed A former big-time IMSA GTP sponsor, from the 911 norm with unequal-length Chauvier bought this 959 new in 1987 control arms at all four corners as well in Germany and has since applied about as dual shocks, which provided elec- 14,000 miles (fast miles, judging by the tronically adjustable damping and ride fact that heÕs on his fourth set of tires). height. The 959 also pioneered power His car is only occasionally stateside; steering and anti-lock brakes on rear- Unlike the underspoiler mounting of the intercooler it is registered in South Africa, where engined . in the current Turbo S, the 959 intercoolers did not Chauvier has a home. hide the glorious 962-derived engine. Instead, they All of this was wrapped in stun- were stuffed into the lower, rear corners and cooled Sliding behind the wheel of his 959 ningly purposeful bodywork, much of by the scoops carved into the rear tenders. felt instantly familiar, thanks to the 911 it formed from lightweight aluminum heritage, which has remained remark- and Kevlar and liberally perforated with ably unchanged through the decades. Only scoops and grilles. The deep front air dam water mark-the four-wheeled equivalent of the thin-rimmed steering wheel and the and the huge rear wing ensured no lift at running the four-minute mile. Unfortu- lack of airbags revealed the supercarÕs age. any speed despite a low 0.31 drag coeffi- nately, with a $227,000 sticker in Germany When I fired the engine, though, this 959 cient. in 1987, only the likes of Microsoft boss generated a mechanical cacophony and It all added up to an automotive high- Bill Gates could buy one. And we hear that bassy exhaust note that are far more promi-

64 CAR and DRIVER The extensive air ducting In the 959Õs nose feeds a water radiator in the oenter and twin oil coolers in either corner .

1987 PORSCHE 959 nent than those produced by the new Turbo Vehicle type: rear-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 2+2-passenger, feels positively cushy, even after dialing S. Apparently, 911s have become much 2-door coupe the suspension control knob on the con- quieter over the past 10 years. Price as tested (Germany, 1987): $227,000 sole to the carÕs hardest shock-absorber ChauvierÕs car fully justifies my mem- Engine type: twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC setting. 24-valve 2.8-liter flat-6, aluminum block, ories of the 959Õs energy level. Even a cylinders, and heads, Bosch Motronic engine- Despite this pillowy suspension, the modest press on the accelerator causes a control system with port fuel injection. 959 is supernaturally stable at high speed. strong push in the backside, and the accel- ...... 6-speed manual It hunkers down on the mad and tracks per- eration doesnÕt diminish much with speed. 1987 1998 fectly straight, whereas the Turbo S be- When the second turbo cuts in at about Porsche Porsche comes darty and nervous above 175 mph. 959* 911 Turbo S 4500 rpm, itÕs like an afterburner lighting Power (SAE net) ...... 444 bbp 424 bhp These are the aerodynamic benefits of the off as the tachometer needle surges toward Torque (SAE net) ...... 369 lb-ft 400 lb-ft 959Õs special body, complete with the Wheelbase ...... 89.4 in 89.4 in the redline (even in fifth gear at 100mph). Length ...... 167.7 in 167.7 in flamboyant rearÕ wing, as well as the more- Width ...... 72.4 in 70.7 in The shifter requires a heavier hand than Height ...... 47.2 in 51.8 in forgiving, higher-profile tires, I remembered, and you do shift the 959 a Curb weight ...... 3593 lb 3390 lb All in all, however, it would be hard to Zero to 60mph ...... 3.6 sec 3.7 sec lot because the engine is soft below 4000 Zero to 100mph ...... 8.8 sec 8.8 see argue that the 959 is clearly superior to rpm. In contrast, the new Turbo S is plenty Zero to 130 mph ...... 15.9 sec 15.9 sec the new Turbo S. Especially since the new Street start, 5-60mph ...... 4.9 sec 4.3 sec rapid even when driven between 2500 and Top-gear passing time, car costs some $200,000 less than an 4000 rpm. ThatÕs the benefit of an engine 30-50mph ...... 11.9 sec 9.4 sec uncertified 959, which currently goes for 50-70mph ...... 8.8 sec 7.6 sec with 26 percent more displacement, even Standing 1/4-mile ...... 12.0 Sec 12.2 sec about $350,000. Still, the 959Õs distinctive ...... @116 mph @114mph one thatÕs technically more pedestrian. Braking, 70-0 mph ...... 166 ft 151 ft bodywork, its amazing portfolio of exotic Combined with its lighter shifter, the Turbo Roadholding, technology, and its historical significance 300ft-dia skidpad ...... 0.87g 0.94g S is far more flexible around town. Top speed ...... 195** mph 188mph ensure that it will be remembered as one Strangely enough, the 959 maintains its C/D observed luel ecurrotny- ...... 13 mpg 16 mpg of the greatest cars of all time. Besides, clear advantage in ride comfort. In com- *Test results from C/D, November 1987 who remembers the second man to run a parison to the Turbo S, the old **Estimated, see text mile in less than four minutes?

66 CAR and DRIVER