Yes, you read right. A Porsche 959, in the flesh

[Jand3rson]

I never thought I would live to see one of these in person. A trip to the annual Sunriver Exotic Car Show here in Oregon turned into a day to remember. Twin-turbo flat 6, 450 bhp @ 6500 rpm. 0 - 60 in 3.9 seconds, top speed of 205 mph. All wheel drive. Enjoy.









Still don't believe I actually saw the car in person? Here's my goofy ass sitting right next to the damn thing.

[KenC]

Ho-Lee Shit! Only 200 ever made. Street-legal in the US now, thanks in much part to Bill Gates.

[DarkWing6]

HOT!!!!

the car not josh

[Ziggens96]

Ho-Lee Shit! Only 200 ever made. Street-legal in the US now, thanks in much part to Bill Gates.

what did Bill Gates do? I would have assumed they were always street-legal...why weren't they in the first place?

must have been a very pleasant surprise to see that car...I know a guy who's ridden in a 959!

[e30evolution]

i saw bill gates 959 at barrier porsche

[e30sd]

bill gates bought one in 1989, it sat in a customs lot for 10 yrs, he helped "facilitate" show-or-display status for non DOT approved Supercars...

[KenC]

what did Bill Gates do? I would have assumed they were always street-legal...why weren't they in the first place?

must have been a very pleasant surprise to see that car...I know a guy who's ridden in a 959!

Until about 2003 they weren't street legal in the US because Porshe refused to send two to the DOT for crash-testing (I don't blame them.. they only produced 200 of them), thus the DOT wouldn't allow them to be driven on the street. A few were imported after 88 when they were produced, however, they were all limited to track use only.
Gates owns two of them (from what I've heard), and spent a lot of time and effort to lobby the US DOT to allow them to be driven on the street legally. I guess after a year or so they were finally allowed.


Josh, who owns that car? Paul Allen? They're like a half-mil if you can even find one (which actually isn't too much more than the inflation-adjusted 1988 price tag of $200,000.)

[e30sd]

got a little creative on the dates, ken?

http://www.autoweek.com/article.cms?articleId=2163

[hamann318is]

I would have shit a brick. That's my dream car.

[Jand3rson]

Josh, who owns that car? Paul Allen? They're like a half-mil if you can even find one (which actually isn't too much more than the inflation-adjusted 1988 price tag of $200,000.)

Sadly, I wasn't able to track down the owner. Had I been able to find him, I would have made quite the effort to get a ride in it.

[e30sd]

half a mil? wow you must be a math major...

http://www.sportscarmarket.com/profiles/2004/September/German/

959 values are suffering from a simple problem: The cars are just not old enough yet. Part of what makes a vintage car into something special is the way our view of it changes with the passage of time.

This simple law of supply and demand has not yet turned in the 959’s favor. Like the 904 back in the day, it’s currently a buyer’s market for 959s, with an ample supply available. (Not only are the cars regularly available in Europe, but high-line brokers like Michael Sheehan are able to get you one quite easily. Plus, a firm in California is converting a batch to U.S.-legal specs.) What’s different about the 959, however, is that it still has not hit a rock-bottom depreciation point, like the 904 did—and this may never happen.

Here’s an interesting comparison to illustrate the point. In the early ’70s, $10,000 bought you either a banged-up 904 or a brand new 911S. Today, the $200k you’d pay for a 959 pays for two new 911s and a Boxster. As you can see, today the market is wiser to the future potential of any supercar. That’s why we’re seeing these stagnant $200k prices, and as such, the 959 will likely never become the forgotten gem that the 904 was.

[permit]

Hand built if I remember correctly...do I remember correctly? That car is so damn hot.

[King Luis]

that car is awesome
only a real car enthusiast will look at that car a not the ferrari's around it.

[Brew]

Amazing car. I had the chance to see one last spring at the Museum of Fine Art in Boston along with the rest of Ralph Lauren's UNBELIEVABLE car collection.

[DanGillan]

awwww. brew you're awake? you hungover from the 4 beers you drank last night?. you could barely stand.