Porsche 959 Komfort, 1988
Porsche 959
Porsche 959•
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Chassis No.: WP0ZZZ95ZHS900149
- Exterior: Graphite
- Interior: Gray
- 1 of 329 Porche 959s produced
- Delivered new May 10th 1988 to Porsche Italia S.p.A of Padova
- Two owners in Italy until coming to the States in January 2013
- Two owners in the USA
- Unmodified
- 21,950 original kilometers
- 2.85/444 HP twin turbo flat 6-cylinder engine
- 6-speed manual gearbox
- All-wheel drive
- Original equipment including adjustable suspension system, engine, gearbox and functioning Blaupunkt Bremen SQR 46 radio
- Original ancillary items including owners manuals, leather wallet, stamped maintenance booklet
- Tools and tool roll
- Jack and jack pouch with 959 lug wrench
- Standard Komfort equipment, power windows and seats
- Air conditioning
- Porsche Certificate of Authenticity
- Major service to all systems on September 19, 2015 by 959 authority Jerry Pellegrino of European Performance Engineering
- Must be sold to an out of state resident or licensed dealer
Just try to imagine it: the year is 1987, and Porsche has just launched a new car for the ultra-competitive FIA Group B rally series. It looks like a 911 that has overdosed on human growth hormone, with slippery Kevlar and aluminum bodywork reaching out to broad flanks, a long, wide tail with a massive integrated spoiler and a proliferation of intake scoops and vents scattered around the flowing bodywork.
It is not only fast, but terrifyingly so, with a 0-60 MPH time of 3.6 seconds, 0-100 in 8.8, and a terminal velocity of 190 MPH; it slams to a halt from 70 MPH in just 166 feet and generates .87 g on the skid pad, all of these figures being the most impressive ever recorded in magazine tests to that time. This was the 959, and although initially designed for Group B, it was the pinnacle of Porsche road-car development, for even major-league international rallying is roadwork, and brutal at that. Its engine was derived from not one, but two Le Mans-winning Porsches. Shaped in the wind tunnel, the 959’s outer shell was designed to manage airflow both around and through the bodywork.
Its computer-controlled variable-torque all-wheel-drive and anti-lock braking systems were the most sophisticated in the world. When announced by Porsche in 1983, the 959’s press release defined it as a research vehicle for a Group B racer, but one that also contained “all the prerequisites for everyday road use.” While drawing from the 911 for its basic shape, interior design and technical layout, the resemblance ended there. The 959’s flat-6 boxer engine was directly descended from the highly successful 935 and 936 endurance racers, both of which were Le Mans winners.
Displacing a mere 2.85 liters, the 959’s engine featured water-cooled heads with double overhead cams and 4 valves per cylinder, hydraulic valve-lash adjusters, direct fuel injection with two injectors per cylinder, and two sequentially plumbed turbochargers, each with its own air-to-air intercooler. Initially rated at 400 HP, the finalized powerplant’s output soared to almost 450 HP at 6,500 RPM, enough to launch its host, according to “Car & Driver” magazine, “as if shot from a cannon.” The rest of the drivetrain matched the engine’s complexity.
Equipped with a special extra-low first gear for the muckiest off-road work, the 6-speed transaxle connects to a computer-controlled variable-torque all-wheel-drive system that allowed fine tuning of torque distribution through a computer-controlled hydraulic system to a broad range of road conditions from full lock to ice and snow, wet and dry. The 959’s suspension was also adapted from Porsche-racing practice, trading the 911’s MacPherson struts and trailing arms for upper and lower A-arms and dual shock absorbers at each corner, and dual coil springs up front.
It too benefited from the magic of microprocessing, being capable of automatic self-leveling to suit ride height to road surface, and fine-tuning shock-absorber rates to suit the car’s speed. There was also automatic pressure monitoring of the specially developed Dunlop high-speed tires and hollow-spoke magnesium wheels to warn drivers of leaks or cracks. Porsche produced a total of 329 of the 959s in two configurations: “Sport” and “Komfort,” corresponding to race and road versions respectively, the latter of which included full leather, power windows and seats, air conditioning and a Blaupunkt Bremen SQR 46 radio.
The 1988 Porsche 959 Komfort offered here is a splendid example showing just 21,950 original kilometers, or 13,639 miles. Delivered new on May 10th, 1988, to Porsche Italia S.p.A of Padova, it passed through two owners in Italy before being exported to the U.S. in January 2013. Noted 959 authority Jerry Pellegrino of European Performance Engineering performed a major service to all the car’s systems on September 19, 2015. It has continued to remain original and unmodified through its two American owners, and it presents in virtually as-new condition that belies even its limited and careful use.
Offered complete with the original tools and tool roll, jack and jack pouch with the special 959 wheel wrench, owner’s manuals, leather wallet and stamped maintenance booklet, it is accompanied by the all-important Porsche Certificate of Authenticity affirming its provenance as one of Porsche’s all-time greatest automobiles.
