GTP Cool Wall: 1986-1989 Porsche 959

[Tyger]

Love it, one of my poster cars as a kiddo (which isn't always the sign of a good car admittedly) but I love the styling of these and in a way the whole F40/959 thing were the perfect supercar yin and yang, and both utterly essential to the development of high performance road cars.

Also odd that some are saying it was the precursor to the next gen 911, as there was a 911 concept that looked very similar to the 959, variously known as the 965 or 969, but it was scrapped.

I love how the 959 is a 911, yet isn't.

 

[Wolfe]

The accomplished and relatively understated rival to the coolest Ferrari ever made could not be anything less than Sub Zero.

 

[SagarisGTB]

The precursor to modern playstations on wheels. The beginning of the end of analog cars. Also a 911 with a bodykit.

As seriously uncool as uncool can be.

 

[ClydeYellow]

Supercar from the late 80s? Automatic SZ.

(Bonus points because it's a Porsche from back when Porsche was nuts, as testified by the fact that the 959 did the Dakar)

 

[ScottPuss20]

The model number isn't 911. Cool

 

[SVT Cobra GT]

Cool.

One of the first cars with all the modern technical equipment we now come to expect on cars.
Also was one of the few supercars I can think of that went rallying.

 

[Stotty]

Iconic, amazing performance/handling... but much as I adore 911 in almost all their iterations, the 959 is just ugly... alongside the flat nose 930, probably the worst looking 911 of all time.

as for it's coolness... handling/performance/heritage = cool.

 

[Liquid]

Cool.

One of the first cars with all the modern technical equipment we now come to expect on cars.
Also was one of the few supercars I can think of that went rallying.

The mid to late 70s Ferrari 308 was a rally car. I'd argue it was a supercar of its time; not the top one but a supercar.

 

[MatskiMonk]

Probably the only road-going Porsche that I would say is cool.

 

[Epic B]

Sub-Zero. Is an explanation necessary? I don't care that it's not as quick as the modern day 911 Turbos. Though it's not much slower than the 997 Turbo with a manual, which was the last 911 Turbo to actually have a manual.

 

[JAHHAJ]

It was the fastest production car in the world for a time and I love it, Seriously Uncool.

 

[axletramp]

Genuine genius moment in technology which was incredibly important in influencing what supercars and hypercars became. Plus they did this with it...

Look at it. Just look at it!

Not my favourite Porsche, but has to be SZ any day of the week.

 

[2clicks]

As a kid playing with toy cars, my parents would frequently buy me Chinese knock-off die cast models. They would almost always have a 959 chassis, and I didn't pay attention to their hilariously bad build quality and fictional liveries then, but now, looking back on it, it really is cringeworthy. Uncool.

 

[SlipZtrEm]

To a car enthusiast, obviously cool or even SZ. To anybody else, it looks like you've just stepped out of a messed up Porsche. The proportions are awful on this, and even fond memories of it being my first R/C car can't drag it out past Uncool.

 

[motortrend]

Not very pretty
A 993 turbo is about as fast
Very expensive
Interior is basically the same as a contemporary 911
Sub Zero all the way
EDIT:

Meh. Too complicated and heavy for homologation special it was. Also, due to all the new tech in it, it was also rather probe to breaking down. And the final straw is that it's the first bearer of the bland early 90's 911 styling. I'm looking at you, 993.

Man if the 993 is bland then I loooove bland

@Stotty I'd say the 965 Slant nose is way uglier (see pic). That said I didn't like the flatnose 930 at first, but with the right color combo it's wonderfully 80's

 

[JR98]

Sub Zero, one of the most important cars in history, being the first car to hit 200MPH, without this we wouldn't have Bugatti Veyron's, Porsche 918's or McLaren P1's. Without this we wouldn't have all the computer systems we have in cars today.

 

[Liquid]

Is it not true that the Ruf CTR was the first production car to hit 200mph? Even if you count that as a Porsche and not a Ruf it was a 911 that first hit 200mph and not a 959.

 

[axletramp]

Is it not true that the Ruf CTR was the first production car to hit 200mph? Even if you count that as a Porsche and not a Ruf it was a 911 that first hit 200mph and not a 959.

I always thought the first 'off the shelf' production car to hit 200mph was the Ferrari F40. I stand to be corrected though.

Although the incredible technical achievement it is, the 959 'only' hit around 195/196 mph.

 

[TheCracker]

The figures engraved in my head had the F40 at 201 mph and the 959 at 197 mph. Don't know if there was a difference between the 'Comfort' and 'Sport' models.

 

[niky]

I believe the 959 (stock) was at 197-198. The F40 holds the distinction of being the first serial production road car to hit the twin century.

 

[Tornado]

Don't know if there was a difference between the 'Comfort' and 'Sport' models.

Several hundred pounds.

 

[TheCracker]

Several hundred pounds.

I know the 'Sport' was a stripped down version of the regular 'Comfort' version, but i'm unsure which version the performance figures were achieved in.