When Porsche conceived the 959 program the aim was to stretch the 911 platform to its ultimate form. Group B racing, in full effect at the time, was the guiding principle behind the creation of the Porsche 959. Led by Helmut Bott, the engineering team designed a twin‑turbocharged flat‑six engine, cutting‑edge all‑wheel‑drive, active suspension and kevlar/aluminium bodywork that made it the most advance Porsche of all time, when introduced in 1986.

The Porsche 959 was powered by a 2,85‑litre flat‑six engine that delivered around 335 kW through a six‑speed gearbox. A zero to 100 km/h time of 3,6 sec and a top speed of approximately 317 km/h made it one of the quickest accelerating and fastest road car in the world at the time. The technological tour de force from Stuttgart is often overshadowed by the far more raw and simplistic Ferrari F40. However, the Porsche holds a record that no other can boast.

Click here to read our Ferrari F40 driving review.

Born for Group B, Redirected to Dakar

The 959 was originally designed to meet FIA Group B homologation rules. However, the category folded before Porsche could enter, so the company repurposed the program for off‑road endurance events and created a Paris‑Dakar version. It featured the same twin‑turbo engine but tuned for reliability and low‑quality fuel. The rally car’s AWD system offered four selectable drive modes, enabling drivers to adapt to the Saharan dunes, gravel and tarmac.

For the 1986 Dakar rally, engineers detuned the engine to around 300 kW and fitted larger fuel tanks to run on 86‑octane fuel over the approximately 14 000‑kilometre route. The investment paid off handsomely. After 22 days across Algeria, Niger, Mali and Senegal, René Metge and Jacky Ickx delivered Porsche’s finest off‑road moment, finishing first and second overall with a third works car in sixth place.

Follow Double Apex on Instagram and Facebook where we share more car content.

From Sand to Tarmac

Having conquered the Dakar Rally, Porsche wanted to demonstrate that the 959’s advanced technology could also deliver on a circuit. Engineers developed the Porsche 961, an experimental racing car that used the 959 road car as its base but replaced most body panels with lightweight resin, upgraded the brakes with larger rotors from a 956 and tuned the engine to about 480 kW.

At the 1986 24 Hours of Le Mans, the #180 961 driven by (the same) René Metge and Claude Ballot‑Léna competed in the experimental IMSA GTX class and finished seventh overall, behind six Group C Porsches. Incidentally, Porsche claimed nine of the top ten spots. Only a Gebhardt JC843 Ford spoiled its clean sweep. The performance at La Sarthe proved that the 959’s technologies could translate from rally raid to tarmac.

Click here to check out a beautiful Porsche 959 restomod.

Legacy and Influence

The 959’s dual‑purpose success cemented its status as a technological flagship. Its sequential twin‑turbocharging, adaptive all‑wheel drive and active suspension influenced later Porsche models such as the 911 Turbo. Since the 993 generation, every 911 Turbo has been fitted with AWD as standard. Additionally, active suspension technology has become part and parcel of the Porsche options list.

Collectors today prize the 959 both for its rarity and for its role as a bridge between the analog supercars of the 1980s and the electronically controlled hypercars that followed. In the corporate lexicon, the 959 was a ‘disruptive technology demonstrator’. By proving that one platform could conquer the world’s toughest rally raid and then finish seventh at Le Mans, Porsche delivered a masterclass in cross‑disciplinary product development. Today, nearly four decades later, the Porsche 959/961 remains the sole vehicle to claim both a Dakar victory and a top‑ten finish at Le Mans, a feat that isn’t likely to be repeated.

[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]