The Porsche 959, part 6

There are many famous owners of the 959. Comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who owns an extensive Porsche collection, purchased one for $700,000. Microsoft founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen each own 959s, and helped pass the "Show and Display" law in order for them to be driven on American roads.

The golfer Nick Faldo unintentionally had his 959 appear in tabloid front pages in late 1998, when spurned ex-girlfriend Brenna Cepelak trashed his 959 with his golf clubs causing a £10,000 repair bill. Other famous owners include athlete Daley Thompson and former Porsche factory driver Hans Joachim Stuck.

The 959 was used as the base for several Transformers characters, including Nightbeat, Skystalker, Hot Shot, and various GoBots/Spychangers.
The 959 appears in the following computer and video games:
Turbo Out Run (1989), as the opponent. The player races a Ferrari F40 against it.
Test Drive II: The Duel (1989), also as a competitor to a Ferrari F40.
Need For Speed: Porsche Unleashed (2000), downloadable from the Electronic Arts website as a bonus car.
Automobili Lamborghini (1997), as an opponent car, though it could be unlocked by completing championships.
Shox (2002), as a Dakar Rally car.
Project Gotham Racing 2 (2004)
In Top Gear Rally(1997) for the N64, a Porsche 959 can be unlocked under the game-name of "Type PS".
In Rad Mobile (1991), the in-game car and the sit-down cabinet resembles a 959.
Forza Motorsport (2005)
Forza Motorsport 2 (2007)
Wisedog/Dobermaxx, also known as Polgas, the main character in the Filipino comic Pugad Baboy, owns a customized Porsche 959, which he calls the Thunderdog.

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The Porsche 959, part 5

By sabrebIade at 2007-08-09
The 959 was not street legal in the United States prior to 1999 when the "Show and Display" law was finally passed, although an unknown number were imported via the "grey market" during the late 1980s as show pieces. During the model's development, Porsche refused to provide the United States Department of Transportation with the four 959's they required for crash testing, and the car was never certified by the NHTSA for street use in the U.S. With the passage of "Show and Display" the crash test requirements were removed and importation of the 959 was allowed, assuming the car could meet with the local emissions standards that would have existed as of 1987. The 959 can be fitted with a catalytic converter and a rechipped computer which will allow it to meet those emissions requirements. However most owners refuse to modify their 959s, and the cars remain as collection pieces. While the initial selling price was $230,000, today one of these cars would be worth upwards of a million dollars. Most 959s are currently in the hands of collectors, but the ones that are available do occasionally come to market.

The lessons learned from the 959 in terms of engine management, aerodynamics, suspension tuning, and four wheel drive were what enabled the production life of the 911, once thought to be nearing obsolescence due to the extreme rearward placement of the engine, to be extended to the present day with no end in sight. In this way, the 959 project more than paid for itself many times over, and owners of new Porsche 911s can, to a large degree, benefit from the great strides forward made by this technological tour de force.

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The Porsche 959, part 4

The 1983 Frankfurt Motor Show was chosen for the unveiling of the Porsche Group B prototype. Even in the waning hours of October 9th, finishing touches were placed on the car to go on display the next morning. When the curtain was drawn the next morning, the Group B car became an instant celebrity. After the first two prototypes, the bodywork was modified to include air vents in the front and rear wheel housings, as well as intake holes behind the doors. The first prototype modified like this was code named "F3", and was destroyed in the first crash test.

The street version of the 959 debuted at the 1985 Frankfurt Motor Show as a 1986 model, but numerous issues delayed production by more than a year. The car was manufactured in two levels of trim, "Sport" and "Komfort", corresponding to the race version and the street version, respectively. First customer deliveries of the 959 street variant began in 1987, and the car debuted at a cost of $225,000 USD per unit, still less than half what it cost Porsche to build each one, production ended in 1990. In total, fewer than 300 cars were built and the total number (which hovers around 250) includes both 959 street variants and 961 race variants as well as at least 4 prototypes Porsche built during development. 226 of the cars built were street legal (in Europe) and were sold to consumers. At least one 959 and one 961 remain in the Porsche historic hall in Stuttgart, Germany.

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The Porsche 959, part 3

Porsche also developed the 959's aerodynamics which were designed to increase stability, as was the automatic ride height adjustment that became available on the street car (961 race cars had fixed suspensions).
Its "zero lift" dynamics were a big part of keeping it drivable.
The 959 also featured Porsche-Steuer Kupplung (PSK) which, at the time, was the most advanced all wheel drive system ever used in a production car. Capable of dynamically changing the torque distribution between the rear and front wheels in both normal conditions and slip conditions, the PSK system allowed the 959 to have the adaptability it needed both as a race car and as a "super" street car.
Under hard acceleration, PSK could send as much as 80% of available power to the rear wheels, helping make the most of the rear-traction bias that occurs during such instances.
It could also vary the power bias depending on road surface and grip changes, helping maintain sure footedness at all times.
The magnesium alloy wheels were unique, being hollow inside to form a sealed chamber contiguous with the tire and equipped with a built-in tire pressure monitoring system.

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