The Porsche 959 is a sports car manufactured by Porsche AG from 1986 to 1989, first as a Group B rally car and later as a road-going vehicle designed to satisfy FIA homologation regulations requiring that a minimum number of street legal units be built. It is widely regarded as Porsche's first true supercar.
In an attempt to create a rugged, lightweight shell, Porsche adopted an aluminium and Aramid (Kevlar or Twaron) composite for body use along with a Nomex floor, instead of the steel that was normally used on their production cars. The vehicle's light weight of 3,190 pounds (1,450 kg) gave astounding performance for the time '(mph)'
- 0-60: 3.6 s
- 0-100: 8.3 s
- 0-125: 12.7 s
- 0-140: 19.0 s
- 0-1/4 mile (~400 m): 11.8 s @ 119 mph (192 km/h) (standing)
- Top Speed: + 198 mph (319 km/h)
'(km/h)'
- 0-100: 3.7 s
- 0-160: 8.3 s
- 0-200: 12.7 s
- 0-1000 meters: 21.6 s (standing)
Porsche also developed the car'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" aerodynamics were a big part of keeping it drivable.
The 959 also featured Porsche-Steuer Kupplung (PSK) which was at the time the most advanced all wheel drive system that had been 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 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 circumstances. It could also vary the power bias depending on road surface and grip changes, helping maintain surefootedness 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.