928 - Design

The 928 featured a large, front-mounted and water-cooled V8 engine driving the rear wheels. Originally displacing 4.5 L and featuring a single overhead camshaft design, it produced 219 hp (163 kW/222 PS) for the North American market and 240 PS (176 kW/237 hp) in other markets. Porsche upgraded the engine from mechanical to electronic fuel injection in 1980 for US models, although power remained the same. This design marked a major change in direction for Porsche (started with the introduction of the 924 in 1976), whose cars had until then used only rear- or mid-mounted air-cooled flat engines with four or six cylinders.

Porsche utilized a transaxle in the 928 to help achieve 50/50 front/rear weight distribution, aiding the car's balance. Although it weighed more than the difficult-to-handle 911, its more neutral weight balance and higher power output gave it similar performance on the track. The 928 was regarded as the more relaxing car to drive at the time. It came with either a five-speed dog leg manual transmission, or a Mercedes-Benz-derived automatic transmission, originally with three speeds, with four speed from 1983 in North America and 1984 in other markets. More than half of production had the automatic transmission. Exact percentage of manual gearbox cars for entire production run is not known but its believed to be between 25 and 30%.

The body, styled by Wolfgang Möbius under guidance of Anatole Lapine, was mainly galvanised steel, but the doors, front fenders and hood were aluminium. It had a substantial luggage area accessed via a large hatchback. The new polyurethane elastic bumpers were integrated into the nose and tail and covered in body-coloured plastic; an unusual feature for the time that aided the car visually and reduced its drag. Porsche opted not to offer a convertible variant but some aftermarket modifiers offer convertible conversions.

The 928 qualified as a 2+2, having two small seats in the rear. Both rear seats could be folded down to enlarge the luggage area, and both the front and rear seats had sun visors for occupants. The 928 was also the first vehicle in which the instrument binnacle moved with the adjustable steering wheel.

The 928 included several other innovations such as the "Weissach Axle", an early all-wheel steering system that provides passive rear-wheel steering in certain off-throttle cornering situations, and an unsleeved, silicon alloy engine block made of aluminium, which reduced weight and provided a highly durable cylinder bore.

Porsche's design and development efforts paid off during the 1978 European Car of the Year competition where the 928 won ahead of the BMW 7-series and the Ford Granada. The 928 is the only sports car so far to have won this competition, where the usual winners are mainstream hatchbacks and sedans/saloons from major European manufacturers. This is regarded as proof of how advanced the 928 was compared to its contemporaries.

928 - Conception

Porsche 928

Manufacturer	Porsche
Production	1977–1995
Class	Grand tourer
Body style(s)	2-door coupe
Layout	Front-engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine(s)	4.5 L V8 4.7 L V8 5.0 L V8 5.4 L V8
Transmission(s)	5-speed manual 3-speed automatic 4-speed automatic

The Porsche 928 is a grand tourer automobile sold by Porsche AG of Germany from MY 1978 to MY 1995, during which time it was one of their most expensive offerings.

In 1983 the 928S with 5-speed manual transmission and 4.7L-16v M28/19 engine was the fastest car sold in North America, at 146 mph. It was the fastest production road-car in the world in 1986, having been recorded at 172 mph (277 km/h) on the salt flats in Utah using an early 928 S4. ^[1]

Conception

By the late 1960s, Porsche had changed significantly as a company, and executives including owner Ferdinand Porsche were playing with the idea of adding a luxury touring car to the line-up. Managing Director Ernst Fuhrmann was also pressuring Ferdinand to approve development of the new model in light of concerns that the current flagship model at the time, the 911, was quickly reaching its maximum potential where it could soon no longer be improved upon. Slumping sales of the 911 seemed to confirm that the model was approaching the end of its economic life cycle. Fuhrmann envisioned the new range-topping model as being the best possible combination of a sports coupe and a luxury sedan, something well equipped and comfortable enough to be easily driven over long distances that also had the power, poise and handling prowess necessary to be driven like a sports car. This set it apart from the 911, which was a pure sports car.

Ordered by Ferry Porsche to come up with a production-feasible concept for his new model, Fuhrmann initiated a design study in 1971, eventually taking from the process the final specs for the 928. Several drivetrain layouts were considered during early development, including rear and mid-engined designs, but most were dismissed because of technical and/or legislative difficulties. Having the engine, transmission, catalytic converter(s) and exhaust all cramped into a small rear engine bay made emission and noise control more difficult, something Porsche was already facing problems with on the 911 and wanted to avoid. After deciding that the mid-engine layout didn't allow enough room in the passenger compartment, a front engine/rear wheel drive layout was chosen. Porsche also feared at the time that the U.S. government would ban the sale of rear-engined cars in response to the consumer outrage over the Chevrolet Corvair, started by Ralph Nader via his book "Unsafe at Any Speed"^{[citation needed]}.

Porsche engineers wanted a large-displacement motor to power the 928, and prototype units were built with a 5.0 L V8 producing close to 300 hp (220 kW). Very early units used one four-barrel carburetor, which was eventually rejected in favor of Bosch's K-Jetronic fuel injection system. When increasing concern within the company over the pricing and availability of fuel during the oil crisis of the 1970s became an issue of contention, smaller engines were considered in the interest of fuel economy. A push began for the development of a 3.3 L 180 hp (130 kW) powerplant they had drawn up specs for, but company engineers balked at this suggestion. Both sides finally settled on a 4.5 L, SOHC 16-valve V8 producing 240 PS (237 hp/177 kW) (219 hp (163 kW) in North America), which they considered to have an acceptable compromise of performance and fuel economy.

The finished car debuted at the 1977 Geneva Motor Show before going on sale later that year as a 1978 model. Although it won early acclaim for its comfort and power, sales were slow. Base prices were much higher than that of the previous range-topping model and its larger size; the 928's futuristic styling put off many purists who were more attracted to the more compact 911.

Fuhrmann's replacement, Peter Schutz, decided that the models should be sold side by side, feeling that the 911 still had potential in the company's line-up. Legislation against rear-engined vehicles also did not materialize. Although the 928 developed an avid fan following, it never sold in the numbers Fuhrmann had originally predicted and was discontinued in 1995.

959 - Performance and Racing

Performance

'(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: + 197 mph (317 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)

Racing

When Porsche began development of the 959, it looked toward Group B racing as a road-racing laboratory with which to develop technology for production cars. When Group B became focused on rallying events, however, Porsche felt the relevance to production cars was greatly reduced, and the goal of the 959 project shifted to frank state-of-the-art, cost-no-object technological innovation.

Porsche 959 Rally variant

In 1984, however, three 911s modified to 959 specifications (due to the requirement that Group B cars be based on production cars with at least 200 built) were used in the Paris-Dakar Rally, with Jacky Ickx the prime motivator. By 1985 the 959 rally variant was ready, but it experienced a disappointing start: all three cars failed to finish. However, in 1986 the 959 finished 1-2. The 959 was never seriously considered for a Group B Rally season; the cost of completing a full season far outweighed any technical information that would have been gained.

1986 was also the year that the racing variant, the Porsche 961, made its debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Driven by René Metge partnering Claude Ballot-Léna, it finished first in its class and 7th overall. It returned in 1987 but failed to finish after a spin while in 11th place. Thus ended the career of the 961.

959 - History

Development of the 959 (originally called the Gruppe B) started in 1981, shortly after the company's then-new Managing Director, Peter Schutz, took his office. Porsche's head engineer at the time, Helmuth Bott, approached Schutz with some ideas about the Porsche 911, or more aptly, a new one. Bott knew that the company needed a sports car that they could continue to rely on for years to come and that could be developed as time went on. Curious as to how much they could do with the rear-engined 911, Bott convinced Schutz that development tests should take place, and even proposed researching a new all wheel drive system. Schutz agreed, and gave the project green light. Bott also knew through experience that a racing program usually helped to accelerate the development of new models. Seeing Group B rally racing as the perfect arena to test the new mule and its all wheel drive system, Bott again went to Schutz and got the go ahead to develop a car, based on his development mule, for competition in Group B.

Porsche 959 at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts in 2005

Porsche began with an engine they already had, and moved on with development from there. The powerplant, a twin turbocharged boxer six cylinder engine with an air-cooled block and water-cooled heads, displaced 2.85 liters, about half a liter less than a contemporary 911 engine. The motor had originally been developed for the "Moby Dick" race car and then been redeveloped slightly for the short-lived Porsche Indy Car and several other projects before being "tweaked" a last time for use in the 961, the 959's racing counterpart. The water-cooled cylinder heads combined with the air-cooled block, 4-valve heads and sequential turbochargers allowed Porsche to extract 331 kW (444 hp) from the compact, efficient and rugged power unit.^[3] The use of sequential twin turbochargers rather than the more usual identical turbochargers for each of the two cylinder banks allowed for smooth seamless delivery of power across the engine RPM band, in contrast to the abrupt on-off power characteristic that distinguished Porsche's other turbocharged engines of the period. It has been speculated the engine was capable of over 600 hp (450 kW) when fully tuned.^{[citation needed]} The engine was used, virtually unchanged, in the 959 road car as well.

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 normally used on their production cars^[4]. The vehicle's weight of 3,190 pounds (1,450 kg) helped to achieve its high performance level.

2.85-l-Biturbo-Engine

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.^{[citation needed]} The 959 also featured Porsche-Steuer Kupplung (PSK) which was at the time the most advanced all-wheel-drive system in a production car.^{[citation needed]} Capable of dynamically changing the torque distribution between the rear and front wheels in both normal and slip conditions, the PSK system gave 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 at such times^[5] It could also vary the power bias depending on road surface and grip changes, helping maintain traction 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 ^[6].

Porsche 959

The 1983 Frankfurt Motor Show was chosen for the unveiling of the Porsche Group B prototype. Even in the closing hours of October 9, finishing touches were being applied to the car to go on display the next morning. 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.^{[citation needed]}

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. 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 1988. In total, 337 cars were built, including 37 prototypes and preproduction models^[7]. At least one 959 and one 961 remain in the Porsche historic hall in Stuttgart, Germany.

In 1992/1993, Porsche built a strictly limited batch of eight 959s assembled from spare parts from the inventory at the manufacturing site in Zuffenhausen^[8]. All eight were 'Komfort'-versions: four in red and four in silver. These cars were much more expensive (747,500 German Marks) than the earlier ones (420,000 German Marks). The later cars also featured a newly developed speed-sensitive damper system. The cars were sold to selected collectors after being driven by works personnel for some time^[9] and are today by far the most sought-after 959s.

The 959 was not street legal in the United States prior to 1999 when the "Show and Display" law was 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 959s 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 the emissions standards applicable in 1987. The 959 can be fitted with a catalytic converter and a rechipped computer which allows it to meet those emissions requirements. However, most owners refuse to modify their 959s, and the cars remain collection pieces. Most 959s are in the hands of collectors, but a few do occasionally come to market, with prices in the region of 180,000 - 250,000 EUR (cars produced in 1987/1988). It is impossible to estimate the price of cars from the highly limited batch of 1992/1993 [Addition: 31.12.2008: One of the 1992/1993 Cars is currently for sale in Germany at a truck dealership near Goettingen, 13500KM, 12/1992, S-Version (545PS) for 320.000€]

The lessons learned from the 959 project about engine management, aerodynamics, suspension tuning and four wheel drive were what enabled the production life of the 911, once thought to be nearing obsolescence because of the extreme rearward placement of the engine, to be extended to the present day.

959

Porsche 959

Manufacturer	Porsche
Production	1986–1989 (337 produced)[1]
Successor	Porsche 911 GT1
Class	Sports car 200 produced
Body style(s)	2-door coupé
Layout	Rear-engine, four-wheel drive
Engine(s)	2847 cc turbocharged flat-6
Transmission(s)	6-speed manual
Wheelbase	2,272 mm (89.4 in)
Length	4,260 mm (168 in)
Width	1,840 mm (72 in)
Height	1,280 mm (50 in)
Curb weight	1,450 kg (3,200 lb)
Related	Porsche 911, Porsche 911 Turbo, Porsche 961

The Porsche 959 is a sports car manufactured by Porsche from 1986 to 1989, first as a Group B rally car and later as a legal production car designed to satisfy FIA homologation regulations requiring that a minimum number of 200 street legal units be built.^[2]

During its production run, it was hailed as being the most technologically advanced road-going sports car ever built and the harbinger of the future of sports cars: it was one of the first high-performance vehicles to use an all-wheel drive system; it provided the basis for Porsche's first all-wheel drive Carrera 4 model; and it convinced Porsche executives of the system's viability so well that they chose to make all-wheel drive standard on all versions of the 911 Turbo starting with the 993 variant. During its lifetime, the vehicle had only one other street legal peer with comparable performance, the Ferrari F40. The 959's short production run and performance have kept values high.

1983 Porsche 959 Concept Car

924 Carrera GTR at Le Mans - part 2

Canon Cameras / GTI Engineering

Richard Lloyd's GTI Engineering was one of the most active 924 GTR racers. Often pairing with Andy Rouse and occasionally with Jonathan Palmer, the team enjoyed some success in the GT classes. GTI Engineering later raced a Porsche 956 in Group C. Richard Lloyd's roadgoing 924 Carrera GTS Club Sport was sold by his family after his death in 2008.

Results
1981 1000km Monza, 8th, GT class, #22
1981 6hr Silverstone, 11th, GT class, #22
1981 1000km Nurburgring, 15th, GT class, #43
1981 1000km Brands Hatch, 9th, GT class, #41
1982 1000km Monza, DNF, GTX class, #97
1982 6hr Silverstone, DNF, GTO class, #84
1982 1000km Nurburgring, 5th, GTO class, #58
1982 24hr Le Mans, DNF, GTO class, #84
1982 1000km Spa, 15th, GTO class, #84
1982 6hr Mugello, DNF, GTO class, #22
1982 1000km Brands Hatch, 17th, GTO class, #34

Thanks to Alain Jourdainne and Paul Kooyman for the photos. This car was for sale at John Starkey Cars in 2008.

Herman/Miller

The Herman/Miller car was entered into the 1982 24hrs of Le Mans under the BF Goodrich team name.

Results
1981 24hr Daytona, placed 22nd, #36
1981 12hr Sebring, DNS, #36
1981 6hr Watkins Glen, DNF, #36

These photos are from IMSA GT races in the US, which are yet to be listed. Many thanks to Mark Windecker. This is believed to be the car sold by Auto Collection at the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas in 2008.

Whitehall Promotions

Drivers Winters, Bergstrom

Results
1981 1000km Monza, 8th, GT class, #22
1981 6hr Watkins Glen, DNF, GT class, #79
1981 6hr Mosport, 13th, GTO class, #79
1981 500 miles Road America, 23rd, GTO class, #79