Porsche 959 – the jeep-bashing supercar

It was one of the most technologically-advanced cars ever built and one of the first supercars to use four-wheel drive

But the spirit of the sport is built of strong stuff…like its cars. And nowhere is this more obvious than the Porsche 959, and Stuart Milne says it's one of the Dakar's biggest legacies.

The mid 1980s saw one of the most exciting forms of motorsport reach its zenith – Group B rallying.

Crazy turbocharged rallycars battled around the world, spawning many legends – the Audi Sport Quattro, Metro 6R4, Lancia Stratos and Ford RS200 to name but a few.

Suddenly supercar makers like Ferrari and Porsche saw their cars being torn from young petrolhead's bedroom walls and being replaced by these big boost, bewinged monsters.

They had to do something. And quick.

Ferrari set about developing the 288 GTO; a pumped-up turbocharged version of the 308 GTB – sidekick of TV's Magnum P.I.

And Porsche got busy with the 959.

But neither car ever turned a competitive wheel in Group B as the series was axed following a string of deaths.

In the Porsche 959, the Germans had developed a car which they felt showed too much promise to be forgotten about, and turned their attentions to the Paris-Dakar rally.

The Porsche 959 got off to a shaky start in its first Dakar in 1985 – none of the three entrants completed the race.

But the following year Porsche smashed the opposition and took first and second places. Rene Metge and Dominic Lemoyne took the top honours, with F1 superstar Jacky Ickx and Claude Brasseur second.

The Porsche 959 reached near-mythical status that day.

It was one of the most technologically-advanced cars ever built and one of the first supercars to use four-wheel drive.

Its four-wheel drive system proved so effective it convinced Porsche's bosses that it would suitable for its road cars.

But all this was secondary to the all-important performance figures. It's still ferociously quick by today's standards, but unprecedented in the mid-1980s.

It would dispatch the 60mph marker in 3.6 seconds, 100mph in 8.3 seconds, cover the standing quarter mile in 11.8 seconds at 119mph before reaching 198mph.

Incredibly until 1999, none of the 268 959s Porsche built could be used on American roads. Porsche refused to provide the American government cars for crash testing, so it was never approved for use.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates helped push through a bill which would allow the 959 – and other non-approved cars – to be used; and counted one among his collection of cars.

If you want to get your hands on a Porsche 959 and need to ask how much; you can't afford it. But for the record, you'll need around £200,000 if you manage to find one for sale.

But for the Porsche aficionado, the 959 represents the car maker at its most outrageous and arrogant best.

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