First time I see one on the road!

[GeorgeK]

Tonight I was driving home from work, in my MB 300TE, minding my own thoughts, cruise on. A quick glance from time to time in the mirrors.
I see a familiar shape. two horizontal slots under the license plate, round headlights. Yep, a 993. Wait, the lights look weird... Hmm, the blinkers are unusual too.
The car closes fast, must be going abot 100-110. then I get to see the sides in the mirror... wide sills, air intakes in the rear fenders... and what are those high perched mirrors??
As the car reaches me, I glance at the wheels and notice centerlocks!!
A 959
That thing is AWESOME! Nothing like in the pics. It seems to glide at speed.
German plates (Hamburg)
Made my day!
GeorgeK

[pegasus9]

Very cool. Must have been nice to see the real deal. All I've seen around here is a lame-o kit car wannabe 959s.

[Emission]

I have seen one in person.

Otis Chandler (the publisher) has a museum/warehouse in Oxnard, CA (north of Los Angeles) where he keeps his 'collection' of vehicles. It is open to the public every so often.

He has a 959, XJ220, F40 (well, he just crashed that one!), AC Cobra (authentic), GT-2, and some other rare cars. The Jaguar XJ220 is another amazing car in person!

The 959 is beautiful. It is still one of my favorite cars - ever.

[Tony'z911]

Yes those cars are a sight to see!
I was lucky enough to see one at Cignata's- a local shop in Edgewood, MD. The red 959 was in transit and was spending a couple days at the shop in between carriers. If only I had my digital camera back then!
-T

[Rick Lee]

I have actually seen three 959's - they were the real deal and all three were in Germany. Two I saw in 1988 and 1989 and one I saw in the Porsche Museum in Zuffenhausen. Sure would like to take one for a test drive.

[jphillips-998]

Saw Michael Jordan's at the dealership a couple of years ago. All I can say is WOW!

[cegerer]

Must have been very cool to see that on the public roads George! Too bad you weren't in the RS - that could have developed into some good clean fun.

BTW, there's going to be a 959 at the Stoddard show on Saturday. Don't know if it will be driven there or trailered? -- Curt

[GeorgeK]

Curt,
Oh yes that could have been fun. I'd have blocked his intake with pieces of rust falling off, or asphixiated the driver with the gases from the varnish that replaced the fuel in the tank.
At least he'd have seen that "my chick looks better than yours"

[tobluforu]

There is a guy where I live in Mill Valley, Ca that has one-red. He drives it down on occasion to get coffee on sunday. The car is in PERFECT shape. He just bought a brand new turbo which he showed off 3 sundays ago while getting coffee. Got to love it..

[Doug Zielke]

Originally posted by GeorgeK
At least he'd have seen that "my chick looks better than yours"

So, George....Which came first....the chicken or the RS??

[Adam]

I too, have seen a real 959 in the flesh. It was amazingly W-I-D-E! I was also overcome with a feeling not unlike when you (as a kid) explore construction sites at night... great fun, but you're scared of getting hurt or being caught too close to it!

Seriously buff car!

[old_skul]

I saw one...and touched it, by God...last year at a local concours. The featured marque was Porsche, so the folks at Garaj Mahal brought down a few pieces from the collection, including the now-street-legal 959.

It was this gorgeous dark grey, with a grey interior. I was blown away by how many interior parts it shared with my car (an '86). It was the most gorgeous Porsche I've ever seen, and that includes the '96 - '97 Turbos, which are works of art. This car is amazing

I almost, almost worked up the nerve to ask if I could sit in it for just a moment, but lost my nerve. Shoulda, coulda....

[Doug Zielke]

Didn't Bill Gates also own a 959? One of the first to have one?
I recall reading (in Excellence?) that he had to store it in an Oakland, CA warehouse under a Customs Bond. That prevented him from driving it a single mile. He said he didn't care if the gov't regs were stupid, and he'd "wait them out". I wonder if he still has it?

[Adam]

Doug, I also heard that Ralph Lauren had one, but he somehow managed to drive it around NYC.

[cegerer]

Here's the business end of a 959 from Rennsport last year:



But even a 959 pilot needs to keep a keen eye in the mirror for one of these breathing down his neck! :

[GIBSON]

At last count there were 13 959's at Bruce Canepa's shop in Santa Cruz. They are being converted to full US legal specs. They are taking out the sequential turbos and updating to the latest style turbo which will be non-sequential. The horsepower is way up from factory with this setup, in the 500+ range. It's quite a site, if you are in the Bay area, you might want to end up in Santa Cruz sometime and see these cars.
Not to mention his RSR, 935's etc.

[Doug E]

Curt - nice pics! The 959 at Rennsport was the first one I'd seen in person (although if I can be picky would you really want a white one?) and it was SOOOOOOOO much better looking in person than pictures give it credit. I can't imagine what I'd do if I ever saw one on the road.

The RSR is my favorite Porsche. What's the retail on it? I better start saving

[RatBoy4]

Yeah I've seen some cool cars myself. I love in Danville, CA which is a reatively wealthy community, but believe me, I'm not one of them. Anyway, it's located next to Blackhawk, a very expensive small town that many sports stars and movie stars live in. I get to see my fair share of cool cars. I've seen a brand-nes street version GT3 and a GT2. I saw a McLaren F1, yes the $1 million dollar car at the Blackhawk auto museum nearby. I see some sort of Ferrari almost every day, and one eery couple weeks an F40 or 50, and on occasion, but not too often a Lamborghini. I know they are those Italian cars, and not our true German automobile friends, but they are still cool cars.

[Langers]

My dad used to work across the road from a Porsche dealership who was having trouble selling 959s..... went for a test drive in it and it drove well enough, but aparently the panel gaps and fit and finish were APPALLING compared to his '77 Targa.....