There was one for sale recently here in Canada (Oakville, near Toronto) for, IIRC, $400K CDN. I saw the ad in Panorama. Needless to say it caught me by surprise.

Just once in my life, I'd like to take a ride in one of those. I'm not cocky enough to ask to drive it, just to ride in one...

I saw one at Mid-America Motorworks last year.

I was surprised to see it had the same steering wheel and seats (albeit with three-tone leather) as my 951.

A lot of automotive journalists - used to driving 600hp Mercedes sedans, Caterhams that can rocket to 60 in just 3 seconds, 996/7 turbos that are as stable at 150 as they are at 50, and Bugatti Veyrons topping 250mph - are underwhelmed when they go back to the 959.

I remember reading an Excellence comparo of... geez, what was it? 996 turbo, 993 turbo S, 959, ... I want to say a 964 turbo S, and maybe a Ruf CTR? ... in any case, if I remember correctly, the 959 came in last in almost every category.

very sweet cars... for 1987, the ultimate - no doubt! these days it just won't impress you like the newer technology... but it IS the daddy to the 993TT, and the granddaddy to the 996TT, and the great great granddaddy to the 997TT.

kinda older brother to the 964 turbo so to speak.

I thought the 959 was only made in 1986 NOT in 1989.

Speedy:)

If anything, the 959 was the forbearer to the 964 Carrera 4, as the orginator of Porsche's all-wheel-drive system. This, and the 959's twin turbos, eventually did find their way onto the 993TT, of course.

of course that is true, but i was referring to it in that way only by virtue of the bi-turbo all wheel drive 911 platform...

isn't turbocharging grand :)

last time i checked, there were no US versions of the 959
they were all ROW

and even all the money in the world couldn't get them imported and road legal back in the days, specififcally because there were no US versions of the 959

No doubt. I wouldn't want to ride in it to feel its power or be impressed by how wonderful of a car it is, it's more along the lines of just wanting to get that close to one. Sort of like having dinner with your favourite celebrity - it may not be the best conversation you've ever had, but it would be among the most memorable.

The 959 was the king of cars when I was a kid and first started getting interested in cars, sort of the holy grail of sports cars, at least it was in my mind. So I've got a bit of an affection for it :)

Whilst there is no doubt that 993TT, 996TT, 997TTs are faster then the 959, nonoe of them are nearly as aw and involving...

Just as there are faster 911s than the 73 RS very few journos would argue that it is not in the top two 'best 911s' ever built.

A 600hp sedan or Veyron is a very different 'tool' and comparisons are therefore moot...

It represents the pinnacle of sports cars at the time....

Oh don't get me wrong, the 959 ranks among my all-time favorite cars. When the "show and display" law made the 959 prohibitively street-legal in the US back in 2000 or 2001, and I soon thereafter saw Seinfeld's white 959 at Rennsport Reunion, I was thrilled.

Can a 959 be made streel legal here in Canada?

Apparently, yes. One was driven to the PCA UCR concours in Oakville earlier this year.
Pics:
http://www.pcaucr.org/site/page_slides.jsp?pageid=330

Flame on, but........

One was at Portland International 3 years ago and they are a fairly floppy car on the track. For it's time a hell of a car, but now....

A guy named Canepa brings the cars up to current emissions regulations. Fear not - thanks to advantages in engine management technology, he actually makes the cars MORE POWERFUL in the process. I think his cars make 460hp - meeting full emissions regulations, even in california - if I remember correctly. This makes me believe they would be street legal in Canada, if they weren't to begin with.