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This Porsche 959 Prototype Is One of Very Few Surviving Examples In Existence

This Might Look Like A Production Porsche 959 At A Glance, But It Definitely Is Not

I wouldn’t criticize you if you tried to say this was a normal Porsche 959, as the body does look pretty similar to the production car. However, this isn’t the case. In fact, as if being one the few surviving examples of just 12 prototypes built didn’t make this car rare enough, it’s also one of the few that were finished in Ruby Red. The car was apparently designed specifically for electric system testing and hot weather testing on the U.S. West Coast and in Europe.

This Porsche 959 Prototype Is One of Very Few Surviving Examples In Existence Interior
- image 1018506

Still need proof that this is an authentic prototype, well that proof comes on the inside. Throughout the testing phase, several different interior layouts were installed, including one with different seats. You can find extra and disconnected electric wiring under the passenger seat along with hard mounts for the electronic testing equipment next to the rear seats. The car is also lacking power steering, ride-height control, a passenger-side mirror, alarm, windshield washer, and the fuel filler cap among other things.

Porsche 959 specifications
Engine	2849 cc Bi-turbocharged flat-6
Bore x stroke	95.0 x 67.0 mm
Compression ratio	8.3:1
Horsepower (DIN)	444 HP @ 6,500 RPM
Torque	370 LB-FT @ 5,500 RPM
Fuel delivery	elect. port injection
Transmission	6-speed manual
0-60 mph	3.7 seconds
Top Speed	197 mph

This 959 Prototype’s History Is Interesting

This Porsche 959 Prototype Is One of Very Few Surviving Examples In Existence Exterior
- image 1018517 — **How much do you think the asking price is?**

Swipe up to learn more about it, see the full gallery, and find a link to the sale listing!

After the Porsche 969 hit the production lines, Porsche destroyed most of the other prototypes that were built alongside this one. This car, however, was imported into the U.S. in the latter half of the 1980s and was displayed like a trophy at the HQ of Vasek Polak – a Porsche importer and dealer. Sometime after that, it was shipped off to Japan for demonstrational activities before being sold to Belgium and later the United Kingdom. The car eventually made it back to its homeland of Germany, where it’s currently on sale. According to the listing, it has just 26,520 km (16,478 miles) on the odometer, but the asking price is a mystery. If you’re interested in owning a very rare care, you’ll have to contract the owner through Mechatronik to find out how much you’ll have to shell out.

Source: Mechatronik

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Porsche 911 Sport Classic Caught Testing

Our spy photographers caught the upcoming Porsche 911 Sport Classic out for a new testing session on the public roads of Germany. As you can see the car is missing most of the camouflage which means the testing sessions are pretty much done, and all that is left is mostly fine tuning.

The prototype follows the design lines of the 911 models, but there will be a few distinctive features. First one is of course that little ducktail at the back – a signature of the Sport Classic models. The 911 Sport Classic will also feature a double bubble roof and the lines of the special hood will match perfectly the lines of the roof.

Porsche 911 Sport Classic Caught Testing Exterior Spyshots
- image 1042615

The only camouflage we can see on this prototype is some tape around the sides of the ducktail spoiler and in the middle of the rear light arrangement.

As for the engine, rumors suggest the 911 Sport Classic will get the same engine as the 911 GTS: a 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six that delivers 480 horsepower
and 420 pound-feet of torque.

Rumors suggest Porsche will only build 2,000 units of the 911 Sport Classic.

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Volkswagen Group: Audi Employs Ken Block, Porsche Making 718 Electric

<img data-attachment-id=”1774616″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/09/volkswagen-group-audi-employs-ken-block-porsche-making-718-electric/audi-block/” data-orig-file=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Audi-Block-e1632344516704.png” data-orig-size=”2867,1674″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”0″,”credit”:””,”camera”:””,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”0″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”0″,”iso”:”0″,”shutter_speed”:”0″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”0″}” data-image-title=”Audi Block” data-image-description=”

Audi

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Despite being the target of a German lawsuit accusing the manufacturer of not being green enough, Volkswagen Group is probably the legacy automaker touting the merits of electrification with the most enthusiasm. While undoubtedly influenced by the diesel emissions catastrophe that cheesed off every regulator in the Western world, its brand has actively been delivering EVs and praising alternative energy automobiles whenever possible.

There was more of that this week. Porsche has reportedly decided to make the 718 to be an all-electric model by 2025 and Audi recently announced that it’s employing rally icon and Hoonigan founder Ken Block (who broke with the Ford Motor Co. earlier this year) to develop EVs.

Audi announced Block’s involvement on Tuesday by simultaneously releasing a video and interview. The video is about what you’d expect and the interview feels about as organic as a cube of polyethylene. Block is supposed to be joining the company to help develop electric cars but there isn’t much in the way of details in the interview. Instead, it served as a vehicle for the professional driver to praise Audi products (perhaps genuinely) and discuss how it shouldn’t matter what’s beneath the hood so long as the car goes fast.

In case you’ve never seen one of his videos, Ken Block likes to go fast and he mentions it with the frequency and subtlety of Sonic the Hedgehog throughout the release. As I’ve never witnessed him being verbose, this was likely the most authentic aspect of the interview. But the rest was sprinkled with enough corporate buzz terms to make it feel like he may have been coached by his new employer.

“By testing electric cars in different contexts, we want to showcase mobility and electrification in new and entertaining ways. Audi has done an incredible job of driving their vehicles into the future,” Block stated. “Hopefully, I can pick up on that and have a lot of fun with it at the same time. Audi technology has always had a huge impact on me. In the 1980s, the brand used to dominate one of my all-time favorite sports events — the World Rally Championship — in a way that truly inspired me. Over the years, I’ve always had a real fan’s appreciation for what Audi achieved in racing way back when, right up to modern-day motorsport. I have always been very impressed with their progressiveness and the fact that they are constantly looking ahead.”

This led to a statement on humanity and the ways we all need to live to create a progressive, pro-mobility future. But the overall gist from Ken’s discussion is that electric vehicles are part of that and everyone needs to get on board.

<img data-attachment-id=”1774614″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/09/volkswagen-group-audi-employs-ken-block-porsche-making-718-electric/block-audi-2/” data-orig-file=”http://turbosaga.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/volkswagen-group-audi-employs-ken-block-porsche-making-718-electric-5.jpg” data-orig-size=”768,471″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”0″,”credit”:””,”camera”:””,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”0″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”0″,”iso”:”0″,”shutter_speed”:”0″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”0″}” data-image-title=”Block Audi 2″ data-image-description=”

Audi

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“Don’t get me wrong, I love the sound of combustion engines, especially the five-cylinder that Audi is so famous for,” he said. “That’s what I grew up with. Even so, I welcome change and whatever might make me go faster. Of course, I’ll miss the sound of the engine, but there are other ways to enjoy new technology and its sounds. The view that combustion engines are the answer because something would be missing without that growl is wrong. I have kids who haven’t grown up with those sounds for the past thirty or fifty years as I have and don’t care about them. They’re used to the idea that there are combustion engines and electric motors, each with their own sounds. To them, both are cool. We older people need to change our attitude and learn that the lack of a sound can also be very cool.”

What does all of this mean? Well, other than the fact that Audi is now paying Ken Block to say things, we’re not absolutely certain. The manufacturer has been extremely cagey on the details, only admitting that the Hoonigan executive will be helping to deliver “exclusive joint projects in the field of electric mobility” and already drove the classic Sport Quattro S1, V8 Quattro DTM, Audi RS E-Tron GT, and E-Tron Vision Gran Turismo prototype.

My guess is that this results in another gymkhana video where Block pilots an Audi-branded vehicle through tight spaces at unadvisable speeds. Perhaps there will even be a few new electrified products from the manufacturer with Ken’s signature on them — though his sitting through an entire development phase seems unlikely.

Meanwhile, Porsche is supposedly already working on a new EV that will end up replacing one of its best models. According to Car and Driver, the 718 will become a totally battery-electric vehicle for the 2025 model year. The outlet said that it ended months of speculation after Porsche unveiled the Mission R Concept (pictured) at the Munich auto show. It’s the correct shape and size to replace the 718 and will reportedly serve as the template for its successor.

<img data-attachment-id=”1774610″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/09/volkswagen-group-audi-employs-ken-block-porsche-making-718-electric/porsche-mission-r-concept/” data-orig-file=”http://turbosaga.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/volkswagen-group-audi-employs-ken-block-porsche-making-718-electric-11.jpg” data-orig-size=”980,653″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”0″,”credit”:””,”camera”:””,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”0″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”0″,”iso”:”0″,”shutter_speed”:”0″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”0″}” data-image-title=”Porsche Mission R Concept” data-image-description=”

Porsche

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From Car and Driver:

We haven’t seen the interior yet, but we are assured it will be the brand’s most futuristic yet, more forward-looking than the Taycan and a massive leap from the conservatively styled current 718 cockpit. In designing the user interface, Porsche is keeping the customer base in mind: In China, the most important market, the average age of a 718 buyer is just 31. We are told, “This will be the most modern Porsche.”

Sports-car fans have been concerned that an electric 718 could become excessively heavy; a Taycan, after all, comes in between 4,568 pounds for the entry-level model with the small battery and 5,199 pounds for the Turbo S Cross Turismo, despite its not-exactly-spacious package. The 718, on the other hand, will be almost a miracle of lightweight technology: The internal target weight is under 3,650 pounds.

Weight is one thing but the car also needs to be useable. If the Porsche Taycan taught us anything, it’s that diminished range can severely undermine what’s an otherwise desirable automobile. We’re also slightly concerned that future 718 models won’t be a cost-conscious alternative to the 911, but its main competition. The iconic 911 is said to remain internal-combustion-focused until at least 2030. Though an all-electric 718 will probably be able to match its acceleration before the speedometer reaches blistering speeds. Assuming there remains a divide between EV and ICE fans, this might not be a big issue and the same goes if Porsche can keep pricing below the $83,000 it charges for the Taycan.

However, it doesn’t really matter what the consumer wants or what it’s going to cost. Europe’s restrictive Euro 7 regulations have effectively painted all manufacturers into a corner. The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association has claimed the proposed rules would basically kill their ability to continue developing internal-combustion engines, especially since regulators are considering real-world emission monitoring over the entire lifetime of a vehicle. Assuming Porsche still wants to build high-performance vehicles with juicy spec sheets inside the EU, they’ll have to be electric.

<img data-attachment-id=”1774612″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/09/volkswagen-group-audi-employs-ken-block-porsche-making-718-electric/porsche-mission-r-concept-rear/” data-orig-file=”http://turbosaga.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/volkswagen-group-audi-employs-ken-block-porsche-making-718-electric-16.jpg” data-orig-size=”980,653″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”0″,”credit”:””,”camera”:””,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”0″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”0″,”iso”:”0″,”shutter_speed”:”0″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”0″}” data-image-title=”Porsche Mission R concept rear” data-image-description=”

Porsche

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[Images: Volkswagen Group]

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Porsche Asks For Suppliers to Go Green

Porsche is asking its 1,300 suppliers to only use renewable energy as they manufacture Porsche parts, starting this month.

The German automaker is doing so in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

This change applies to any supplier awarded a contract for providing production material for new-vehicle projects. Suppliers who can’t or won’t comply will no longer be considered for Porsche contracts over the long term.

“Our battery cell suppliers have already had to use green energy since 2020. And now we are taking the next important step: we stipulate that our series suppliers also use only renewable energy to produce our components, to help reduce CO₂-emissions even further. We recognise that we have a responsibility to ensure that supply chains are transparent and sustainable,” Uwe-Karsten Städter, member of the executive board for procurement at Porsche AG said in a statement.

It’s all part of a larger goal the company has set to be carbon dioxide neutral across the entire supply chain by 2030. As it stands now, the company’s supply chain is responsible for about 20 percent of the company’s total greenhouse-gas emissions, with it projected to rise to 40 percent as electrification becomes more prevalent.

“By using only renewable energy sources, our suppliers are following our example in our efforts to reach CO_2-neutrality. We plan to have even more intensive talks with our partners in order to drive forward improvements in our sustainability. It is only by working together that we will be able to combat ongoing climate change,” said Städter.

Porsche is also trying to reduce emissions from its own plants — the company claims that production of the Taycan is carbon-neutral since 2019, for example, and that the same holds true for the 911 and 718 since 2020 and the plant that produces the Macan and Panamera since 2021.

It’s not as ambitious as having an EV Day, but Porsche, like everyone these days, is making claims about its ability to be green.

[Image: Porsche]

Porsche’s Boxster EV Will Force Audi And BMW To Step Up Their Game

The Porsche Boxster EV Is Just the Start of Electric Sports Cars

Shortly following news that the fate of the next-gen Porsche 718 was officially on the table, a new report came to say that Porsche was working on a “Boxster EV” and that a concept is coming soon. And, even though there’s a strong case for a Porsche 911 EV – if you factor out the consideration of battery weight – going electric with the 718 makes even more sense. Especially when it’s said that an ICE version of the 718 will be sold alongside the electric model, much like Porsche is planning to do with the Macan EV. Of course, I should tell you that the Macan EV might not be a Macan, but that’s a conversation for another time. The point is that the news of the Boxster EV got me thinking, and the bottom line is that it’s going to spearhead the shift of the entire small sportscar segment.

Porsche's Boxster EV Will Force Audi And BMW To Step Up Their Game
- image 810785

As of now, BMW isn’t planning to follow-up on the current BMW Z4 – once it goes out of production, that’s supposed to be it. And last we heard, Audi was completely unsure of what to do with the Audi R8 and the Audi TT, meaning neither may survive beyond their current generations or the next generation at best. With the Toyota Supra being based on the Z4, there’s a good chance it’ll be a one-and-done ordeal too, and Mazda hasn’t exactly been open about electrification plans for the MX-5, either.

Porsche's Boxster EV Will Force Audi And BMW To Step Up Their Game
- image 810788

So what happens later this year when Porsche unveils a Boxster EV concept that is, reportedly, near-production ready? Will it take less than the five years it took the Mission E to morph into the Taycan and MX-5 electric too. Perhaps a couple of automakers are secretly working on their own electric compact sports cars or maybe they aren’t. If they are, then all the better for us, and if they aren’t, expect to watch them all scatter like roaches when the lights come on as they start scrambling to take their rightful pieces of the pie before Porsche comes to dominate a lightly touched segment.

How The Porsche 959 Rally Legend Redefined The Nature of Supercars

The five-minute video is both a history lesson on the race-spec 959 and a highlight footage of the car’s Paris-Dakar adventure. It documents how the 959 was designed and developed and it talks about its then-revolutionary all-wheel-drive system. It also gives us a closer look at the twin-turbocharged inline-six engine, rated at 400 horsepower, and the adjustments Porsche had to make to turn the 959 into a rally race winner.

Finally, it talks a bit about how the three Porsche 959s fielded in the 1986 Paris-Dakar Rally finished the race in first, second, and sixth positions, scoring a historic win for the German brand.

How The Porsche 959 Rally Legend Redefined The Nature of Supercars
- image 961099

The 959 did more than just race at Paris-Dakar, though. While the video doesn’t mention it, simply because it documents this historic event only, the 959 was also raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Called the 961, it won its class and finished seventh overall in 1986.

How The Porsche 959 Rally Legend Redefined The Nature of Supercars
- image 961098

Of course, the 959 is actually more famous as a road-going car.

Introduced in 1986, it was the world’s fastest streel-legal production car with top speeds of up to 211 mph.

It was also considered the most technologically advanced sports car of its time and set the standard for the competition. It also provided the basis for Porsche’s first all-wheel drive 911, the Carrera 4. Fitted with a twin-turbo, 2.8-liter flat-six engine rated at up to 523 horsepower, the 959 remained in production until 1993. Porsche built 337 units in seven years.

Former VW, Porsche, BMW and Tesla Execs Join Forces at New EV Startup

Several top former auto execs are joining forces at Piech Automotive. The first EV will be the GT2 coupe.

While it may not be quite as well known as that of the Porsche family, the Piech name is equally storied among automotive insiders and enthusiasts. Together, these frequently squabbling relatives can lay claim to having helped create two of the European industry’s most important brand names: Porsche and Volkswagen. And now, the Piech name will be applied to a new sports car being launched as part of a new, all-electric marque based in Switzerland.

Piech Automotive plans to have its first model, the GT2, in showrooms late in 2022, with at least two other models to follow.

The company might be dismissed as just one of the many startups hoping to profit from the global transition from internal combustion to electric propulsion, but there are several reasons why it deserves a closer look. The most significant is the fact that it is being run by a high-powered group of former Porsche, BMW, Tesla and Volkswagen executives, notably including one Matthias Mueller.

(Mueller out, Diess in at VW — and more shakeups to come.)

The Piech GT2 will reportedly race from 0 to 62 mph in less than three seconds.

Mueller was a one-time head of the Porsche brand and rose to become the CEO of Volkswagen AG after the German automaker’s diesel emissions scandal broke in 2015. He was subsequently ousted in a boardroom coup three years later, replaced by Herbert Diess who had been recruited from BMW.

Mueller now will serve as the chairman of Piech Automotive and his appointment comes at a critical time.

The BEV startup first showed off what was then called the Piech Mark Zero concept at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show and has been pushing for funding ever since. It expects the next funding round underway now will help it raise enough capital to take the sports car into production – newly renamed the Piech GT2.

In what is now the norm for electric vehicle design, the GT2 will rely on a skateboard-like platform that will be flexible enough to handle multiple “top hats,” or bodies, with two more apparently in development, according to the company.

Also in an approach becoming quite common among high performance BEV brands, the GT2 will rely on a three-motor layout, one on the front axle, two in the rear. The combined package set to deliver 450 kilowatts of power, or 603 horsepower. That will be enough, Piech claims, to hit 100 kph, or 62 mph, in “under three seconds.”

The new GT2 will put out 603 horsepower and can be charged from zero to 80% full in just 40 minutes and 40 seconds.

(EVs cost half as much as gas-powered vehicles for maintenance.)

While the size of the battery pack hasn’t been disclosed, the two-seater is said to have a range of 310 miles using a long-range pack, and 250 miles with the standard one. These are based on the European WLTP test cycle so, if the Piech GT2 comes to the U.S., it would likely come in 10 to 20% lower.

Recharging, meanwhile, will take as little as 40 minutes and 40 seconds from empty to 80% of capacity, Piech claims. While details of the sports car’s electric architecture hasn’t been released that would clearly indicate it can use the latest 350 kilowatt public fast chargers and operates at or above 800 volts.

Currently, the only vehicle capable of using such chargers to their full capacity is the Porsche Taycan, though it is expected to become more the norm in the years ahead as it brings charging times down to what motorists currently expect when filling a gas tank.

As for the Piech name, it is one of the family branches of the family tree linked to Ferdinand Porsche. He’s the engineering genius who helped create the original “people’s car,” or Volkswagen, and who later went on to lend his name to the eponymous Porsche sports car company.

Matthias Mueller once headed up VW and is now Piech Automotive chairman.

His most notable heir, at least within the auto industry, was Ferdinand Piech who was named Volkswagen AG CEO in 1992 and later became the company’s chairman. Piech eventually became embroiled in the diesel scandal and other controversies. He died in August 2019 at the age of 82.

(Former Volkswagen chief Ferdinand Piech dies at 82.)

Mueller, who was considered a Piech protégé, will join an assortment of former industry leaders running the new EV startup. That includes its new technical director, Klaus Schmidt, who was once a senior figure at BMW Motorsport, as well as Jochen Rudat, who set up Tesla’s European distribution network.

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Ford Outperforms GM, FCA in Third Quarter Sales

Ford said the F-Series finished the third quarter strong with a 17.2% increase in September.

Ford Motor Co. outscored its Detroit rivals, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler during the third quarter by reporting a smaller sales decline and picking up share in the pickup market.

Ford, reporting a day after GM and FCA, was down 4.9% compared to a year ago. GM and FCA reported 10% declines during the third quarter as the industry showed signs of recovering from the impact of Covid-19 pandemic, which stalled sales last spring.

“Despite the challenging pandemic environment, our retail unit sales were down only 2 percent and we had our best third quarter of pickup truck sales since 2005,” said Mark LaNeve, Ford vice president of sales marketing and service. “F-Series finished the quarter on a high note with September sales up 17.2% with over 76,000 F-Series pickups sold. This is a testament to our winning product portfolio and the performance of our great dealers.”

(U.S. new car sales show signs of life in September.)

Volvo Cars enjoyed its best September sales results since 2004.

FCA’s Ram pickup deliveries slipped 3.4% year over year to 156,157 pickups during the third quarter as the Chevrolet Silverado pickup from GM fell 5.4% to 145,525 units. Subaru and Toyota reported sales gains in September as actual sales gains versus the previous year.

Volvo Cars USA maintained its upward momentum trend announcing its fourth consecutive month of year-over-year growth. Retailing 10,274 cars in September 2020, the strong result represents 10.2% growth over the same period last year and marks the best September result for the brand since 2004.

Honda brand sales climbed 11% as trucks set a September record with a 20.4% jump, while Acura September sales increased 16.6% on strong performances from MDX, RDX and ILX. “September marks a high-water mark for Honda sales this year with double-digit gains and our first month in positive territory since the pandemic began,” said Dave Gardner, executive vice president of National Operations at American Honda.

(Automakers expected to report strong September sales.)

Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today reported total September sales of 24,237 vehicles, an increase of 28.7 percent compared to September 2019. Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. (MMNA) today reported third-quarter 2020 sales of 24,857 vehicles, an increase of 1.5% over the same period in 2019, and up a significant 49% over the previous quarter of 2020.

Mitsubishi Motors saw sales rise 1.5% versus last September and a 49% compared with the second quarter of 2020.

Volkswagen of America reported its sales 7.6% and Porsche Cars North America Inc. said third quarter U.S. retail deliveries rose 5% from the same period a year ago, continuing a recovery trend from coronavirus lockdowns in the first half of 2020.

September 2020 sales benefitted from two extra sales days, and the Labor Day holiday weekend, which fell in August for 2019 results. Incoming figures from reporting automakers are reflecting year-over-year improvements for the month, and on an unadjusted volume level the sales tally for the month is expected to be up 2-3% year over year the first time since February 2020 the market will realize a monthly y/y improvement,” noted IHS analysts Stephanie Brinley.

(Tesla hits quarterly delivery record but Wall Street is not impressed.)

“The SAAR reading for the month is expected to improve from the 15.2 million unit reading in August, possibly bumping against a 16-million-unit pace. But this would still be well below the 17.2 million unit reading of September 2019,” she said.

Tag: Porsche