Carlassic
  • Home
  • PAST
  • PRESENT
  • FUTURE
187K Likes
15K Followers
Carlassic
Carlassic Carlassic
  • Home
  • PAST
  • PRESENT
  • FUTURE
  • 1
    Only Surviving Land Rover Station Wagon “86 – A Brief History
    • March 30, 2018
  • ferrari 2
    The Rare 1955 Ferrari 500 Mondial Series II
    • May 31, 2018
  • Classic Convertible 3
    Best Classic Convertible Cars of All Time
    • August 24, 2017
  • 250 GT Cabriolet 4
    Can’t get enough of Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet
    • January 19, 2017
Porsche-959
  • classic
  • Classic Car Collection
  • Classic Cars
  • PAST
  • Porsche
  • Race Cars
  • Racing
  • Vintage Cars

Why The Porsche 959 Owes Gratitude to Bill Gates

  • June 19, 2020
  • Atal Hakikat
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0

Hadn’t Bill Gates not have been so enamoured with the Porsche 959, it might not have ever made it to the U.S.

Philanthropist, pioneer and billionaire, Bill Gates is one of the world’s most brilliant human beings. On top of innovating computer software, making it the daily essential it is today, Gates has donated billions of dollars of his wealth to charity, pledging his life not only to his empire, Microsoft, but into making a difference in the world’s never-ending, dire reality of poverty. He is a man who hardly needs an introduction as all of this information is well known.

But what isn’t as well known, is Gate’s love for Porsches and for many Porsche nuts, Gates included, the 1986 959 holds a special place in their hearts. However those ‘nuts’ might not be aware that Gates made an important contribution to the 959’s existence in America.

959

The 959 belong in the list of truly great cars of the 80’s era. Many Porsche enthusiasts tried vehemently to import the revered cars to America but to no avail, since every 959 that entered the country were impounded as they did not meet American regulation standards. Bill Gates was perhaps the car’s biggest fan and fought tirelessly to change the law that would allow them to be imported, for which he was eventually successful. The result brought the prestigious 959 to American roads and whether it was intentionally altruistic or not, Porsche aficionados will be eternally grateful to him. 

When the Porsche 959 was released in 1986, it had enthusiasts licking their chops. This car has always been highly thought of and at the time was greatly sought after, not least because the American restriction on the car added to the car’s mystique and allure. In fact, it is safe to say that the 959 is close to the top of the most popular Porsches ever. There is a good reason for this though because the 959 was arguably the best car in the world at that time, when considering its technological capabilities. This car was a game changer.

959 features

It was certainly influenced by the 911, using it as a template, but that was all that it was. The 959 was extremely technologically advanced with its electronic all-wheel drive and computer system. The 2.9 litre, air and water cooled, turbo-charged engine produced a whopping 444 horsepower. The double cooling system was unique and highly efficient at cooling the engine. The materials used for it were also state-of-the-art giving rise to an extremely light engine.

It was also the first car ever to use tyre pressure sensors, adjustable suspension, magnesium wheels and 6-speed manual transmission. All this was very revolutionary for a production car. The result was that in 1986, the 959 was the world’s fastest road-going car, with a top speed of 313 km/h. This was an extremely fast car for its time. 

Porsche hit the nail on the head with this car, everything about it was spectacular, from its style to its performance. And many supercar manufacturers agreed, as this car would serve as a blueprint for years to come in supercar production. The inception of the 959 truly was a watershed moment in the automobile history with its revolutionary technology and capabilities

When these cars finally came to America, they were very expensive, costing around $225,000 but their price now will set you back you a lot more than that! Last year, a 1988 959 sold for a staggering $1.5 million, and this is for a car that was produced over 30 years ago!. Then again, there were only 337 were ever made which makes it extremely rare, but combine that rarity with the breathtaking performance and this car is worth every penny. 

It was cars like the 959 that cemented Porsche’s reputation as a high performance car manufacturer, and the 959 might have been their finest hour. Car lovers around the world then can thank Porsche for its contribution to production supercars that we benefit from today. American Porsche lovers though, can thank Bill Gates for the mythical presence of this car on American roads. 

Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Related Topics
  • Bill Gates
  • Classic
  • Porsche
  • Racing
You May Also Like
1967-FORD-MUSTANG-ELEANOR-TRIBUTE-EDITION-248123
MORE
  • Ford
  • Mustang
  • PAST

The Classic 1967 Ford Mustang: ‘Eleanor Tribute Midnight Edition’

  • Atal Hakikat
  • July 9, 2021
1995 HKS T-002 / BCNR33 Record Breaker
MORE
  • Race Cars
  • PAST
  • Racing

The Record Breaking 1995 HKS T-002/ BCNR33

  • Atal Hakikat
  • July 6, 2021
The Renault 5 Turbo2 Maxi
MORE
  • Renault
  • PAST

The 1985 Renault 5 Turbo2 Maxi: A True Racing Legend

  • Atal Hakikat
  • July 1, 2021
Totem-GT Electric-AlfaRomeo-GT
MORE
  • alfa romeo
  • FUTURE
  • PAST
  • PRESENT
  • Rebuild

Totem Automobili’s Authentic GT Electric Alfa Romeo

  • Atal Hakikat
  • January 20, 2021
Mercedes-Benz 300SLR
MORE
  • Classic Car Collection
  • Classic Cars
  • Mercedes
  • Mercedes-Benz
  • PAST
  • Racing
  • Unique Cars
  • Vintage Cars

The Legendary Mercedes-Benz Uhlenhaut Coupe 300 SLR

  • Atal Hakikat
  • August 24, 2020
dino
MORE
  • classic
  • Classic Car Collection
  • Ferrari
  • PAST
  • Unique Cars
  • Vintage Cars

The Dino 246 was one of Ferrari’s most memorable.

  • Atal Hakikat
  • August 5, 2020
FJ40
MORE
  • Classic Cars
  • PAST
  • Toyota
  • Vintage Cars

The classic FJ40 Toyota Land Cruiser

  • Atal Hakikat
  • August 5, 2020
M1
MORE
  • BMW
  • classic
  • Classic Cars
  • PAST
  • Vintage Cars

The 1978 BMW M1 And The Beauty Of Cross-Continent Collaboration

  • Atal Hakikat
  • August 5, 2020
187K
15K
Get the latest from Carlassic

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

@beon.com.au 34 3
The ever classic, officially licensed, Eleanor Tribute Edition 1967 Ford Mustang, is a completely hand-built vehicle. This particular Ford Mustang model has been built from one of the only two shops in the entire world licensed to build them. This model, being the "Midnight Edition", features a reverse paint scheme of Axalta DuPont Black exterior paint, with movie-correct 44490 Pepper Grey stripes from the film 'Gone In Sixty Seconds'. #gonein60seconds #fordmustang #eleanor 570 1
Follow @carlassic_com | This 1959 custom convertible #corvette is built with a new Corvette LT1 direct-injected 6.2-liter V8 engine producing 460hp. 775 16
Mercedes 280 SL Pagoda. Perhaps the most reliable sports car ever made! 372 5
The Ferrari Spider California. 361 2
The first Maserati with a carbon fibre monocoque. The future of future classics! 165 0
Carlassic
Classic car enthusiast in Australia
Tags
Alfa Romeo Auction Australia BMW Bugatti Buick Car enthusiast Cars Car show Celebrity Chevrolet Classic Classic car Classic car auction Classic Car Collection Classic car event Classic cars Fast car Ferrari Ford Ford Mustang History Jaguar James Bond Lamborghini Luxury car Mercedes Benz Million-dollar Car Muscle Car Mustang Porsche Race car Racing rare Rare Car Rare cars Restoration Roadster Sports Sports car Unique car Unique Cars Vintage vintage car Vintage cars
Recent
  • The Audi Skysphere
    The All New ‘Audi Skysphere’ Redefines Road Luxury
    • August 17, 2021
  • BMW iX xDrive40
    The New BMW iX 40: Everyday Electric Usability
    • July 28, 2021
  • LEGENDARY GT40 GOES ELECTRIC
    The Legendary GT40 Turns Electric Thanks To Everrati & Superformance Partnership
    • July 19, 2021
  • 1967-FORD-MUSTANG-ELEANOR-TRIBUTE-EDITION-248123
    The Classic 1967 Ford Mustang: ‘Eleanor Tribute Midnight Edition’
    • July 9, 2021
  • The Rimac Nevera
    The Revolutionary ‘Rimac Nevera’ Storms Into London With H.R. Owen
    • July 8, 2021
Carlassic
  • Home
  • PAST
  • PRESENT
  • FUTURE
Classic, Vintage and Unique Cars

Input your search keywords and press Enter.