Any Porsche 959 by itself is already a car of exceptional rarity and value. According to official data, from 1986 to 1993, only 292 production cars were produced, not counting pre-production samples and prototypes. And now the dealer of rare and unique Girardo machines has put up for sale the rarest prototype of the so-called F-series, which participated in factory tests. The Porsche 959 was a kind of “911 at maximum speed” — while maintaining the familiar silhouette and rear-engined layout, it differed in almost everything and was much more perfect.
The classic six-cylinder engine was completely redesigned, equipped with four-valve water-cooled heads and a pair of turbines: its power was incredible at that time 450 horsepower.
Regular suspensions come from the sixties — McPherson struts in front, oblique levers in the back — gave way to the original two-lever. The body panels were made of durable and lightweight Kevlar. The aerodynamics were painstakingly adjusted in the wind tunnel, eventually reducing the drag coefficient to 0.31.
Thanks to this, the Porsche 959 held the title of the fastest road car in the world — 317 kilometers per hour. And remained in this capacity until the appearance of the Ferrari F40 in 1987 (324 kilometers per hour). However, the 959 Sport special version with the engine boosted to 515 forces blocked this indicator — its maximum speed reached 339 kilometers per hour.
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In engineering terms, it was probably the most sophisticated car in the world: all-wheel drive with a multi-mode torque distribution system, a hydropneumatic suspension with adjustable stiffness and ground clearance, and a boost system with two turbochargers of different sizes.
During the preparation of the Porsche 959 for mass production, three series of cars were manufactured: F — the earliest, as well as N and V. In total, twelve experimental cars of the F series were assembled — a couple of non-driving models and ten prototypes for road tests. In accordance with the order of Chief designer Helmut Bott, they were built on the basis of serial Porsche 911 Turbo bodies (factory index 930).
The units for the 959 Sport version were tested on this car under the number “F9”. Such cars were distinguished by an unregulated suspension, the absence of air conditioning, a rear seat, and a central lock, as well as increased power to 515 forces. It is known that only 29 cars of this modification were sold.
At first glance, the prototype looks exactly like a production car. Although an attentive reader may notice unusual exhaust pipes pointing downwards. And the expert will point out a lot of even less obvious features: a hand-made rear wing of irregular shape, the absence of fenders, headlights without washers, a hatch for refilling oil with an opening from under the hood (and not from the cabin).
There are also nuances in the interior. In place of a pair of rotary suspension, control handles on the central tunnel, there is only one handle, and it is not connected: after all, there is no hydro pneumatics on the prototype. It’s the same with the climate — there is an air conditioner control panel on the panel, but there is not one. In addition, the car has leather seats from the usual Porsche 959, although the Sport version relied on chairs with fabric upholstery.
There are also nuances in the interior. In place of a pair of rotary suspension, control handles on the central tunnel, there is only one handle, and it is not connected: after all, there is no hydro pneumatics on the prototype. It’s the same with the climate — there is an air conditioner control panel on the panel, but there is not one. In addition, the car has leather seats from the usual Porsche 959, although the Sport version relied on chairs with fabric upholstery.
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The prototypes of the “F” series had the most serious tests. For example, the car “F9” was used for transmission testing. So she wound up most of her run on the high-speed Nardo oval in Italy. Also documented are tests on frozen lakes in Sweden and Porsche’s home track in Weissach.
The prototype appeared in 1989 on the pages of Sport Auto magazine: contrary to the usual procedures for the automotive industry, the journalist of the German edition, Norbert Haug, was provided access to the car and to the developers long before the official premiere (the same Norbert Haug, who then headed the motorsport programs at Mercedes-Benz for 22 years).
At the end of the tests, such machines are most often disposed of. But the expensive supercar escaped such a fate: the F9 car, along with the F7, was bought by an American of Czech origin, Vashek (Vaclav) Polak, the owner of a large dealership and a racing team. Polak wanted to keep the cars in their original form — that’s why they were given to him under an obligation not to drive them and not to sell them to customers. Both cars have been in his possession since 1988, and have been exhibited in Japan for several years.
After Polak’s death in 1997, the prototype “F9” changed three owners: Italian Mauro Bompani restored the car to its original condition, and Austrian Georg Konradsheim, who bought the car in 2020, even published a book on the history of this copy. Now the car is in the UK and is being sold at the dealer of exotic cars Girardo & Co.
According to various estimates, there are three or four F-series cars in private hands. By the way, the prototype “F7” was sold in 2018 at RM Sotheby’s auction for a million dollars.