Porsche 959 'Vorserie' preproduction car to go across the block

With the earliest Porsche 959 examples having reached the age of 25 three years ago, exempting them from NHTSA and EPA requirements that saw some examples stuck in customs limbo for reasons not completely in line with logic or common sense, the 959 is no longer forbidden fruit on this side of the Atlantic. As such, we're starting to see more movement at auctions when it comes to Porsche's technological marvel. Next week RM Auctions will be offering a rare preproduction 1986 Porsche 959 "Vorserie" prototype at their Amelia Island sale, held in conjunction with the concours event of the same name.



This particular example features all the stats familiar to anyone who had a poster of the 959 on their wall as a kid, with Porsche's 2,849-cc air/water-cooled, horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine breathed on by two turbochargers pumping a still-astounding 450 hp, good for a sub-four-second sprint from 0 to 60. Like production examples of the 959, this "Vorserie" preproduction car features a six-speed manual transmission, all-wheel drive, plastic body panels reinforced by glass fiber and Kevlar, adjustable ride height, and front and rear independent suspension.



Even though Porsche produced the 200 cars required for homologation for the FIA's Group B Rally Championship, which was unexpectedly cancelled after Porsche had already committed to building the car, the total number of 959s made is a bit more complicated of an issue. In addition to the 200 production cars, there were 16 factory prototypes designed to test various systems, in addition to 21 preproduction, or "Vorserie," cars built in 1985. A handful of others were completed years later from factory spares. The total number of cars built remains disputed, with some sources quoting 300, and others estimating as many as 330.

This particular car was first registered in Stuttgart in 1986, and was used as a factory demonstrator for prospective buyers at the Porsche Zentrum facility. During its first three years at the Porsche sales facility, it accumulated approximately 50,000 kilometers, and was subsequently treated to an overhaul in 1989, one which was more like a rebuild for all intents and purposes. Its first private owner, an executive from Brüggen, received a letter detailing the work performed on his car prior to its sale, stating that the car was given a "new drivetrain, new wheels and tires, a new hydraulic system, all the electrical components were overhauled to newer series specification, new sport seats installed in leather, including motor completely overhauled, rear axle and suspension overhauled, front transaxle" in addition to a few more refitted parts. The only change that its first owned implemented over the next 20 years was the installation of a factory air conditioner, which was added in 2000.

Since its first sale to a private owner in 1989, the car accumulated only 10,000 kilometers, and is now offered for sale by its second private owner who's enjoyed it since 2010. The odometer shows just over 60,000 kilometers.

Porsche 959s still don't come up for sale all that often in the U.S., given its history as a car that even Bill Gates couldn't federalize (leading him to lobby for the passage of the the Show and Display law that exempted certain qualifying cars from NHTSA and EPA restrictions). Serviced and detailed prior to being offered for sale, this example is said to be in spectacular condition throughout, and will be offered with a U.S. title.

This is a car with some stories, but good ones. It'll be interesting to see what it ends up going for. Values of production Porsche 959s from 1986 have surged in the last year by about $300,000 for the best examples, which are now trading at around $800,000. Values for Condition 2 and Condition 3 examples are now hovering between $400,000 and $500,000.

Bentley Continental GT Speed gets more power

The Bentley Continental GT Speed has never been accused of being a slouch when it comes to power -- bluntly incorporating "Speed" in its name -- but it seems the company's engineers believed there was still room for improvement. And so, for 2015, the Bentley Continental GT Speed and Bentley Continental GT Speed convertible will receive a slight bump in power, now offering 626 hp and 607 lb-ft of torque. That's up from 616 hp and 590 lb-ft in the 2014 versions of this 6.0-liter W12 beast. That'll be enough to propel it to 206 mph, figures which, up until just a couple years ago, were not really available in an Edwardian study room on wheels. We'll get our first glimpse of the car at the Geneva motor show next week.



Bentley promises a 0-60 sprint of 4.0 seconds, which should be easily achievable with the eight-speed ZF automatic transmission and all-wheel drive (even though we'd love to see the burnout that would result if all that power was going solely to the rear wheels). The all-wheel drive will be there to keep owners out of trouble, because there aren't too many cars on the market that offer this much power along with so much curb weight.

Changes aren't confined to a retuned engine, as the 2015 model will feature a new front bumper, which should be the easiest way to distinguish it from the 2014 model. The front bumper will incorporate mesh grilles over the intakes, with another cosmetic tweak being the slight tint added to the headlight surrounds and wheels. The brake calipers will receive a red finish, and in case the whole package isn't visible enough on the road, extroverts will now have the option of a candy-red exterior paint color. Tweaks to the interior for the Speed model include a color split interior, which will also now feature accent stripes in contrasting colors for the doors, the inner console, the fascia wings and the gear lever.



The revised Bentley Continental GT Speed will debut alongside the V8 version of the Flying Spur, which receives the same powerplant recently added to the Continental GT V8.