There are many racing Porsches that worth remembering. Probably the most popular are the endurance examples, as there are quite a few Le Mans champions throughout history. However, it is also interesting to see others who succeeded in modalities that were not typical of the German brand. He Porsche 959 Paris-Dakar it became a very outstanding vehicle by going head to head with one of the toughest tests in the world and reaping good results.
long time ago we talked about that six units were made and that one of them had been auctioned for almost six million dollars. Probably that same value reaches the 959 Paris-Dakar of 1986 that has been restored by Porsche itself. It is the unit with which Jacky Ickx and Claude Brasseur They finished second in this competition, which was won by another unit of the model driven by René Metge and Dominique Lemoyne. It is curious that the brand retains the three units that ran in 1986.
But, what better than bringing one back to life in the best way? The brand’s philosophy was always to maintain originality, everything had to be as it was at the time it competed. It is an evidence that it is a used vehicle, in fact, that unit has completed 18,000 kilometers in the most demanding conditions. Even so, an attempt was made to restore it with as few new parts as possible, keeping the original components. The engine is a gem, an air/water-cooled six-cylinder boxer with turbocharging.
As a curious fact, its power remained at 400 CV due to the poor quality of the African fuel. classic porsche He had no problem overhauling the engine, gears, and transmission; they were in very good condition. In the process they found desert sand and dirt, fruit of the demanding test that ran. That had also led to some corrosion on some body panels, which were repaired and returned to their original condition. They even left some bridles in place to attest to their condition.
When the restoration of this 1986 Paris-Dakar Porsche 959 was completed, the man himself was invited to Jacky Ickx to test it in a quarry. The original driver reminisced about the good old days with the vehicle and appreciated its set-up. He was accompanied by the Le Mans winner, Timo Bernhardto attest that one of the most special cars of all time has come back to life.
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