959 Remastered

It is hard to overstate just how truly ahead of its time the Porsche 959 was when it was unveiled as the Gruppe B concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1983 and subsequently as a production example in 1985. It unequivocally defined the supercar market at the very highest level, where there were no compromises on performance or limitations on cost. Alongside Lamborghini’s Countach and Ferrari’s F40, the 959 has became a poster car for an entire generation.

While Ferrari and Lamborghini were jousting for the relatively simple accolade of having the World’s Fastest Car, Helmuth Bott’s team of engineers at Porsche were given free reign to pursue an enviably open-ended brief: To create the world’s most advanced, and capable, supercar.

In every department, the Porsche engineers utilised cutting-edge technologies, no matter the cost, to unlock hitherto unparalleled levels of performance. It was Bott’s dedication to the ethos that electronics could enhance mechanical performance that made the end result so spectacular. Looking past its incredible performance figures, the 959 introduced a number of features that would become industry standards in the future. Adjustable suspension, an intelligent four-wheel-drive system, lightweight Kevlar composite and aluminium body panels, and super-lightweight hollow-spoke magnesium wheels made it nothing short of a game-changer.

Whereas the original 959 left the factory with 444 horsepower from its 2.85-litre sequential-turbo flat-six, the 959 SC Reimagined by Canepa uses upgraded BorgWarner turbos (with internal wastegate) in a parallel twin-turbo system and new engine management based around MoTec hardware to nearly double that figure to 825 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque.

Four-thousand-plus hours are put into each build, and over 3,000 individual pieces are restored, rebuilt, or upgraded. Nothing is left unchecked or untouched on every 959 that Canepa reimagines; they are completely disassembled, and entirely rebuilt as better-than-new machines. Colour combinations and final touches are tailor-made to each client’s specification in close collaboration with Bruce Canepa; those lucky enough to garner a 959 SC order slot can choose from over 200 Porsche and paint-to-sample colours. Each example is one-of-one, with production set at just 50 examples in total.

This 1988 Porsche 959 began its life as one of the 207 “Komfort” models produced. Originally finished in Silver Metallic over standard grey leather. A highly original example, it was discreetly offered to one of Canepa’s clients as “003”, and then completely disassembled to begin its comprehensive transformation.

Now clad in a marvelous shade of paint-to-sample Emerald Green (the sole 959 SC that will be painted in this colour) over a plush Dark Green leather cabin, 003 is equal parts visual masterpiece and mechanical marvel. The set of 18-inch wheels are presented in a Canepa proprietary graphite finish that mirrors the look of oxidized magnesium, a handsome and subtle nod to the Porsche race cars which the original client uses to contest several professional racing series. Of course, everything about the 959 SC is designed to look the part of factory work, and the revisions would largely appear to be OEM to all but the most discerning, well-informed Porsche enthusiast.

This stunning 1988 Porsche 959SC Reimagined by Canepa recently sold as part of RM Sotheby’s Miami auction fetching almost $3m. Photos © Robin Adams / RM Sotheby's