autoevolution
 

763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport Is What Supercar Dreams Are Made Of

When Porsche brought out the 959 in 1986, the rear-engined supercar put everything else to shame with its technology and out-and-out grunt. Three decades since the advent of the awe-inspiring 959, Scotts Valley-based Canepa Motorsport has improved the original by a considerable margin.
763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport 31 photos
Photo: Automobile Mag/Canepa Motorsport
763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport763 HP Porsche 959 by Canepa Motorsport
First reported by Automobile Mag, the German ground-to-ground missile with a twin-turbo flat-six up its bottom develops 763 horsepower (776 PS) and 635 lb-ft (861 Nm) of torque. Bruce Canepa, the owner of the shop and fellow Porsche 959 owner, dubs this beats the Canepa Gen III 959.

The first example of the breed is enhanced with an all-new Borg-Warner turbocharging system that integrates the wastegates with titanium heat shields. This engineering trick helps with squeezing more power out from the 2,847 cc twin-fed flat-six. Hence, power goes seriously up from the factory-spec 444 horsepower (450 PS) and 370 lb-ft (501 Nm) of oomph.

In terms of get-up-and-go, the original 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) run of 3.6 seconds has been reduced to a mind-boggling 2.4 seconds. To put that into perspective, the current-generation of the Porsche 911 Turbo S hits 60 mph in 2.8 seconds, while the Porsche 918 Spyder can do it in 2.5.

Other noteworthy mods include titanium coilovers for the 959 Sport-spec suspension, an upgraded fuel system, ignition system, clutch assembly, modern high-performance tires, and a rowdier exhaust. Don’t, however, think that this is a racing car. I mean, just look at the interior! Nearly everything is restored or made to resemble the original design.

As per the cited publication, Porsche 959 owners can upgrade their old timers to Canepa Gen III level after ponying up “a few hundred thousand bucks.”

“What’s the G gear on the gear lever?” That, dear reader is an excellent question. I’ll let the peeps at Canepa Motorsport talk you through it:

“The 959 had the first 6-speed transmission in a road car. The German government did not have a 'box' to check for 6-speed when they legalized the car for street use in Germany. So it became a 5-speed with a low first."

"Truth is that the G gear is really first gear and is necessary to pull away on any surface that isn't flat with the stock 450hp. It is good up to 31mph. This Gelände or Terrain gear only added to the myth that the 959 was designed from the outset as a rally car.”
Fascinating stuff, isn't it?
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories