959. To a Porschephile, those numbers have an almost mythological meaning. Introduced in 1986, the Porsche 959 was the most extreme evolution of the 911 platform, and is widely regarded as the world?s first modern supercar. But 30 years later, how does it stack up against the reigning king of the 911s, the 2017 Turbo S" Well, our inquiring minds want to know!

Without question, the Porsche 959 was the most advanced road car of its time. In addition to tire pressure monitoring, anti-lock brakes, and a 6-speed gearbox; the 959 also employed all-wheel-drive with driver-selectable torque split, adjustable ride height, hollow-spoke magnesium wheels, a super-aerodynamic aluminum and Kevlar composite body, and even floors made from fireproof Nomex.
But seeing the 959 now, is like stepping into a time warp. The slick aero body looks soft and slightly bloated next to this 2017 Porsche 911 Turbo S; and the very ?80s striped leather seats seem as dated as a ?Members Only? jacket.

The 959?s 2.9-liter flat-6 was a derivative of Porsche?s racing engine, and featured air-cooled cylinders with water-cooled heads. Sequential twin-turbos smoothed power delivery across the rev band; and the output of 444-horsepower allowed a 0-60 sprint of just 3.6-seconds, enroute to a top speed of 195 miles-per- hour. Numbers that still embarrass many of today?s sports cars.

This 30-year- old machine has covered barely 5,000-miles since new. It fires up quickly and delivers a familiar, but hardly me...