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1985 Porsche 959 Paris-Dakar
The greatest version of the 959 is, and always will be, the Rothman’s liveried Paris-Dakar racing version.  Built in 1985 for three-time Dakar winner René Metge, this 959 is just one of three cars produced by Porsche to take on the grueling Paris-Dakar rally that year. The 1985 rally didn’t go well for...
The 959 took both first and second place in the 1986 Paris-Dakar rally. For 1986, the Dakar Porsches finally got all the upgrades from the 959 project, including the active four-wheel drive system offering four driving modes adjusted by the computers. This gave Porsche a 1-2 finish, with supporting 959 Dakar engineer Unger Kussmaul crossing the line at sixth. Once the champagne had dried up, Porsche deemed its Dakar program accomplished.