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Why we love German sports cars


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During a visit to Canepa's shop last year, I spotted these two icons of German car design in close juxtaposition.

 

The owner of the M-B 300 SL 'Gullwing", who had inherited the car from his father, the original owner, had commissioned a complete nut and bolt restoration and intends to drive the car regularly. The Porsche 959, which Canepa imported originally and 'federalized' to make it legal for legal operation in the U.S., is a daily driver and was in for routine regular service.,

 

Both are painted in the traditional German metallic silvert and in my view represent the absolute pinnacles of sports car design of their respective eras.

 

I took the picture because the natural backlighting outlined them so effectively and instantly caught my attention, but chiefly, because to see one of these outside of a Concours or museum setting is tantamount to a cultural event in my opinion, to see them together like this is a very special treat, not likely to be repeated soon.

 

JZG

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trying hard to not drool on my keyboard.

 

one of my favorite cars, i absolutely love the gullwing mercedes (both the old one and the new AMG) and the porsche isnt bad either.

 

as for the picture, nice use of light, and a nice sharp image.

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Nice shot. I have always loved the 959 - it remains a technical tour de force with phenomenal performance even today, nearly 30 years on.

 

Is that a second 959, in a darker colour, jacked up just behind? I thought I could see the characteristic vents ahead of the front wheel......

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John, thanks, and Yes, that is another 959. Canepa imported a total of about 25 of them, if I recall correctly there were a couple of the Lightweight Sports models, the rest were the Touring version, and federalized them, in the process making them even more capable and bullet-proof than the standard model.

 

You're entirely correct, these cars had / have phenomenal performance, but what is particularly remarkable is the improbably wide range of readily accessible performance this car offers. There is not one area of the dynamic envelope where a 959 isn't significantly superior to every other car in the category………especially including today's so-called, (and definitely alleged) 'supercars'.

 

A 959 isn't my flavor of Porsche, I much prefer the old air-cooled, lithe, hand-built "giant-killers", but I will admit that I genuine admire the utterly German, incredibly well thought-out and complete packege which was the 959 when introduced.

 

For your enjoyment I am attaching some additional shots of another daily driver 959 in Canepa's shop……too bad it had to be Pearl White.

 

JZG

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Thanks John. Great shots of wonderful cars.

 

I'm with you on the lightweight 911 thing - although I have long since sold my last (air cooled) one.

 

Here is a shot of 959 I took back in 2002 at a UK Porsche Fest at the Brands Hatch circuit. It was in some pretty distinguished company, including a couple of 917s which you might just make out in the background. Of course, in the UK, all 959s had their wheel on the wrong side........;)

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