Porsche 959 0–60 Times
The Porsche 959 0–60 times and quarter-mile times below are from 4 recorded performance tests sourced from reputable automotive resources such as Car and Driver, Motor Trend and Road & Track and more.
The fastest tested Porsche 959 is the 1987 Porsche 959 Coupe, which went from 0 to 60 mph in 3.60 seconds, reaching the ¼ mile in 12.00 seconds at 116.0 mph, according to Car and Driver.
The slowest tested Porsche 959 is the 1987 Porsche 959 Deluxe Coupe, which took 4.00 seconds to reach 60 mph, running the ¼ mile in 12.40 seconds at 116.0 mph, according to Road & Track.
Out of all the Porsche 959 tests in our database, the average 0–60 mph time is 3.73 seconds. The average quarter-mile time is 12.05 seconds at 117.17 mph.
Fastest 0–60
3.60sec
1987 Coupe · stock
Average 0–60
3.73sec
Across 4 runs
Avg ¼ Mile
12.05sec
@ 117.2 mph trap
Slowest 0–60
4.00sec
1987 Deluxe Coupe
Across 4 verified runs, the Porsche 959 ranges from 3.60 to 4.00 seconds 0–60, with a 3.73-second average.
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Porsche 959 Performance Overview
Built for a brief 1987 to 1988 production run, the Porsche 959 was defined by top-tier late-1980s acceleration and a single, tightly grouped performance era. Across 4 verified tests spanning those two model years, every result comes from production gasoline cars using the twin-turbocharged 2.85-liter M959/50 flat-six, rated at 444 hp. The range was narrow but quick: 0-60 times run from 3.6 seconds in the 1987 Coupe to 4.0 seconds in the 1987 Deluxe Coupe, with an overall average of 3.73 seconds.
Chronologically, the benchmark was set immediately. The 1987 Coupe established the quickest recorded 0-60 at 3.6 seconds, while the 1987 Sport Coupe produced the best quarter-mile at 11.9 seconds at 119.5 mph. Other published runs stayed close, including the 1988 Komfort at 3.7 seconds to 60 mph and 12.1 seconds in the quarter-mile. With only one production generation represented in the data, there is no long arc of drivetrain change here: just a short run of twin-turbo, all-wheel-drive performance. Today, the 959 stands in the records as a compact, consistently quick 1987-1988 program whose best production test remains a 3.6-second 0-60 pass.
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Porsche 959 0–60 Times by Year and Trim
4 tests · 2 years
▾
1988 Porsche 959
1 verified run
Avg 0–60
3.70
sec
Avg ¼ Mile
11.90
sec
Recorded Tests
1
#03
1988 Porsche 959 Coupe
3.70sec 0–60
0.0s · 0mph
0.0s · 0mph
11.90s
▾
- 0–60 mph
- 3.70 sec
- ¼ Mile ET
- 11.90 sec
- Trap Speed
- —
- Engine
- 2.85L Twin-Turbo F-6
- Drivetrain
- AWD
- Transmission
- 6M
- Horsepower
- 444 hp
- Torque
- 369 lb-ft
- Curb Weight
- 3,200 lbs
- Power-to-Weight
- 7.2 lbs/hp
- Production Vehicle
- Body Type
- Coupe
- Powertrain
- Gasoline
- Test Source
- Motor Trend
- Overall Rank
- #3 of 4
How we verify Porsche 959 performance data
We include only independently published road-test results from automotive publications. Manufacturer-claimed 0–60 times are excluded unless clearly labeled. When multiple publications test the same Porsche 959 trim, each run is listed separately — weather, tires, surface, rollout, and instrumentation all affect results.
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Porsche 959 0–60 and quarter-mile distribution
0–60 vs ¼ mile · lower-left is fasterEach dot is a recorded test run
0–60 →
¼ mile →
Fastest
Recorded run
Slowest
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Porsche 959 performance FAQs
10 questions
The 1988 Porsche 959 Coupe runs 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds. Its recorded quarter-mile time is 11.9 seconds. That makes the final model year of the 959 extremely quick by any era, with the same 444-hp twin-turbo AWD layout seen across the model line.
The quickest Porsche 959 on record reaches 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. That mark is shared by the 1987 Coupe and the 1987 Sport Coupe. The fastest quarter-mile pass belongs to the 1987 Sport Coupe at 11.9 seconds with a 119.5-mph trap speed.
The fastest stock Porsche 959 on record is the 1987 Coupe at 3.6 seconds from 0-60 mph. All four recorded 959 tests are production cars, so the stock and overall rankings are the same here. Across all 4 tests, the average 0-60 time is 3.73 seconds.
Across 4 verified Porsche 959 tests, the average 0-60 time is 3.73 seconds. Average quarter-mile performance is 12.1 seconds at 117.2 mph. The quickest recorded 0-60 run is 3.6 seconds, while the slowest is 4.0 seconds, so every tested 959 sits in a very tight performance range.
The 1987-1988 Porsche 959 averages 3.73 seconds from 0-60 mph across 4 tests. The fastest run for this generation is 3.6 seconds by the 1987 Coupe, and output stays consistent at 444 hp. Every recorded example uses a twin-turbo gasoline powertrain and all-wheel drive.
Within the 1987-1988 Porsche 959 range, the quickest 0-60 result is 3.6 seconds. That time is matched by the 1987 Coupe and 1987 Sport Coupe. For the quarter-mile, the 1987 Sport Coupe holds the best recorded pass at 11.9 seconds and 119.5 mph.
The Sport Coupe is quicker on record. The Porsche 959 Sport Coupe posts a best 0-60 time of 3.6 seconds, while the standard Coupe averages 3.65 seconds across 2 tests and also has a best of 3.6 seconds. That means the fastest examples tie, but the Sport Coupe matches the top result in a single recorded run.
The standard Porsche 959 Coupe is quicker than the Deluxe Coupe on record. The Coupe averages 3.65 seconds to 60 mph across 2 tests, with a best of 3.6 seconds. The Deluxe Coupe has a recorded 0-60 time of 4.0 seconds, making it 0.35 second slower than the Coupe average.
The slowest recorded Porsche 959 0-60 run is 4.0 seconds by the 1987 Deluxe Coupe. Even that result stays close to the model’s 3.73-second overall average. The spread from quickest to slowest across all 959 tests is just 0.4 second, from 3.6 to 4.0 seconds.
The Porsche 959 averages 12.1 seconds in the quarter-mile at 117.2 mph across 4 tests. The best recorded pass is 11.9 seconds at 119.5 mph by the 1987 Sport Coupe. The 1988 Coupe also runs 11.9 seconds, though no trap speed is listed for that particular test.
Sources
Car and Driver
Motor Trend
Road & Track
0–60 and quarter-mile times vary with driver, weather, tire temperature, and wear. We collect every verified run we can find — so you see the range of what a Porsche 959 can do, not a single marketing claim.
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Other Porsche 0–60 times
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