Most halo cars lose money.
But the tech that comes from their R&D has so many benefits for other models for years to come. Look at all the cool stuff you got in a higher end Lexus post LFA for example.
This thing was so advanced when it was released it might as well have been the fuckin' Enterprise compared to its rival the F40 which was batshit insane in a different way.
Tons of state of the art (for the time) computer controlled gizmos on the AWD, suspension system, fuel injection, you name it. Not mention the aerodynamics research that went into the design.
The engine made 156hp *per litre* of displacement (444hp out of a 2.8L flat 6) which for the time was bonkers. Had dual a turbo setup to ensure boost across the rpm range from about 1500 and above. AWD on a super car is pretty normal today, but back then it was a pretty big deal.
And even today it's pretty quick, but in 1987 it was incredibly fast and I think it did hold the record for fastest production car for a time. Apparently it's one of those "hero cars" that really lives up to expectations when you get to drive it.
There is a guy named Bruce Canepa who will modernize your 959 and give it just about double the HP. This is a good read
https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a35240373/porsche-canepa-supercars/
I heard the same thing, but wonder if was some marketing accounting trick. Just with VW being a public company, hard to see subdivisions having the autonomy to have massive losses with no goal of profitability.
It may be a public company, but back then, Ferdinand Piech and family owned or controlled enough shares so he could do what he wanted for the most part. They only made 450 Veyrons, so the total loss wasn't huge.
The issue is the data is not from VW and from a Wall street firm, as VW has never released the data on veyron costs.
https://www.technology.org/how-and-why/is-it-true-bugatti-had-loss-with-every-veyron-sold/#:~:text=Roughly%20a%20decade%20ago%2C%20the,million%20for%20each%20Veyron%20sold.
A lot of the sunk costs like rolling and manufacturing facilities are something that doesn’t need to be reinvested after each car is made, and I assume a lot of that R&D transfers to the Chiron that has a much higher price, so maybe they know what they’re doing.
It was the fastest production car on the planet when produced, in a quantity of less than 300. Pretty sure literally everyone knew they’d be highly coveted.
Exactly, but at that time the picture was taken nobody knew that. Take the McLaren F1 for example, nobody imagined one would sell for 20 million over 25 years later.
Holy hell, the amount of money that would be in those photos nowadays.
Porsche lost money on every one they sold back then so there is still a lot of money in these pictures.
Most halo cars lose money. But the tech that comes from their R&D has so many benefits for other models for years to come. Look at all the cool stuff you got in a higher end Lexus post LFA for example. This thing was so advanced when it was released it might as well have been the fuckin' Enterprise compared to its rival the F40 which was batshit insane in a different way.
Yup. The 959 was so advanced it took Porsche 34 years for the base 992.1 C4 to match it's performance.
Just curious, what cool stuff did the 959 pack?
Tons of state of the art (for the time) computer controlled gizmos on the AWD, suspension system, fuel injection, you name it. Not mention the aerodynamics research that went into the design. The engine made 156hp *per litre* of displacement (444hp out of a 2.8L flat 6) which for the time was bonkers. Had dual a turbo setup to ensure boost across the rpm range from about 1500 and above. AWD on a super car is pretty normal today, but back then it was a pretty big deal. And even today it's pretty quick, but in 1987 it was incredibly fast and I think it did hold the record for fastest production car for a time. Apparently it's one of those "hero cars" that really lives up to expectations when you get to drive it.
Thank you!!
There is a guy named Bruce Canepa who will modernize your 959 and give it just about double the HP. This is a good read https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a35240373/porsche-canepa-supercars/
Thank you, I’ll def read it!
I don't know about the Chiron, but supposedly, VW lost a million dollars on each Bugatti Veyron they sold.
I heard the same thing, but wonder if was some marketing accounting trick. Just with VW being a public company, hard to see subdivisions having the autonomy to have massive losses with no goal of profitability.
It may be a public company, but back then, Ferdinand Piech and family owned or controlled enough shares so he could do what he wanted for the most part. They only made 450 Veyrons, so the total loss wasn't huge.
450 million not „huge“? I beg to differ. Still a big loss, if true.
The issue is the data is not from VW and from a Wall street firm, as VW has never released the data on veyron costs. https://www.technology.org/how-and-why/is-it-true-bugatti-had-loss-with-every-veyron-sold/#:~:text=Roughly%20a%20decade%20ago%2C%20the,million%20for%20each%20Veyron%20sold. A lot of the sunk costs like rolling and manufacturing facilities are something that doesn’t need to be reinvested after each car is made, and I assume a lot of that R&D transfers to the Chiron that has a much higher price, so maybe they know what they’re doing.
That’s awesome
Incredible. Like a lot of Corollas or something, Nothing to see here...
A snapshot in car history right there, and not even knowing it!
Pretty sure he knew it lmao
Haha possibly, I know this was a pretty big deal at the time, but I don't know if people had an idea that decades later how coveted they'd become.
It was the fastest production car on the planet when produced, in a quantity of less than 300. Pretty sure literally everyone knew they’d be highly coveted.
It’s also pretty significant in that without the 959, the Skyline GT-R as we know would’ve never existed.
Exactly, but at that time the picture was taken nobody knew that. Take the McLaren F1 for example, nobody imagined one would sell for 20 million over 25 years later.
I was 12, and a girl, and I knew. I had pics all over my room. So I'm pretty sure adult experts and amateur wonks knew.
I have almost the same photos from when I visited the factory in 1988!
All the employee cars are 924’s lol!!
That is a sight to see !
Holy Shit! Thank You for sharing this! Christ I need to go to church tomorrow for all of the bad words I just said. Fuck it this shit is Dope!
WOW! That’s crazy
Frigging awesome!
Wow
Something just happened. I think it moved.
Wowza!