The Brumos Collection recently reopened almost a year after pandemic-related restrictions forced the new museum to close. In the interim, hoping to give the general public an inside look at the unique menagerie of historically significant automobiles within, Brumos followed the same route as the Petersen and Mullin collections in Los Angeles and began posting a YouTube series entitled "Inside The 59" featuring some of the world's most iconic cars. Despite the recent reopening, "Inside The 59" now continues with an in-depth look at a pre-production Porsche 959 that was gifted by Dr. Wolfgang Porsche himself to 959 Project Chief Engineer Helmuth Bott.
The Original 959 Supercar That Arguably Saved Porsche
When the 959 project began, Porsche as an automotive business was famously in dire straights—this rally-bred supercar would arguably save the company as we know it by proving that the rear-engined 911 platform still had a place in the future lineup. With a twin-turbocharged air-cooled flat-six with water-cooled heads, all-wheel-drive, and adaptive suspension, the 959 represented some of the most advanced automotive technology in the world.
Helmuth Bott's Pre-Production Test Mule
This specific 959 isn't just one of the six-figure supercars that so many Porschephiles lust after, though—it essentially served as Bott's personal test mule during the 959's development. In The Brumos Collection's new vid, Collections Manager Don Leatherwood tells the story of how the car ended up receiving a ton of work and getting dyno tested before being taken out onto the open road.
Three Catalytic Converters Needed Replacement With Stock Exhaust
While attempting to maintain Bott's 959 in running order, Leatherwood and his crew discovered that the car had three different catalytic converters installed, which may have been a bit of overkill. After installing a more "standard" 959 exhaust system, the car needed the cylinder heads' two water pumps rebuilt and some dry-ice blasting came next.
Dyno Testing The 959 With New Parts Installed
On the four-wheel dynamometer, Leatherwood was able to heat soak the brakes, simulate wind resistance and drag, and even the rolling resistance of the tires themselves. Listening to the beefy flat-six and its two turbos spool up during the testing is a highlight of the new video, as is a chance to see Leatherwood taking this rarer-than-rare 959 out for some street driving in Florida.
Sources: thebrumoscollection.com and youtube.com.