Here's the scoop at Autoweek. Not just Gates - he was just one customer. This shop has a regular production line running now.
-Ben M.

ps - the shop doing the Federalizing has bumped up the power/torque considerably. 215mph, 0-60 in 3.3, suspension upgrades too. To quote: “We’re maintaining a McLaren F1 GTR,” says Canepa. “And after driving both cars, there’s just no comparison. The McLaren skips and jumps all over the place. The 959 just squats and goes.”

If you have alot of money, you can buy anything. How much did it cost him to get the law passed.

That brings up an interesting topic. The new law.

Specifics to import car without meeting DOT standards:
500 or fewer cars produced,
Not currently produced,
Never U.S.-legal, and rare (fewer than 500 produced. Duhh.)
Must meet EPA standards
Must not be driven more than 2,500 miles per year.

What would be some interesting cars to bring in under this rule? (Think engine conversion for meeting the EPA tests) Me? I want a Radical with a Hyabusa turbo as my daily driver. Stop laughing. I'm dead serious. If people in the UK can drive Radicals to work why shouldn't I?

-Ben M.

"Gates, who was becoming increasingly frustrated at having his 959 eternally tied up in the Port of Oakland’s “free trade zone,” suggested to Canepa that perhaps they could federalize the car by buying a number of sacrificial 959s to “crash and test.” But Canepa felt that wouldn’t solve the problems....."


This passage sure turned my stomach!

Chris H.

I want a McLaren Rocket.

Yeah, anything that mentions Gates makes my stomach churn too*.
-Ben M.


*no, not because he's so rich. I don't care about that. It's more about the arrogance and immoral business practices at the expense of the rest of the world.

Excellent article. Very interesting!

Sightings of Bill Gates "driving on public roads" these days are basically non-existant. As far as I know, he uses a chaffeur to get around town now.. probably with a security guard, too. People used to see him driving his personal car around greater Seattle quite often until the early '90s, but not since then. I think it's sad, but it's a recognition of the unfortunate fact that he is a target because of his wealth and fame.

It's a bit surprising that he wants to drive his 959 on public roads.. my guess is that he just wants to tool around the local Redmond (Microsoft) area, to get in a little more "behind the wheel" time. He and his buds already rent SIR's road course facility once or twice a year to drive their exotic cars at speed.

I'm glad that they're accomplishing federalization without doing crash-tests. That was just idle talk, I'm sure, as it's hard to imagine a Porsche shop willing to take part in that.. the repurcussions would be severe. But anyway, it's exciting that we'll finally be able to see these awesome cars on the road!

I'm ambivilent about Gates.

I thought it was just a year or so ago, he wrecked his Ferrari in the snow didn't he?

At times I kinda feel sorry for him. He gets some bum raps. But then I remember he's richer than God, Married to a super model, and has a 959, and that sorry feeling goes away.

"married to a super model"


did Gates divorce and marry someone else?
Last time I saw a picture of his wife, 'super model' were NOT the words
that came to mind!


IF you had ALL the money he does, and the bad rep as well, you might
also use a limo with a guard too. At least until you could get to the track on the w/e.

Speaking of supermodels ...

If I owned a 959, I'd love Gates to crash 5 of them.

If Paul Neuman touches another teener though, I am going to show him some shock-n-awe.




M

At this year's PCA Parade in Tampa, I guy drove up from Naples in the car pictured below. That is the owner on the left. I guy walked up and said "Which kit is that?" The owner answnered "The one from the factory, its real"

The guy was alittle taken back. But the more you looked at it, you could tell it was very special, and the real thing.

Paul

I want to wreck that car.



M

well it's nice to see that Gates is finally getting a break in life, that guy never has anything go his way...(enter any other scarastic comment here)

This is one of the pics showing both 959's at Paul Russell and Co,
the best exotic shop around here. One of them is Ralph Lauren's
(can't remember which). This was nearly 2 years ago, one of the
cars had normal NY plates on it. I think either the article was slow,
or there was another alternate plan worked for federalizing.

It shows 17,000 miles on the odometer from January, 2002.

There's a shop here in Napa that just does gray market conversions and they were doing !! 14 !! 959s that a company bought out here. Got to see some of them when I delivered parts to them. The 959 isn't very exciting sitting next to GT2s and brand new Ferraris. And then one drove up to the store last Wednesday. The driver was fiddling with something in the parking lot ( ) so I think it had some computer controlled FI or something. Anyway, for some reason they seem popular in Napa.

He was probably trying to find the vacuum leak, or he had the spark wires crossed.. happens..





M

Could be the trigger points in the dizzy.

Paul

Gates was on the Today show this morning. He didn't say anything about his 959. This proves that he is not a real car guy.

If I was on I would talk about my car. Wouldn't you?

Paul

Frankly though - this legal shit around imports is complete bullshit.

In the UK, your car has to pass a test every year where they check that your framing and bodywork is intact (any rust holes are prohibited), headlight alighnment. Handbrake has to hold the car on a slope after 3 clicks, and more. Any well maintained car will pass it no problems, but the heaps of crap rust buckets (I am talking about very old and badly maintained toyotas, hondas ford escorts et al - the ones with the tailpipes dragging on the ground - putting out black smoke) you see driving in california would be deemed unsafe and unroadworthy.

On the other hand a 959 or a lotus elise that is spotlessly maintained is deemed unroadworthy here! Bill Gates has made himself a sizeable chunk of cash. If he wants a freakin 959 - let him have it. He should be prohibited because it doesn't meet some standard that honestly half the cars on the road probably don't meet anyway!

And as for standard bumper height - tell me that the freakin chevy suburban that is plowing into the side of my 914 has standard bumper freakin height.... YEAH RIGHT!

The car you drive is an expression of who you are, and as such it should be protected by freedom of speech!

Since it is not - we should get the car clubs of this veritable nation together to get this crap out of law pronto.

Fiid.


P.S. Here are some of the cars I would like to see around.....

959
Lotus Elise and Exige
Subaru WRX STi and Legacy GTB
The replica of the Porsche Lemans Racer from a couple of years back.....
what are yours?

Wow. It's like I hired a spokesperson! The Gov't should let you drive whatever you want as long as:
1) it meets emissions standards
2) it does not pose a saftety hazard to OTHERS.
3) it meets noise restrictions (I threw this in as a concession)

So, bottom line I should be able to drive a F1 car to work as long as it has head/tail-lights, turnsignals, horn, muffler, low emissions, and mudflaps.

It boils my blood that you can drive an Indian Larry no-front-brake chopper in the US, but you can't drive a Lotus Elise.

-Ben M.

ps - add TRV's to your car list.

Has anyone driven a Lotus Elan? Lotus has the right philosophy - building light-weight, nimble sports cars.

I've always loved the Lotus Elan. Both for the design and the philosophy. But you see even fewer Lotuses than 914's out here in Indiana.

There is a very nicely restored Elan that comes to some of our autocrosses. It is stunning. However, even against the stock 914's it is not a contender.
-Ben M.

IIRC, an Elan took top ASP honors at the SCCA finals 2 years ago. "Also rans" included Vipers, 360 Ferrari.....yada. I have a friend that runs vintage in an Elan....mega quick.

I saw a 340R run at one of our local SCCA vents last year... an "also ran"........it all comes down to the drivers.

Bill Gates & his 959 hasn't showed yet....go figure.