The Porsche 959 and Its Unexpected G Gear
The 1986 Porsche 959 boasts a 450-horsepower engine and serves as a German supercar that features an unexpected gear for difficult terrain. It utilizes a 6-speed manual transmission, but the shift pattern labels only gears 1 through 5, while the sixth position, located above first gear, is marked by the letter “G”. Porsche designed this “G” gear as a technical workaround for stringent noise requirements, not as a marketing tactic or design oddity. This modification allowed Porsche to secure legal approval for the 959’s sale in major international markets.
