When French Porsche tuner Jérémy Athimon started building two replicas of the German brand’s legendary 959 – Dakar winner in 1986 – to compete in this year’s Dakar Classic as a nod to that historic triumph, he couldn’t have possibly imagined just how touching a tribute he was really creating.
Originally intended by Porsche to compete in Group B rallying, the four-wheel-drive 959 was the fastest street-legal car ever produced when it was introduced, and made its Dakar debut in 1985.
While that year’s event ended in retirement for all three Porsches, the 959s secured an incredible 1-2 finish on the 1986 edition, with René Metge leading home Jacky Ickx in the iconic Rothmans-liveried machines.
Athimon, a Porsche restoration specialist who has played the role of both team manager and co-driver on the Dakar Classic, started working on his first 959 in early 2023, after last year’s event winner Juan Morera decided he wanted to pay homage to Porsche’s final Dakar triumph to date by bringing a 959 back to the event, and gave Athimon a call.
As fate would have it, 57-year-old Dakar rookie Frédéric Larre had the exact same idea, and was able to team-up with Morera and Athimon to ensure two replicas could be built in time for this year’s rally.
With René Metge’s sad passing coming just days before the start of the 46th edition of the event with which he is synonymous, Athimon’s 959 tribute has accidentally become the perfect celebration of Metge’s legacy.
Regaling the story of his 959 builds, the Porsche specialist told the official Dakar website: “I initially told Juan that it would take two years to build a first car, but he insisted.
“We drew inspiration from previous years [Dakar Classic four-wheel-drive entries] and surrounded ourselves well, but the four-wheel-drive transmission is new. We finished the day before we set off for Barcelona [for testing]. It’s been quite a story.
“We managed to buy a spare transmission from the 1984 Dakar [959 test car]. The factory test car is in Australia and it has been sold with a complete spare gearbox. We took it apart to see what they’d done and we picked up some solutions.
“We experienced the emotions of the time as we built it, finishing the day before [the build was due] and leaving without having tested it! The hull had been waiting in a barn since 1987. I made a copy and now own the mold. We’re capable of relaunching a series [of 959s]. We even went so far as to adopt the big roof lights.
“My greatest pride is to say that I am the first to bring a 959 back to the Dakar, thanks to Juan and Frédéric who put their trust in me. What I hope is just not to relive the 1985 Dakar where all three Porsches retired.”
For Dakar debutant Larre, the opportunity to join the 959 project came about completely by chance.
“Last year I came across a Porsche magazine in which there was an article about Jérémy Athimon,” said the Basque country native, who works in the cement industry. “I gave him a call in October 2022 and things just clicked. He’s a humble guy, a perfectionist, a professional and a man of his word.”
Just 15 months after that first phone call, Larre finds himself in the midst of what is arguably the toughest test of man and machine on the planet. But that test is made all the greater for Larre, who has chosen Dakar as the place to make his first competition outing of any kind.
“I’ve never done a rally,” Larre admitted, “and the Dakar Classic suits me well because even if I understand that there are people who are sharp and motivated, it also seems adapted to people who don’t have a lot of experience.
“I just did a training camp in Morocco with [experienced Dakar competitors] Isabelle Patissier and Thierry Delli Zotti that I particularly appreciated. We’re going to try to limit the damage as much as possible.
“I’m setting off very humbly with a thirst for this experience and with my sights set on the finish. If I make it to the finish, I’ll be very happy. I’m going to count days, not positions.”
And while Larre may well be a Dakar novice behind the wheel, the man sitting next to him in the #759 entry certainly isn’t.
“Jérémy [Athimon] will be my co-driver, which is reassuring for someone like me who’s just arrived,” said Larre.
To complete their 1986 replica effort, both of the Athimon-built 959s are adorning period-correct blue and white Rothmans colors on this year’s event, inspiring memories of Metge’s successes throughout the bivouac.
For the general briefing before the Dakar prologue stage, organizers parked Larre’s #759 Porsche at the foot of the podium; a further nod to Metge who stood atop the Dakar rostrum three times during his storied career.
While the newly-built 959s are unlikely to repeat the legendary Metge-led Porsche 1-2 of 1986 on this year’s Dakar Classic, bringing both replicas home to the finish would complete a perfect tribute to the legendary driver on the event that he was so passionate about.
