Which Porsche model was the first with all-wheel drive?

The Porsche 959 was the first Porsche production model with all-wheel drive. Developed during the Group B era, it paired a sophisticated four-wheel-drive system with a twin-turbocharged flat-six and advanced lightweight construction.

Porsche began developing the project in 1981, with engineer Helmuth Bott advocating all-wheel-drive testing for a high-performance 911-based car. The system was tested in competition before the road car appeared, including the 953 rally cars used in the 1984 Paris-Dakar Rally. The 959’s electronically controlled Porsche-Steuer Kupplung, or PSK, system could vary torque distribution between the rear and front axles according to traction conditions.

The 959 debuted as a road-going model at the 1985 Frankfurt Motor Show and entered production in 1986. It was not the first all-wheel-drive Porsche racing experiment, but it is the accepted answer when the question asks for the first Porsche model to bring the technology to a production sports car. The later 911 Carrera 4 benefited directly from the 959’s development.