Some months ago, I read story in the auto press about how a guy in California was finally able to get permission to US-certify Porsche’s legendary and ultra-rare 959, the supercar never legal to drive here. Only 226 original production cars remain from ’87-’88, plus another 4 built from parts in ’92. Quite famously, Bill Gates is said to have had one imported that he couldn’t drive legally. Rumor has it that Ralph Lauren has one, too, that’s illegally titled as a conventional 911 Turbo. This is a car that introduced all sorts of amazing features only now trickling into the “regular” Porsches, and that boasted a then-stunning 400+ horsepower, all-wheel drive, and an absurd SIX speed transmission.

Well, Gates must’ve noticed that he was in fact the richest guy around, because as it happens it’s Microsoft money that was behind the project to upgrade-and-certify the 959 (the logic for the upgrade boiled to to “well, we’re doing so much anyway, why not make it exceptional again?” on the grounds that 450 HP just isn’t that exceptional anymore).

Autoweek has a great story on this, if you go in for that sort of thing. The final result, though, is a “new” 959 turning 600+ HP — for the low, low price of, well, just about half a million dollars. For a used car. But damn, it’s a 959, and 15 years on, it’ll still run with the best of them.

But Gates? Your software still sucks.