Porsche racing history · 1976–1981
Porsche 935: History, Moby Dick & Le Mans Win
By CarWhere Research · Updated
The Porsche 935 is a 911-based Group 5 racing car, homologated in March 1976. In 1979 a Kremer 935 K3 won Le Mans outright, the only 911-based car ever to do so. The works 935/78 Moby Dick made 845 hp and reached 366 km/h. Porsche revived the name in 2018 for 77 track-only cars.
Porsche built the 935 for Group 5, the new category for heavily modified production cars, and based it on the 911. The car was homologated in March 1976. Race engineer Norbert Singer's team used every gap the rulebook left them. They reshaped the fenders, moved the mirrors and changed the bodywork year after year. The first 935 used one big turbocharger. For 1977 the 935/77 switched to two smaller turbos, which cut lag and made the power easier for drivers to use.
The 935/78 "Moby Dick" pushed furthest. It had a long, low body and Porsche's first water-cooled four-valve cylinder heads on a racing flat-six. Only two were built. Its great result came from a customer team instead: in 1979 the Kremer brothers' 935 K3 won Le Mans outright. In 2018 Porsche unveiled a new 935, a track-only car based on the 911 GT2 RS and styled after Moby Dick, limited to 77 units.
935 history, year by year
- 1976 — The 935 is homologated in March for the new Group 5 category, using the 911 as its base.[1]
- 1976–1979 — The 935 wins the World Championship for Makes for Porsche every year from 1976 to 1979.[2]
- 1977 — The 935/77 adds twin turbochargers in place of one large unit, cutting turbo lag, and gets revised bodywork with the mirrors moved into the front fenders.[1]
- 1978 — The 935/78 "Moby Dick" debuts. It wins the Silverstone 6 Hours by seven laps, then reaches 366 km/h on the Hunaudières straight at Le Mans and finishes eighth after engine trouble.[1],[3]
- 1979 — The Kremer 935 K3 of Klaus Ludwig, Don Whittington and Bill Whittington wins Le Mans overall. It is the first win there for a Porsche customer team and the only one for a 911-based car.[4],[5]
- 1983 — Hurley Haywood and A.J. Foyt win Daytona's July Paul Revere 250 in the "Swap Shop" 935, Haywood's fourth win in that race.[6]
- 2018 — Porsche unveils a new 935 at Rennsport Reunion VI at Laguna Seca on 27 September. It is a track-only car based on the 991 911 GT2 RS, styled after the 935/78, and limited to 77 units.[7]
- 2019 — Customer deliveries of the new 935 begin in June.[7]
How many 935s were made?
| Model / variant | Years | Units | What the figure counts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 935/78 "Moby Dick" | 1978 | 2[1] | Porsche says the Moby Dick's career was limited to just two vehicles. |
| 935/77A customer cars | 1977 | 13[2] | Secondary-source figure. Many other 935s were built or converted by privateer teams, so there is no reliable total for all original 935s. |
| Kremer 935 K3 (complete cars) | 1979–1980 | 13[2] | Secondary-source figure for complete cars built by Kremer. Kremer also sold kits, which are not included. |
| 935 (2018, 991 GT2 RS-based) | 2018–2019 | 77[7] | Porsche figure. Track-only clubsport car, priced at €701,948 plus VAT. |
Road-car totals for every Porsche model: Porsche production numbers.
Porsche 935 specs
| Base / category | 911-derived Group 5 racer, homologated March 1976[1] |
|---|---|
| Engine (935/78) | 3,211 cc twin-turbo flat-six with water-cooled four-valve heads[1],[3] |
| Power (935/78) | 621 kW (845 hp); power was reduced for Le Mans[1],[3] |
| Top speed (935/78) | 366 km/h on the Hunaudières straight, Le Mans 1978[3],[8] |
| Engine (935 K3, 1979) | 3.0 L twin-turbo flat-six, around 800 PS (owner's figure)[4] |
| Engine (1976 935) | Single-turbo flat-six reduced to 2.85 L to suit the turbo displacement factor[1],[2] |
| Minimum weight (Group 5) | 970 kg[2] |
| 2018 935 engine | 3.8 L twin-turbo flat-six, 515 kW (700 hp), 7-speed PDK[7] |
| 2018 935 weight | About 1,380 kg[7] |
935 race results and wins
| Year | Event | Result | Car / drivers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976–1979 | World Championship for Makes | Champion each year[2] | 935 — Porsche works and customer teams |
| 1978 | Silverstone 6 Hours | 1st overall, seven-lap margin[1],[3] | 935/78 "Moby Dick" — Porsche works |
| 1978 | 24 Hours of Le Mans | 8th overall, 366 km/h on the straight[3] | 935/78 "Moby Dick" — Porsche works |
| 1978 | Paul Revere 250, Daytona | 1st overall[6] | 935, Brumos Racing — Peter Gregg |
| 1979 | 24 Hours of Le Mans | 1st overall[4],[5] | Kremer 935 K3 — Klaus Ludwig / Don Whittington / Bill Whittington |
| 1979 | Paul Revere 250, Daytona | 1st overall[6] | 935 — Hurley Haywood / Charles Mendez |
| 1980 | Paul Revere 250, Daytona | 1st overall[6] | 935, Dick Barbour Racing — John Fitzpatrick |
| 1983 | Paul Revere 250, Daytona | 1st overall[6] | 935 "Swap Shop" (Preston Henn) — Hurley Haywood / A.J. Foyt |
What made the 935 significant
- The 1979 Kremer 935 K3 is the only 911-based car to win Le Mans overall, and the first rear-engined winner.[4]
- It was Porsche's first Le Mans win for a customer team.[5]
- The 935/78 introduced water-cooled four-valve cylinder heads on air-cooled cylinders, a step toward Porsche's later racing engines.[1]
- Secondary sources credit the 935 with six overall wins each at the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring.[2]
- Porsche's 2018 935 brought the Moby Dick shape back as a 77-unit track car on the 911 GT2 RS platform.[7]
The 935 and Porsche's road cars
The Porsche 935 was built to race. For the road cars that share its engineering, history and factory records, start here:
Porsche 935 FAQ
Did the Porsche 935 win Le Mans?
Yes. In 1979 the Kremer 935 K3 of Klaus Ludwig, Don Whittington and Bill Whittington won the 24 Hours of Le Mans overall. It is the only 911-based car to win the race and was Porsche's first Le Mans win for a customer team.
What is the Porsche 935 Moby Dick?
The 935/78 "Moby Dick" was Porsche's 1978 works Group 5 car. It used a long, low body and a 3,211 cc twin-turbo flat-six rated at 621 kW (845 hp). It won the Silverstone 6 Hours by seven laps and reached 366 km/h at Le Mans. Only two were built.
How many Porsche 935s were made?
There is no reliable total for the original 935, because many were built or converted by privateer teams. Porsche built just two 935/78 Moby Dicks, and secondary sources count 13 935/77A customer cars and 13 complete Kremer K3s. The 2018 935 tribute was limited to 77 units.
What is the 2018 Porsche 935?
It is a track-only car Porsche unveiled at Rennsport Reunion VI in September 2018. It is based on the 991 911 GT2 RS, makes 515 kW (700 hp), uses a 7-speed PDK and was limited to 77 units at €701,948 plus VAT. Deliveries began in June 2019.
What engine does the Porsche 935 use?
Every 935 uses a turbocharged flat-six. The 1976 car had a single turbo on an engine reduced to 2.85 L. The 935/77 moved to twin turbos, and the 935/78 used a 3.2 L twin-turbo engine with water-cooled four-valve heads.
Related Porsche race cars and specials
Porsche history, specs and production research
Sources
Dates, production counts, specifications and results on this page come from the sources below. Where sources disagree, the page says so or uses Porsche's own figure.
- “Porsche Heritage Moments” brings together five variants of the 935 for the first time — Porsche Newsroom
- Porsche 935 — Wikipedia (secondary reference)
- Porsche 935/78 „Moby Dick“ — Porsche Newsroom (Porsche Museum press kit)
- Custodian of Treasures: Bruce Meyer and the Le Mans winning Porsche 935 — Porsche Newsroom (Christophorus 407)
- Porsche achieved the first overall victory at Le Mans 50 years ago — Porsche Newsroom
- Paul Revere Rides Again. Porsche Looks to Add to Illustrious Daytona in July History. — Porsche Newsroom USA
- World premiere: Exclusive new edition of the Porsche 935 — Porsche Newsroom
- Aerodynamics: Miniature models in the wind tunnel — Porsche Newsroom (Christophorus)
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