Legendary Porsche 935 Reincarnated

Porsche seems to be leaving no stones unturned for its 70th anniversary. After unveiling the Project Gold 993 at Pebble Beach, the legendary carmaker has now pulled the wraps off yet another modern classic- the 935. If you’re a hardcore Porschephile, you’d know that these three digits mean a lot to the Stuttgart-based company.

The first Porsche 935 was introduced in 1976 to go racing under FIA-Group 5 rules. It was based on the Porsche 911 Turbo of the time and was considered to be an evolution of the Carrera RSR 2.1 which had finished second in the 24 Hours of Le Mans a year earlier. The third iteration of the race car - the 935/78 - was nicknamed ‘Moby Dick’ for its white paint job and long tail, which was optimised for low drag. The new model, which was unveiled at the Rennsport Reunion in California, is based on the current-gen 911.2 GT2 RS.

Also Read: A Brief History Of The 911

The reincarnated 935 features steel and carbon-fibre body panels to make for a featherlight kerb weight of 1,379kg. It is powered by the same 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six which propelled the GT2 that set a ‘Ring record last year. However, it’s now been fettled to produce 8PS more, taking the total output to 708PS. Power is sent to the rear wheels via Porsche’s brilliant 7-speed PDK gearbox with PSM stability management, which adjusts the traction control and ABS to suit your needs. Heck, it can even be switched off completely to give you a proper adrenaline rush.

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And to make it look like the Moby Dick, the designers at Porsche have given the new car a Flachbau, or a bespoke flat-nose front end, along with a low-drag long-tail rear aero work as well. Speaking of the long tail, it measures 1.9 metres wide and is 400mm deep, while the LED taillamps have been borrowed from the 919 Hybrid race car. Other changes include the period correct and super sexy red dish wheels, and 911 RSR-derived side mirrors. The exhaust tips are a nod to another legend from the past - the 908 of the 60’s.

Also Read: Porsche 959 - The Car That Saved The 911

Porsche has resorted to a similar blend of old and new on the inside of the 935 as well, including the laminated wooden gear knob from another legendary Le Mans racer - the 917. The steering wheel is an all carbon-fibre affair, while the instrumentation is from the 2019 GT3 R customer race car. A welded roll cage and a lightweight racing seat with six-point harness complete the package.

Sadly, the new 935 will be limited to a production run of just 77 units with deliveries slated for June 2019. What do you think of the latest 935? Does it do justice to the old legend? Let us know in the comments below.