Concept Cars Home
Image Left 1978 935 K31980 935 K3 Image Right
 

1979 Porsche 935 K3 news, pictures, and information

Coupe
 
The overall winner of the 1979 LeMans, this K-3 is considered by some to be the most important 911 Porsche ever. It was a production-based racecar that was upgraded to racing specs necessary for the 24-hour endurance race.

With Porsche already dominating the racing scene, Manfred and Erwin Kremer ran a Porsche dealership, and believed they could improve the factory built racecars. Their main focus was on shedding weight. To achieve this, over 100 changes were incorporated to make it more race-efficient, including replacing the water intercooler system, relocating the oil cooler and fuel tank, and replacing most of the body panels with high-tech composite components.

Literally just hours before the 1979 LeMans, this works car was sold to Don and Bill Whittington, and along with co-driver Klaus Ludwig, the Twin-Turbo, 700 horsepower, four-speed captured the 24 Hours of LeMans overall win.

After the last 30 years in storage, the 935 has recently been refreshed with a complete tear-down, nut-and-bolt restoration by Canepa Motorsports. To ensure the 935 would look and drive as it did in June of 1979, all components are original and once again, Race Ready.

1979: 24 Hours of LeMans - 1st
1979: Brands Hatch - 2nd
1980: 12 Hours of Sebring - 3rd
1980: Nurburgring - 1st
1980: Six Hours of Watkins Glen - 1st
The Porsche 935 K3 (Kremer) was the third variation of the legendary 935. It was created by the Kremer brothers using a factory tub and fitted with a 3.2-liter engine. Large KKK turbochargers were adapted along with an air-to-air intercooler system bringing horsepower to around 800 with 1.7 bar boost. With bar boost turned down to 1.4, a still very impressive 740 horsepower was created. Other differences between the 13 K3 models and the factory 935's were the lowered chassis and high down force carbon fiber Kevlar composite body design. The interior was given a stiffened and extended roll cage in order to handle the extra horsepower created from the finely tuned engine.
By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2008
In 1976, Porsche introduced a racing version of the Porsche 930/911 Turbo which they dubbed, the 935. It was designed for FIA-Group 5 competition and was constructed in similar fashion to the Porsche 934, which was used in Group 4 competition.

The works team, with sponsorship by Martini, entered the 935 in the FIA World Championship for Makes with team drivers, Jacky Ickx and Jochen Mass in one car and Rolf Stommelen and Manfred Schurti in another car. The Porsche 935 was an evolutionary process, as its original nose was later replaced with more aerodynamic versions better suited to high speed competition. The bodywork changed and a large wing was added to the rear of the vehicle. The rear fenders were expanded and the car was given a wider axle. The Porsche 935 won all of the major endurance races that included LeMans, Nurburgring, Daytona, Sebring, and Watkins Glen.

Group 4 competition was created for production-based GT cars and the Group 5 was for race cars based on production models. For the 1976 season, the FIA declared that the World Champion of Makes would be won from the Group 5 class, which Porsche won with their 935.

For the 1977 season, the Porsche 935's were sold to privateer teams, such as Georg Loos and Kremer Racing. The single turbo was replaced by two KKK units and the body was again changed. The privateers were using the older cars while the factory raced with the newer machines. This left the privateers unhappy, but since the Porsche 935/77 machines were not as reliable, they could be beaten.

For 1978, the famous 'Moby Dick' styling of the Porsche 935 appeared. The Porsche 935/78 had a long tail, and a frontal area that had been lowered by 10cm. The car had been optimized for low drag and its appearance earned it the nickname, Moby Dick. Powering these cars were a 3.2-liter, water-cooled, four-valve cylinder head engine capable of generating 895 horsepower. The cars reached speeds of 360 km/h at LeMans and were capable of passing the prototype cars such as the Renault and their own Porsche 936.

Throughout the seasons, the FIA, SCCA, IMSA, and CSI continued to modify the rules, which had the teams struggling to maintain a compliant group of cars. The 935, over the years, came in many different configurations powered by a wide variety of engines that included a 2.0-, 2.2-, 3.0-, and 3.2-liter size.

Factory development of the 935 slowed and eventually stopped, and tuner development continued where they left off. The most famous iteration came from Kremer Racing of Cologne, Germany. They were powered by twin-turbocharged 3.2-liter six-cylinder engine capable of producing 740 horsepower.

In 1982, the FIA discontinued Group 5 competition. The 935 continued its racing career in the IMSA GTP category. They continued to race until 1986, though their racing career had ended in 1984. Privateers entered the car in 1985 and for two races in 1986.

From 1976 through 1984, the Porsche 935 won over 150 races which includes over twenty class victories. The 935 was the overall victor at the 24 Hours of LeMans, the 12 Hours of Sebring, and the 24 Hours of Daytona.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2008
Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival Celebrates Corvette'S 60 Years At Sonoma Raceway
• Fast cars, fine food and wine highlight May 18-19 weekend
• Paul Reinhart is honored guest, popular racing seminar scheduled for second year
SONOMA, Calif. (April 27, 2013) - The Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival returns to Sonoma Raceway on May 18-19 for the fourth straight year under that title. The program for the 27th annual historic-car event organized by General Racing Ltd. in Sonoma will celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the popular Corvette, created by the ...[Read more...]
What were some of the best/most dominant sports cars in the premier classes at The Glen?
This year's Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen will be the final trip for the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series to Watkins Glen International. In 2014, Grand-Am and the American Le Mans Series will have fully merged, creating new classes and different machinery competing in the same class. The Daytona Prototypes will go head-to-head with the P2s and Delta Wing in the premier class, while four other GT-based divisions will split up a myriad of different kinds of cars. This got us to thinking: W...[Read more...]
YOKOHAMA TIRE CORPORATION GEARS UP FOR THE 2013 MOTORSPORTS SEASON
Plans include a new team in the ALMS GT Class and continued efforts in the GTC and GT3 Challenge series, off-road racing and drifting FULLERTON, CA (March 7, 2013) – From desert racing to drifting, Porsche 911 GT3 to Ferrari 458, Yokohama Tire Corporation (YTC) is busy tuning up for the 2013 racing season. 'This will be an exciting year,' said Andrew Briggs, YTC director of product planning and motorsports. 'We have a new ALMS partner, a historic teaming in off-road and a strong, over...[Read more...]
BREAKING DAYTONA'S DAWN: CHARLES DRESSING ON DAYTONA'S MAGIC
Once we raced Daytona's roval backward. Every now and then, I stumble across a photo taken when Dwight Eisenhower was President, the year Aston Martin won Le Mans and Daytona's sports cars went 'round clockwise. Those ancient Daytona photos have a peculiar quality. The cars look dated though the track, especially the banking, looked much like it does now. But the cars are headed the wrong way – like a negative printed in reverse. It seemed unnatural. That didn't last long. Sometimes such...[Read more...]
Coveted Pair of Ford GT40's Join the Starting Grid For RM's Monterey Sale
A coveted pair of GT40s, including a remarkable 1968 Ford GT40 Gulf/Mirage Lightweight Racing Car, chassis P/1074, and a strikingly authentic, unrestored 1967 Ford GT40 MK I, chassis P/1059, are the latest star attractions confirmed for RM Auctions' highly anticipated Monterey sale, August 17–18, in California. Widely considered one of the most heroic and legendary racing automobiles ever conceived, the GT40 succeeded the Shelby Daytona coupe as Ford's standard-bearer during the infamous Ford...[Read more...]

Arrow Right 1979 Porsche models
Porsche 911 Turbo
Porsche 911/935 SC
Porsche 911SC
Porsche 924
Porsche 935

Similar Automakers
Aston MartinBentley
BugattiDevon
FerrariGTA
KoenigseggLamborghini
LotusMaserati
MaybachMcLaren
Rolls-RoyceSpyker
Tesla
Similarly Sized Vehicles from 1979
Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce
Mazda RX-7
Porsche 911 Turbo
Porsche 911/935 SC
Porsche 911SC

 
Porsche: 1971-1980
Similar Automakers
Porsche History
Other models by Porsche
Manufacturer Website

Related Articles and Event Coverage
Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance
Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races
Monterey Historic Races at Laguna Seca
Monterey Historic Automobile Races at Laguna Seca

Porsche
Monthly Sales FiguresVolume
May 20133,928 
April 20134,032 
March 20133,487 
February 20132,805 
January 20133,358 
December 20122,952 
November 20123,865 
October 20123,211 
September 20122,736 
August 20123,026 
July 20122,803 
June 20123,002 
(More Details)

 
356
550/718 Sports Racing Cars
597
904
906
907
908
911
912
914
917
924
928
934/935
944
956 and 962
968
Boxster
Carrera GT
Cayenne
Cayman
GT3
Panamera
Type 959

Image Left 1978 935 K31980 935 K3 Image Right
© 1998-2012. All rights reserved. The material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.