1979 Porsche 935

The Porsche 934 was introduced for the 1976 season as a Group 4 variant of the all-new turbocharged 930. The 930 was a factory-built racing machine that was based on its road car counterpart. The Porsche 935 was developed to compete in the Group 5 category and was an evolution of the RSR 2.1 Turbo. It was given a fully independent coil-spring suspension, turbocharged twin-plug flat-six engine, and aerodynamic fiberglass bodywork. During its debut season, the new Martini-liveried works 935s won the Group 5 championship.

The updated 935/77 was introduced for the 1977 season. The works team constructed 13 examples of the 935 for customer use, wearing chassis numbers 930 770 0901 to 930 770 0913. The appearance and specification were similar to the works 935/76 and achieved great success in competition, particularly in the German DRM series.

17 customer Porsche 935 chassis were built for the 1978 season, inspired by the works 935/77s. These cars were numbered 930 890 0011 to 930 890 0037 and equipped with twin-turbocharged engines, removable rear fenders, and 'running board' rocker panels.

As the 1978 season was coming to a close, Porsche constructed seven 935 chassis for private teams in the United States. These 1979-model cars were numbered 930 990 0026 to 930 990 0032. The exterior was similar to the 1978-model customer's cars but was equipped with several modifications and features, including an inverted gearbox and larger brakes. The engines received a large single turbocharger, which helped it achieved higher top speeds at Daytona. Many of these, however, was eventually converted to a more versatile, twin-turbocharger arrangement.

Racing Accomplishments
The Porsche 935 was very competitive and successful, winning over 150 races worldwide through 1985, which included an outright victory at the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans, and over 20 class victories. They won the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring six times each. Between 1977 and 1979, they were undefeated in the German DRM. From 1976 to 1979, they earned Porsche victory in the FIA World Championship for Makes.

A 935 driven by Alan Jones won the 1982 Australian GT Championships, having been undefeated for the whole season. The same car, this time with Rusty French driving, was also the 1983 Australian GT Championship.

After 1982, Group 5 was discontinued by FIA. The 935 continued to race in IMSA's GTP category. The final major victory for the 935 was in the 1984 12 Hours of Sebring in the IMSA GTP class. The 935 raced in two raced in the 1986 seasons.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2019

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