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1977 Porsche 934.5

After the successes of the 934 in the SCCA's Trans-Am series in 1976, where the 934 had migrated after IMSA had effectively banned the car to curry favor with some of its major American sponsors and their teams, Porsche once again found itself at the center of sanctioning body politics. After a miserable season, IMSA was back courting Porsche and the 934, hoping to have them and quality fields back for 1977.

After witnessing a special test session of a Brumos prepared and Peter Gregg driven 934, equipped with 935's wheel and tire package and rear wing configuration, John Bishop, the head of IMSA was convinced that the 934 would not dominate the series as other competitors had feared. Bishop approved the car to run 'as tested' for the 1977 season, and the SCCA quickly followed suit approving the 'up-rated' 934 for Trans-Am. The car would now be called the 934 1/2.

Peter Gregg, always looking for an edge over the competition, continued to try and further develop the 934 1/2 by integrating more and more parts from the 935. When IMSA felt this violated the agreement to run the 934s as tested for Bishop, they sent Gregg home from the April Road Atlanta race to re-fit his car to the agreed-upon standard.

Gregg, however, went straight to the SCCA which agreed to Gregg's modifications and more. Teams sensing an opportunity to 'develop' their own 934 1/2s and thus find their own advantages moved to the Trans-Am quickly.

The politics were not over with, however. When the Trans-Am visited Mosport in Canada, the FIA had overriding jurisdiction as the event was a six-hour endurance race and was part of the World Championship of Makes. The race was won by Peter Gregg in his modified 934 1/2. Canadian Porsche dealer, Ludwig Heimrath seized the opportunity and protested Gregg's car. After several months, Gregg's win was nullified. Neither IMSA nor SCCA ever accepted the ruling and continued to accept the evolutionary nature of the rules.

The outcome was predictable. Porsche swept the top five places in the Trans-Am Championship point standings while over in IMSA Al Holbert won his second consecutive championship in his DeKon Chevrolet Monza.

by Porsche

Coupe
Chassis number: 930 770 0952

In 1977, Porsche AG built only ten 934.5s. This car is the second one produced and was purchased by Peter Gregg. The car arrived in Jacksonville sometime in February or March 1977, requiring much preparation by the Brumos team for the car's debut at the April Road Atlanta IMSA race. After being disqualified by IMSSA at Road Atlanta, Peter Gregg decided to campaign the 934.5 in the SCCA Trans-Am series. During the 1977 Trans-Am season, bodywork from a 935 was used on this 934.5 in various configurations. Peter Gregg won the 1977 Trans-Am Championship series with this car. However, the results were challenged, and after months of debate, the FIA overturned Gregg's championship. Undaunted by this protest, however, Porsche produced a poster commemorating the 'true' winner of the 1977 SCCA Championship - Peter Gregg.

On 2/22/77, Peter Gregg and Jack Atkinson, Brumo's Crew Chief, flew to Zuffenhausen and purchased this 934.5 and a single turbo 935. The 934.5 arrived in Jacksonville, Florida, in February or March of 1977. It required preparation by Brumos before debuting at the Road Atlanta IMSA race. It was disqualified by IMSA, so Peter Gregg decided to campaign the car in the Trans Am racing series. The 935 purchased was not raced in 1977; it did, however, set an IMSA record at Daytona. During the 1977 SCCA Trans-Am season, the bodywork from the 935 would be used on the 934.5 in various configurations.

Peter Gregg, won the 1977 SCCA Trans-AM Championship with this car. However, Canadian Ludwig Heimrath protested the championship, and eventually, the FIA ruled in Heimrath's favor. Porsche, however, produced a poster commemorating Peter Gregg's championship.

In 1978, Peter Gregg sold it to Bruce Leven of Bayside Disposal. #59 is repainted in Bayside livery and re-numbered to #85. It was raced for only two seasons - 1977 and 1978. It was sold to two other Southern California owners and remained in storage, as an unaltered time capsule, out of public view for 25 years before it was acquired by the present owner.

The Brumos Porsche 934.5 was restored to exact detail as Peter Gregg raced the car by its former crew members, Jack Atkinson and Paul Willison of Willison Werkstatt, Inc, Lake Park, Florida.

The six-cylinder 3.0-liter engine produced 590 horsepower.

Coupe
Chassis number: 930 770 0958

This car is one of ten cars built by Porsche in 1977 exclusively for the North American IMSA and Trans-Am series. Chassis number 930-770-0958 was the eighth customer delivery and was campaigned by Canadian Ludwigh Heimrath in both IMSA and Trans-Am. Heimrath won the 1977 Trans-Am Series championship after successfully protesting Peter Gregg for illegally using parts from a 935.

The car was subsequently converted into a 935 and raced by Heimrath from 1978 to 1980. It was retired at the end of the 1980 season and parked in a warehouse in Toronto, Canada.

Porschehaus acquired the bare chassis and a container of related bits and pieces in 1995. The car was rebuilt over a period of five years to the original factory specs as delivered to Heimrath. Sold to Jim and Lawrence in April of 1996.

The car was test driven for the first time at the 2004 Mont-Tremblant Legend event and the 2006 Wine Country Classic.

Coupe

This is one of only ten Porsche-built 934.5 race cars. The Porsche 934.5 is a prime example of the intense competition in world sports car racing in the late 1970s. The Porsche 930 Turbo was configured for racing in two FIA categories: Group 4 (934) and the fastest Group 5 (935). In the US, the 934 was accepted in Trans-Am in 1976, although not into IMSA until the following season. The 1977 IMSA rules allowed the 934 to be even more heavily modified using numerous 935 parts. The Porsche factory created ten IMSA-only versions called 934.5 late in 1976. George Dyer purchased this car new to compete in the 1977 IMSA championship. After a competitive season, Dyer sold the car to Bruce Canepa. He would go on to successfully race the car in IMSA and Trans-Am. The car's high point was the 1979 24 Hours of Daytona. With teammates Rick Mears and Monte Shelton, Canepa finished third overall. A spectacular result considering they were an independent team racing a 3-year-old car against the brand new factory Porsche 935s.

Coupe
Chassis number: 930 770 0957

The Porsche 934½ was designed to maintain the dominance achieved by the normally aspirated RSRs in IMSA's GT category. The 934 was one of two racing version of the Type 930, or Turbo Carrera, the company's first production-based turbocharged automobile. One was the 'Group 5' 935 and the other was the 934, configured for FIA Group 4 competition.

Porsche's competition feared that allowing a turbocharger would give Porsche an unfair advantage; for the 1976 season, IMSA refused the 934. Instead, Porsche turned to the SCCA's Trans-Am series. There, with the help of driver George Follmer, the 934 Porsche captured the season title.

For 1977, IMSA relented and allowed turbocharging, along with large rear wings and wider fenders.

The Porsche 935 was just entering production in late 1976. Porsche produced 0 examples of an upgraded 934 specifically for IMSA competition. These '934½' offered most of the aerodynamic features found on the 935, including a front air dam, a large rear window, and wide fenders.

At the first race of the season, Peter Gregg's car was properly prepared for competition. Unfortunately for Gregg, politics again intervened and it was banned on the spot. Porsche once again turned to Trans-Am competition, and the interim car captured all but two of the season's eight contests. At Canada's Mosport round, another team running a standard 934, protested that the new car was illegal. The SCCA responded by taking away Gregg's championship. Since Gregg had captured the checkered flag at eight races, Porsche produced a commemorative poster claiming the title.

This particular car is number seven in the series of ten. It was purchased by Porsche-Audi dealer Bob Hagestad Racing at the factory's request for a list price of nearly $42,000. It was intended to be raced at IMSA and the Trans-Am series. Hurley Haywood was brought on board as a co-driver.

The car's first race was at Road Atlanta; however, it failed to finish. Its next outing was at Laguna Seca where it took 7th with Franz Blam Racing as the entrant. Haywood drove the car to a strong 3rd place at Mid-America and 2nd at Lime Rock. It failed to finish at Mid-Ohio, but Haywood finished 2nd in class at Mid-Ohio two weeks later. Hagestad drove the car to a victory at the Road Atlanta Trans-Am event in late June. Haywood took 2nd at the Daytona Paul Revere 250; after which, he and Hagestad combined for a 3rd place at the Watkins Glen Six Hours. At Sears Point, the car failed to finish, but at Pocono in August, he was 3rd. Hagestad and Haywood again co-drove at the Mid-Ohio Three Hours, where they were 4th overall and 1st in class. Haywood finished the season with a 3rd place at Road Atlanta, a DNF at Laguna Seca, and a 1st place at the Daytona 250-mile finale.

At the close of the season, it finished with 10 podium appearances in 15 races, and it was 2nd overall in the 1977 IMSA Championship.

For 1978, Haywood and Hagestad were joined by Doc Bundy at the Daytona opener. By this point, the car had been upgraded to 935 specification and running in IMSA's new GTX category. At Daytona, the car suffered clutch failure and did not complete the race. At Sebring, Hagestad and Haywood finished in 2nd place, and then DNF'd at Talladega and Road Atlanta. At Laguna Seca, Haywood finished in 2nd place with Vasek Polak sponsorship.

In 1979, the car was sold to Charles Mendez's Racing Associates. It was painted blue and running with Busch Beer sponsorship. At the Daytona 24 Hours, Mendez, Johnny Rutherford and Paul Miller finished in 15th place overall. Brian Redman joined Mendez and Miller at Sebring, qualifying 4th and capturing 2nd place at the end of the 12-hour contest. The team was 8th at Road Atlanta with Mendez, but it DNF'd at Riverside with Paul Miller co-driving. Then followed 6th, 3rd, and 4th place finishes for Mendez at Hallet, Lime Rock, and Brainerd, respectively, and then a 5th place for Mendez and Miller at the Watkins Glen Six Hours. At Laguna Seca, Ron McFarlin drove the car to 13th place. Mendez was 5th at Portland. At Road Atlanta, Bob Akin finished in 8th place. A 6th place finish was earned at the season's final race at Daytona in the hands of Akin and Roy Woods.

In 1980, the car ran only two races. It ran under Coca-Cola sponsorship and was painted red and white. Claude Ballot-Lena, Ralph Kent Cooke, and Gerard Bleynie qualified 12th at the Daytona 24 Hours, but they dropped out with ignition problems. The Sebring 12 Hours was the car's last race, with Cooke and Lynn St. James sharing the driving duties, but again failed to finish.

Currently, the car has been restored to its original 934½ configuration, and is in period-correct colors of white Franz Blam Racing livery. It has a proper Type 930/73 three-liter flat-six engine with single KKK turbocharger, intercooler, and mechanical fuel injection. The engine offers over 600 horsepower and 435 foot-pounds of torque, depending on turbo boost. The car rides on lightweight, 16-inch diameter BBS alloys and are 10.5 inches wide in the front and 14.5 inches wide in the rear.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe
Chassis number: 930 770 0956
Engine number: 677 2808

The Porsche 934 was the FIA-homologated Group 4 racing version of the turbocharged 930 road car. In late 1975, the Porsche 934 prototype was submitted for inspection by IMSA's John Bishop for inclusion into the Camel GT series. Since the Porsche 917/30 had been a dominant force in Can-Am competition, Bishop feared the 934 would play a similar role in the Camel GT series, and thus rejected the 934 in 1976. The SCCA, however, welcomed it in Trans Am.

The 934 was virtually invincible in the Trans Am series, winning the 1976 European GT Championship, and the 1976 and 1977 SCCA Trans Am titles. In 1977, it was finally approved for IMSA. Upgrades included even wider wheel arches, a wide 935-style rear wing, and a mechanical fuel injection system. With these updates, these cars were referred to as 934/5 or 934 1/2. These updated 934 models were produced in a 10-car batch in 1977.

This particular example is the only example to be sold new to Europe. It has many unique and special features making it a true 'one-off.' It was raced many times in Europe and its escapades are well documented. This car was given the Group 4 bodywork plus the more powerful 600-horsepower engine with mechanical fuel injection. It also received a 930/51 transaxle, and a 935-type oil pump and cooler. This was the last Group 4-bodied Porsche 934 built.

It was ordered new by Martino Finotto of Italy, however, he elected to purchase a 935 instead. It was purchased by Ciro Nappi of Italy, who raced it in the 1977 Giro d'Italia Automobilistico but retired from the race due to a family issue.

The next owner was Dino Male, who competed under his first name and achieved two victories with the car in the Italian Group 4 Championship. In 1978, it was with Carlo Noce of Modena, and campaigned under his Sportwagen of Sassuolo banner at the Mugello 6 Hours. In late 1978, the car was sold to Germany and Jürgen Lassig from Tuttlingen, who raced it in many events during the 1979 season. The car earned him six podiums, including consecutive Group 4 class wins at the Salzburgring DRM and Nürburgring ADAC 1000 races.

After the 1979 season, the Porsche was rebuilt and then sold to Bruce Spicer of Spicer Porsche in Melbourne, Australia. There, it was driven by John Latham for the 1980 and 1981 seasons. He nearly won the Australian Sports Car Championship in 1980, and returned the following year very determined. He would win all but two rounds from pole position to capture the championship in 1981. The two races where he did not win, he placed second.

After rule changes made the car ineligible to compete for the 1982 season, the car was sold to fellow Aussie Jeff Dutton, who later sold it to Peter McNamara.

Mr. McNamara enlisted Alan Hamilton Porsche to make the car road-legal, including a right-hand drive conversion by Dutton and Caress Panels.

In 1984, D. Goseny became the next owner who later sold it to Ian Kenney, who had a full restoration completed in 1995. After the restoration, the car was put on display at concours events.

While in the care of the current owner, the car was given a restoration in 2014 and 2015, converted back to LHD, and refinished in its 1979 DRM silver, blue, and red 'BOSS' livery as raced by Jürgen Lassig. After the work was completed, the car was brought out at the 2015 Spa Classic at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe
Chassis number: 930 770 0951

The 1977 IMSA season launched 'the year of the turbo'. The problem was that the new Porsches had failed to produce a winning result at Daytona. Three new 934 turbo Porsches showed up for the 1977 12 Hours of Sebring. The #61 wearing Brumos Porsche's famous white-red-blue livery arrived by air freight directly from the factory. It qualified on the pole and dominated the first eight hours of the race building a seemingly invincible five-lap lead for Peter Gregg and Jim Busby. During the eighth hour, following a routine pit stop, a wheel came off the leading #61 and Gregg nursed the wounded Turbo back to the pits. Damage to the suspension and an oil cooler required a lengthy repair. Gregg and Busby fought back. In their chase, they led 141 laps (from the pole) and Gregg set the race's fastest lap in the process of climbing back into second place. But a flat tire caused more mechanical mayhem during the ninth hour dropping the new #61 934 Turbo to third and promoting a normally aspirated Porsche Carrera RSR to the lead. And that's where they finished; five laps behind a pair of Carrera RSRs but the first of the new Porsche Turbos to finish in a ten-deep Porsche sweep of the 25th annual 12 Hours of Sebring.

Coupe
Chassis number: 930 770 0960

The last of 10 factory 934.5s built to race in the US (the 935 was not yet IMSA eligible in 1977), the 934.5 ran 935 wheels/and tires, rear wing and removable fender flares. The car was campaigned by Cliff Kearns and his Desperado Racing team in IMSA and Trans-Am in 1977 and 1978. Milt Minter would co-drive with Kearns during both seasons it campaigned. The car would finish on the podium in IMSA 3 times: second at the 1978 Paul Revere 250 and third-place finishes at the 1977 Daytona Finale and 1978 Mid-Ohio 250. At the end of 1978, the team was building up a new 935 for 1979 with AIR bodywork and a majority of the parts from this car were used on the new car.

Coupe
Chassis number: 930 770 0952

The 2nd of 10 934.5's built, Peter Gregg purchased the car for the 1977 IMSA and Trans Am seasons. The car was disqualified from the 1977 IMSA race at Road Atlanta due to an illegal bumper designed by crew chief Jack Atkinson. Gregg would focus on the SCCA Trans Am series with the car and win 8 of 10 races and the Championship in 1977. During the season, crew chief Jack Atkinson and the Brumos Racing crew would modify/upgrade the car to full 935 specs and win the IMSA Mid-Ohio 3 Hours. Bruce Leven purchased the car for the 1978 season and would race it under his Bayside Disposal Racing team. Thereafter to Dennis Aase and Les Lindley raced this car.

Coupe
Chassis number: 930 770 0951

The Porsche 934 was the FIA-homologated Group 4 racing version of the turbocharged 930 road car and was developed during the mid-1970s under Wolfgang Berger and Norbert Singer. Porsche submitted the 934 prototype for inspection by IMSA's (International Motorsports Association) John Bishop for inclusion into the Camel GT series in late 1975 but due to fears that the 934 would follow in the footsteps of its 917/30 Can-Am sibling and dominate the series, Bishop rejected the 934 in 1976. The SCCA, however, welcomed it in Trans Am. Perhaps Bishop's fears were realized when the 934 was virtually invincible, winning the 1976 European GT Championship and the 1976 and 1977 SCCA Trans Am titles. George Follmer handily won the season title in what was really a lightly modified production car that was fitted with a full aluminum-alloy roll cage, yet it still retained the 930's electric window lifts.

With interest waning in its series, IMSA finally allowed turbocharging for 1977, along with large rear wings and wider fenders. Since the U.S. market was important to Porsche, and they wanted to platform to showcase their technology, they agreed to build a series of cars to contest the series. Since John Bishop would not allow the 935-77 to race, and following many negotiations between IMSA and Joe Hoppen (Porsche's U.S. racing director), the 934.5 was born. Wearing a wide 935-style rear wing, wider wheel arches concealing wide tires, and fitted with mechanical fuel injection, the updated 934 was alternatively called the 934/5 (moniker used by the Porsche factory) or 934 1/2 and built in a ten car batch in 1977. Only one example (chassis 930 770 0956) was sold new to Europe, and most European teams did not want them since they were less competitive against a 935-77. The example sold to Europe was acquired by an Italian team to run in Italian races.

The Porsche 934½ continued the pedigree of the normally aspirated RSRs and was one of two racing versions of the Type 930, or Turbo Carrera, Porsche's first production-based turbocharged automobile. The first was the 934 configured for FIA Group 4 competition while the other was the 935 built for Group 5 and would eventually dominate GT racing during the 1980s.

The 2,993cc air-cooled flat 6-cylinder engine used Bosch Mechanical fuel injection, a single KKK turbocharger with intercooler, and developed an estimated 600 horsepower at 7,000 RPm. They were backed by a four-speed manual transaxle and stopping power was by ventilated disc brakes. The front suspension was independent with coil-over shock absorbers, torsion bars, control arms, and anti-roll bars. The rear suspension also had an independent setup with transverse torsion bars, coil-over shock absorbers, and an anti-roll bar.

The car's initial Achille's Heel was its late arrival in the U.S., with the first examples not arriving until Sebring. Although they qualified 1st and 2nd, they had issues during the race. The car driven by Gregg and Busby had its wheel fall off during the race and following repairs, they were able to place third behind a pair of RSRs.

Politics intervened at the next race - Atlanta, and Peter Gregg's new car was banned on the spot. The remainder of Porsches racing in IMSA had mixed results throughout the season. For a second year in a row, Al Holbert would win the IMSA title in a Chevrolet Monza.

After Gregg's car had been banned, Porsche immediately went back to Trans-Am, and the interim 'point-five' captured all but two of the season's eight contests. After another team, who was racing with a standard 934, protested the new car as illegal at Canada's Mosport round, the SCCA agreed and took away Greeg's championship. Gregg had won eight races, and perhaps in spiteful protest, Porsche produced a commemorative poster claiming the title.

Following the 1977 IMSA season, the 934/5 was obsolete, as IMSA had approved the 935 customer cars to race during the 1978 season. Thus, many owners of the 934/5 began upgrading their cars to 935 specifications, which required new engines, bodywork, wheels, and various other modifications. Several of these updated cars competed in IMSA for many seasons.

Chassis number 930 770 0951

This Porsche was the first example built and was sent, along with 930 770 0952, to Peter Gregg and the Brumos Racing team in Jacksonville, Florida. Along with co-driver Jim Busby, it was driven at the 12 Hours of Sebring race in 1977. It had arrived late and little preparation work had been performed to properly ensure it was ready for the endurance race. The original white hood, however, had been replaced with another that already had Brumos' iconic red and blue stripes on it. The car qualified on the pole and eventually finished in 3rd place, despite some issues during the race. It wore race number 61.

After Sebring, Gregg would turn his attention to 0952, selling 0951 to Busby who raced it in three more events in 1977, with a 2nd place at Laguna Seca, framed by two DNFs at Road Atlanta and Mid-America in Missouri. At the end of the 1977 season, the car was sold to Portland, Oregon-based racer and sports car dealer Monte Shelton. During his ownership, the car was converted to full 935 specifications and was campaigned extensively in IMSA and Trans Am competitions in the US and Canada. Among the accolades that Shelton earned with the Porsche was a victory at the Trans Am race in Mont-Tremblant, Québec, where he beat Ludwig Heimrath to the finish by over 29 seconds. Shelton raced the Porsche through the 1980 season, and subsequently sold it to Ted Anderson of Bend, Oregon.

In 1992, the car was advertised for sale in Excellence magazine by a dealer in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The next known owner was Karl Singer, who acquired it from a Florida auction in the 1990s and raced it a few times, but did not use it much before selling it to the current owner circa 2001.

The current owner has treated the car to a restoration. Since the work was completed, the car has been shown just once at the 2020 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. It is currently finished in its 1977 Sebring livery, wearing the iconic colors of Brumos Racing.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe
Chassis number: 930 770 0958

The Porsche 934 was introduced in 1976 as the FIA Group 4 GT entry, replacing the Carrera RSR 3.0. FIA regulations stated a minimum weight of 1,120 kg and near-standard body configuration. The 934, based on the production 930 Turbo, used the 930/75 air-cooled, flat-six-cylinder engine and a larger KKK turbocharger, enlarged intake and exhaust ports, and stronger pistons. At 18.5 psi of boost, the engine delivered 485 horsepower.

During its inaugural racing season, the 934 won the European and Trans Am championships.

For FIA Group 5 competition, Porsche used the 935 model which was based on the 934 with more exaggerated bodywork, a large rear wing, and a twin-turbocharged engine. It dominated the competition, winning nearly one-third of the races it contested, including the 1979 Le Mans.

For the 1977 IMSA season, Porsche modified ten examples of the 934 (chassis 930 770 0951–930 770 0960), giving them the rear bodywork and wing of the 935, resulting in the 934/5. Before the 934/5 coupe race, it was banned from IMSA competition. Instead, it competed in the SCCA Trans Am Series.

This particular example was the eighth customer-ordered 934/5 built and sold to German-born Canadian Ludwig Heimrath. During the eleven races contested that season, scoring seven top-two finishes, including an overall victory at the Mosport 6 Hours. Peter Gregg in another 934/5 would ultimately win the championship on points. After Heimrath successfully protested Gregg's championship victory, claiming that Gregg's car was unfairly modified. After several months, Gregg's win was nullified.

Heimrath continued to campaign the car until the early 1980s, albeit in modified 935-specification condition. It is thought to have passed through Rivard Compétition, but its history remains a mystery. In 2006, it was acquired by its current caretaker from Andre Gaudet of Québec. A short time later, the car was prepared for historic motor racing, including rebuilding the engine, regearing and refreshing the transaxle, overhauling the suspension, and installing a new fuel cell.

This Porsche is currently equipped with twin turbochargers and 935 double-bubble manifolds. It has raced at various Monterey Motorsports and Rennsport Reunions, along with the 2017 Classic 24 Hour at Daytona.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe
Chassis number: 930 770 0960

This Porsche 934/5 was the last of the ten examples built. It was sold new via Southern California Porsche dealer Vasek Polak, to Ron Brown of Lake Oswego, Oregon. It made its racing debut in May 1977 at the Trans Am race at Kent, Washington where it was driven by Brown. There were two additional outings (with its best result at Portland in June) before Brown returned the car to Polak, who quickly resold it to Clifford 'Clif-O' Kearns of Lake Elsinore, California.

Mr. Kearns raced the Porsche under his Desperado Racing banner in IMSA's GTO class for the remainder of the 1977 season, earning Top 10 finishes at Sears Point and Pocono. At the Daytona Finale, he placed 3rd overall while sharing racing duties with Milt Minter.

In preparation for the 1978 IMSA season, the 934/5 was updated with 935-style bodywork by Dan McLaughlin's American International Racing (A.I.R.). Its first race of the season was at the 12 Hours of Sebring where it was piloted by Kearns, Marty Hinze, and Stephen Behr. Most of the driving duties throughout the year were by Kearns and Minter, with highlights including a 2nd Place finish at Daytona in July and a 3rd Place finish at Mid-Ohio in August.

At the Daytona Finale in November 1978, the car received minor damage and was soon sold to Dan McLaughlin who had the tub stripped, with many of the original suspension and drivetrain components used to build a new 935-specification racing car for the 1979 season.

After a few years, 930 770 0960 was repaired and, in the mid-1980s, it was sold to Kevin Jeanette whose Gunnar Racing completely restored the Porsche and returned it to its proper 1977 specification and Desperado Racing livery. It made its post-restoration debut in Desperado Racing livery in 2013 at the Monterey Motorsports Reunion, and later sold to its current caretaker. Since then, the Porsche has participated in several historic races, including multiple editions of the Monterey Motorsports Reunion and Rennsport Reunion V and VI. In 2021, it was invited to the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance, where it was displayed in a class celebrating the Porsche 935.

This Porsche 934.5 is currently powered by a 2,994cc SOHC flat 6-cylinder engine with Bosch Mechanical fuel injection and a single KKK turbocharger. It produces 485 horsepower at 7,000 RPM which is sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed transaxle. There are four-wheel ventilated disc brakes and an independent suspension with coil-over shock absorbers.

by Dan Vaughan

The Porsche 934 was a specially prepared racing version of the Porsche 911 Turbo built to satisfy the FIA Group 4 rules and to continue the marque's success in that class. Homologation requirements stated at least 400 road-going cars were to be built within a two year period. The dimensions of the road and race cars were to be equal and modifications throughout were to be limited, except for safety. A roll cage, fuel cell, and other common racing safety features were required. These restrictions made the class very competitive; the limitation of displacement and weight made competition even more fierce. The allowable limit of displacement size was directly tied to the vehicles overall weight. The more weight, the higher the displacement allowed; the lower the weight, the less displacement permitted.

Porsche introduced the new 930 model in 1975. This 911 Turbo Type 930 would serve as the basis for the new Group 4 racer, which would be dubbed the Type 934. During the development of the 930, the needs of the 934 were taken into consideration and planned appropriately. To satisfy the rules stating 'limited modifications', Porsche gave the 930 much strong and better components than needed, thus having it included on the 934. For example, components on the transmission were designed to handle the rigorous 485 horsepower from the Type 934 engine, making it under-utilized for the 290 horsepower Type 930.

The Type 934 was fitted with a turbocharger which helped the engine achieve over 480 horsepower. In 1977 the valves were enlarged and horsepower grew to over 550. To satisfy the 1120 kg rule, the interior was stripped many non-essential items. Major modifications were not allowed, which meant the electric windows remained in tact.

In both the European GT Championship and the TransAm Championship, the Porsche 934 was a dominant force. The highlights were from 1977 through 1979 when it captured three successive class victories at the legendary 24 Hours of LeMans.

by Dan Vaughan

One of the most successful shapes of all time, every young schoolboy can spot a Porsche 911 when one drives by. Porsche purists can wax poetic on the timeless lines of the series. And surely timeless is the right word. Introduced in 1964, even the very first 911 looks remarkably similar to today's iteration. The smooth, elegant contours, though, have occasionally taken on a distinctively sinister flair. Case in point, the 911-based Porsche 934.

Introduced as a hardcore racer's Porsche, only a small number of 934s were made for street use. Of the 31 true 934s built, most if not all were destined for a hard life of race use. The street cars were produced only to fulfill a requirement of the FIA's Group 4 regulations. The Porsche 934 was built to dominate on the tracks, not to be flaunted on the streets.

Successful in its Group 4 class, the 934 proved a proud successor to the impressive RSR. The brutish 934 was an awe-inspiring piece of machinery. Despite its menacing stance, though, the 934 was more civilized than one would expect. The reason was simple. The 930, a turbocharged variant of the 911 on which the 934 was based, weighed little more than the lowest allowable weight for its displacement level according to FIA regulations. Porsche, therefore, was only permitted to shave a mere 20kg off of the 930 when they transformed it into the fire-breathing 934. With barely any weight to lose, the 934 was able to retain many of the creature comforts of the luxurious 930.

Despite the minimal weight loss necessary, Porsche did some ingenious work when leaning out the 934. Sure, you could have your race-ready banshee with factory door panels and power windows. But Porsche managed to shave enough pounds off the rest of the car that the Stuttgart company was forced to add weight. While adding weight to a racecar sounds like an idea created simply to torture the vehicle's creators, the FIA regulations actually gave Porsche the ability to load the car with ballast used to improve the weight distribution.

Even with its optimally placed ballast and advanced aerodynamics, the 934 was a handful on the track. The inherent tail-happiness of the 911 design, the manic power levels, and the fairly high weight created a vehicle that could break loose easily. But with such a fierce face, the violence could almost be expected.

Porsche employed a huge air dam up front to provide ample air supply to the Behr water radiators, oil cooler, and front brakes. Many components of the 934's body were made of lightweight fiberglass, including the wide fender flares and legendary whale tail rear spoiler. These racy items weren't just for show: the 934 initially produced 485hp at 7000rpm, with 540hp available from subsequent versions produced in 1977.

Proving the great dynamics of a trademark Porsche design, the 934 was a formidable beast with wild wings that remained every ounce a 911. The car will always be remembered as one of the last spectacular Porsche racers to remain so true to that hallmark curvature. But power windows and resemblance to lesser models aside, the 934 was a devastating weapon in the hands of any driver brave and skilled enough to harness its awesome performance.

The site www.qv500.com supplied information for this story, and contains useful guides to many prominent supercars.

by Evan Acuña

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 a 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.

In 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 was 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 it left off. The most famous iteration came from Kremer Racing of Cologne, Germany. They were powered by a 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 include 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 Dan Vaughan