When I first saw this Porsche 935 — one of 77 limited editions released in 2019, and just one of a few specified with the costly exposed carbon-fiber option — I was reminded of the late 20th century poet Russell Tyrone Jones, who expressed it best in lyric form when he said “Ooh, baby, I like it raw. Yeah, baby, I like it raaaaw.” Yes, Ol’ Dirty Bastard would have loved this fine specimen of the Porsche 935.
All jokes aside, this limited-edition track car actually is a tribute to a different superstar from a bygone era: the original 1978 Porsche 935 “Moby Dick” racing car. When Porsche revived the 935 in 2019, it was called “a birthday present from Porsche Motorsport to fans all over the world.” The single-seater, non-homologated racer was powered by a 700hp twin-turbocharged flat-six engine, the same one found in the 991 GT2 RS, and was paired with a seven-speed PDK automatic transmission with paddle shift. Porsche was not just building some kitschy tribute-edition of the 935. It was releasing a race-ready, able-bodied, track beast that would make the O.G. 935 proud.
The original 935 was a racing machine built by the folks at Porsche in the 1970s, based on the 911 road car, but with a few tweaks by those clever German engineers such as a wide body, huge rear wing, and a flat-six engine taken from the 911 but modified for more oomph. And it paid off. The 935 won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1979 and loads of other endurance races. Over the years, Porsche released a few variations of the 935, including the 935/78, aka “Moby Dick,” nicknamed for it’s its elongated shape, massive fairings, “whale tail” rear spoiler, and white base color. Only around 100 of these beauties were made, making them highly sought after by collectors. Even now, the 935 remains one of Porsche’s most iconic and successful racing cars.
The 2019 version of the Porsche 935 is based on the 911 GT2 RS road car, but with a number of not-so-subtle modifications for track use. It came with a wide body that was inspired by the original 935, as well as a large rear wing and the distinctive Martini Racing livery sans the few that were ordered in bare carbon such as this raw, naked beauty. The 935 is powered by a water-cooled 6-cylinder twin-turbo rear-mounted boxer engine producing 700 horses sent to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. As mentioned, the 2019 Porsche 935 is a beast built for the track. It can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.7 seconds, and has a top speed of around 211 mph. It also features a number of advanced technologies, including a traction control system and a stability control system intended for track use. And it comes with a fire extinguisher, because, you know…safety first.
In late 2014, Gary Smith, CEO of the performance fabric brand Polartec, took delivery of a brand-new Porsche 911 GT3....
Read StoryInside the cockpit, drivers will find a Recaro bucket seat with racing harness, a carbon-fiber steering wheel with color display borrowed from the 991 GT3 R model, a full roll cage, and a PDK gear shifter with a laminated wood design.
When Porsche announced the 935 in 2018, the presale price was around $750k, and it’s reported that offers of twice that were being made to those who secured one before it even rolled off the line. The one seen here is up for auction via Collecting Cars at the moment at its current bargain of a price of $970k. But, I know what you’re thinking. A car like this is bound to have some wear and tear, right? Wrong. Both the exterior exposed carbon-fibre bodywork and the interior trim are in pristine condition, showing no signs of wear or discoloration. So get out your checkbook, find those pennies in the couch cushions, fire up that Ol’ Dirty Bastard album, and get yourself a piece of raw racing history.
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