Two years ago, Porsche unveiled a modern-day interpretation of the iconic 935/78 “Moby Dick” race car that competed at the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans. The “new” Porsche 935 was based on the 911 (991-generation) GT2 RS and only 77 of them were ever made.
As rare as the 911 GT2 RS-based 935 was, there’s a specific subset among the 77 units that came in an even rarer naked carbon fiber body. It’s unclear how many of these 935 units are wearing their birthday suits, but one of them is up for grabs courtesy of high-end dealer Hollmann International.
What’s so special about the Porsche 935?
In its original form, the Porsche 935 was a race car that Porsche introduced in 1976 to compete in a handful of racing series, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 24 Hours of Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, and a host of other endurance races.
It also won in Sebring and Daytona — six times each. The legacy of the 935 is unparalleled, and in 2018, Porsche honored that legacy by rolling a special edition, race-spec Porsche 935 that was based on the Porsche 911 (991-generation) GT2 RS.
The special edition 935 wasn’t homologated — it can only be used in clubsport events and private training — so Porsche’s designers and engineers had a field day with the car’s development.
Why is this naked carbon fiber Porsche 935 more special than the painted version?
The modern-day Porsche 935 comes with a body that consists largely of carbon fiber composite parts. We don’t get to see a lot of the carbon fiber because part of Porsche’s tribute to the original 935/78 “Moby Dick” race car was to dress the new 935 in the same color scheme as the original race car, right down to all the liveries.
We’re bringing up the carbon fiber composite parts because if we strip the new 935 of all the paint and liveries, we’re left with a car wearing nothing carbon.
Consider this naked carbon fiber Porsche 935 a rarer version of what is already an incredibly rare race-spec clubsport racer. It’s powered by the same 3.8-liter six-cylinder twin-turbo engine that cranks out 700 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque. It carries the same seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that sends all that power to the two rear wheels. It’s practically the same car minus the paint, graphics, and liveries.
How rare is this version of the Porsche 935 compared to the ones that are painted in the 1970s race car’s colors?
We know that Porsche launched 77 units of the 911 GT2 RS-based Porsche 935. What we don’t know is how many of the 77 units came without any paint. What’s clear is that the latter version is rare enough to command double the price of the other “painted” versions.
If you are interested in owning what could well be one of the rarest Porsches of this century, here’s your chance. Just be prepared to open your bank accounts.