24h Le Mans
For the sixth edition of Rennsport Reunion – the biggest Porsche gathering in the world, set to take place this weekend at the Laguna Seca circuit in California – the German marque has unveiled a reissue of the Porsche 935 (the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans version nicknamed “Moby Dick”).
The racing number 70 given to the 2019 version of the Porsche 935/78 was not chosen randomly, nor was the 700 hp under the hood: the German manufacturer is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. During its history, the marque has scored a stunning 19 overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a run that kicked off in…1970!
Unfortunately, the 935/78, specially designed for the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans and fielded by the official Porsche team, was outmatched by the Porsche 936 and Alpine A442 despite its remarkable top speed. German driver Rolf Stommelen and Lichtensteinois Manfred Shurti, sharing the #43 935/78, had to settle for eighth place, third in their class.
Nicknamed by fans “Moby Dick” - the famous white whale from Herman Melville’s novel of the same name - for its elongated body, massive fairings and white livery, the Porsche 935/78 enjoyed a triumphant debut in competition with a win at the 1978 6 Hours of Silverstone thanks to Jacky Ickx and Jochen Mass, both previous 24 Hours of Le Mans winners (six for Ickx and one for Mass).
That same year, the Porsche “Moby Dick” executed rather underwhelming performances at the 6 Hours of Vallelunga and at the Norisring before bowing out and taking its place in a museum, occasionally making appearances at vintage car gatherings.
Naturally, the 2019 version (77 produced) will not be eligible to participate in vintage car races and will not be road-ready, explains Vice President Motorsport and GT Cars, Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser: “This spectacular car is a birthday present from Porsche Motorsport to fans all over the world. Because the car isn’t homologated, engineers and designers didn’t have to follow the usual rules and thus had freedom in the development.”
The 77 happy owners – after shelling out 701,948 euros excluding taxes – can expect to hit the track sometime in June, 2019 when the replica of the Porsche 935/78 is scheduled for release.
Quotation from Porsche press release.
PHOTOS (Copyright - Porsche): The 2019 version of the Porsche 935/78 "Moby Dick."
