Porsche 935 - 935/77 Works

935/77 Works

Due to lack of competition in 1976, Porsche decided not to defend its sportscar championship, leaving it to the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33. It would be demoted to a European series in 1978 before being discontinued. The factory continued to develop and occasionally race a single new 935 in the 1977 World Championship for Makes season, in case BMW or another brand would bring a competitive turbo. Customers were not happy that the factory would race them with a newer car, but as the 935/77 was often unreliable, it could be beaten in five of the nine WCM events. In the WCM season opening 24h Daytona, the old car was entered, but tyre failures caused an DNF, with an old RSR taking the win. The new car body was changed significantly to lower drag, resulting in a 10 km/h higher top speed at Paul Ricard, where it covered 3500 km in tests at speed, lapping 3,4 secs faster. The front fenders, which in 1976 had followed the hood, now protruded above the hood line, and accommodated also the mirrors. The rear fenders were altered, but the biggest change was the addition of a second rear window above the standard one. This allowed cleaner air flow to the rear wing under which the single turbo was later replaced by two KKK units. This improved throttle response and also power, but several head gasket failures meant that Porsche had some home work to do for 1978.

The works 935/77 qualified 6th at the 1977 24 Hours of Le Mans, behind the Renault Alpines and the 936s, but engine troubles ended the race early. As in 1976, a 936 won after the turbo powered sportscars chased each other into troubles. This time, a customer 935 even finished third overall.