PARAGON-MODELS - 1/64 - PORSCHE 935/78 1978 LE MANS - MARTINI

PORSCHE - 935/78 3.2L TURBO MOBY DICK TEAM MARTINI RACING PORSCHE SYSTEM N 43 24h LE MANS 1978 ROLF STOMMELEN - MANFRED SCHURTI - WHITE RED BLUE

D. H. Lawrence called the epic novel Moby Dick "one of the strangest and most wonderful books in the world" perhaps writing the future for the Porsche 935/78.
Technical designer Norbert Singer took advantage 1977 FIA regulations, lowering the previous 935/77 but increasing it in track and especially length. The 935/78 was first shown in public in all white with an extended whale tail and wing - earning the nickname “Moby Dick” after the mythical white cetacean.

Like Captain Ahab’s maniacal quest of revenge against the whale that bit off his leg, the Porsche Factory team were hell bent on creating something insane for the Gr.5 category, leaving customer teams (like Kremer) to compete with their 935s which were already world class. Moby Dick’s first race at the Silverstone 6 Hours was the first sign of danger, where it ate the competition winning with a 7 lap margin over P2.

Although #43 was able to reach a terrifying 227mph at the 1978 24H of Le Mans, the equally horrendous fuel consumption (35 stops in 24 hours) and reliability issues (which carried over to the Porsche 928) meant that Martini Racing Porsche System finished P8. The 935/78 raced only on two more occasions at Norisring and Vallelunga, both unsuccessfully after which it was retired to the Porsche Museum.

Creating the most powerful Porsche 935 with 845hp without airbags doesn’t really have much more in common with Renaissance American literature so we conclude by proudly presenting our 1:64 Licenced Porsche 935/78 with detailed Le Mans livery. Note the accurate half-door fairings which are unique to this race.