The Porsche 934, also called the 911 Turbo RSR, is a racing version of the Porsche 911 Turbo prepared to FIA Group 4 rules, as the 935 was prepared to Group 5. It was introduced for the 1976 season, built for two years and made in 31 examples.
Porsche 934 at a glance
| Maker | Porsche, Stuttgart |
|---|---|
| Also called | Porsche 911 Turbo RSR (934) |
| Class | FIA Group 4 |
| Seasons | 1976 and 1977 |
| Built | 31 |
| Engine | 3.0-litre turbocharged flat-six |
| Power | 480 bhp, raised to 550 bhp in 1977 |
| Weight, regular trim | 1,090 kg |
| Fuel tank | 120 litres |
| Racing trim | 30 kg added to meet the Group 4 minimum |
| Top speed | close to 300 km/h |
| 0–97 km/h | 3.9 seconds |
History of the Porsche 934
The 934 was the racing version of the 911 Turbo and the Group 4 entry that made the road car’s homologation meaningful: Porsche homologated the 911 Turbo RSR (934) on 6 December 1975, the same day the road-going Turbo was approved, and 400 Turbos were built by the end of that year. The 934 was introduced for the 1976 racing season and manufactured in 1976 and 1977, with 31 cars in total.
The car was one of the last designs to carry all the distinctive styling of the original 911s, with only minor bodywork taken from the 911 Turbo, including glass-reinforced plastic wheelarch extensions, doors, engine lid and boot. It came in a regular trim or a racing trim, also called Group 4 trim.
In regular trim the 934 weighed 1,090 kg, had electric windows and door trim and a 120-litre fuel tank, and its 3.0-litre flat-six produced 480 bhp, a figure raised to 550 bhp by 1977 modifications. The racing trim was the regular car modified to meet the FIA rules, adding 30 kg so that it complied with the Group 4 minimum weight. Performance was close to 300 km/h flat out and 3.9 seconds to 97 km/h.
The results were strong on both sides of the Atlantic. Toine Hezemans drove a 934 to the European GT Championship, and in the United States George Follmer took the Trans-Am title. The car kept winning through the late 1970s: the Australian Porsche distributor Alan Hamilton won the 1977 Australian Sports Car Championship in one, and the same car took the title again in 1980 with Allan Moffat. The 934 was also essential to the 934/5, which combined the 934 chassis and engine with the wheels, tyres and rear wing of the 935. Both the 934 and the 935 raced in the Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft, often in the distinctive orange Jägermeister livery.
Design and features
- Group 4 racing Turbo: the competition version of the road-going 911 Turbo.
- 480 to 550 bhp: from a 3.0-litre turbocharged flat-six.
- Light bodywork: glass-reinforced plastic arches, doors, engine lid and boot.
- Two trims: regular and Group 4 racing, the latter with ballast to meet the minimum weight.
Porsche 934 versions
- 934 regular trim: 1,090 kg, 120-litre tank, 480 bhp.
- 934 Group 4 trim: 30 kg heavier to satisfy the FIA minimum.
- 1977 specification: engine modifications taking output to 550 bhp.
- 934/5: 934 chassis and engine with 935 wheels, tyres and rear wing.
The 934 was the Group 4 racer built from the Porsche 930, and its Group 5 sister was the Porsche 935. More cars are in the Porsche collection.
Sources
- Porsche 934, English Wikipedia: rules, trims, engines, results
