With 700 horsepower channeled to the rear wheels in a vehicle that weighs a tick over 3,000 pounds, it’s safe to say that Porsche’s modern 935 would be one of the most frightening cars in the automaker’s current lineup to drive in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
If there’s anyone with even the slightest chance of taming the beast on the mountain, it’s filmmaker and avid Porsche fan Jeff Zwart, who has tackled the race to the clouds no less than 17 times—12 of those behind the wheel of a 911.
He’s managed to accumulate eight class wins in that time and will soon be on the hunt for a ninth. Zwart is set to compete in the 2020 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, piloting a bare-carbon example of the modern Porsche 935 in the Time Attack class designed for track and race cars based on production models.
The car is owned by fellow Porsche collector Bob Ingram and is being run in support of Road Scholars, a Porsche restorer operated by Ingram’s son Cam.
Zwart has spent considerable time with the car already, describing it as the “most approachable race car” he’s driven in years. He’s well-aware that it is based on a road car, and thus has traction control and ABS.
The modern 935 shares its bones with the 991-generation Porsche 911 GT2 RS. It isn’t homologated to any particular race series; rather, it’s a serious performance machine for track enthusiasts (and collectors). Just 77 were built and one recently sold for $1.5 million at auction, or almost double the original price.
The 2020 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is currently scheduled for August 30. No doubt after the run we’ll have an awesome video filmed in the purist style Zwart for which is renowned.
This article was originally published by Motor Authority, an editorial partner of ClassicCars.com.
Just thinking about this is anxiety distilled.
Maybe it’s a good thing they paved the climb all the way; sad that AWD monsters no longer can drift to the top.
Godspeed, and good luck, Mr. Z. You’re gonna need it.