Unique Porsche 935 ML born in Japan

At first it didn’t receive too much attention when it was revealed earlier this year, but Kazuki Ohashi’s modern interpretation of the Porsche 935 is something to behold. We interviewed him to find out more about the story behind this unique car. 

Words: Wilhelm Lutjeharms

Photos: Ken Saito (edited for web use)

Behind Kazuki Ohashi’s desk are numerous model cars and during our online interview he eagerly points out the Porsche 935 versions. The 29-year-old wasn’t always interested in Porsche 935s though, as his first love as a child was radio-controlled cars and only when he became a teenager did the real thing become of interest to him. Kazuki grew up with a father that had a passion for Ferraris and Lamborghinis and he would modify these cars. This is where a large part of Kazuki’s fascination with cars originates from. 

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It is inspiring to witness the journey of a youngster who had set himself a goal and then years later ultimately achieves it with success. At the beginning of this year at the Tokyo Auto Salon, Kazuki Ohashi, along with his staff at Madlane, unveiled what is arguably one of the most exciting 911-based builds. Dubbed the 935 ML, it is Kazuki’s interpretation of the 935 with some very interesting tweaks and a level of performance that should impress all.

Laying eyes on 935 for the first time

Just over six years ago in Austria, when Kazuki Ohashi was only 23 years old, he laid eyes on a real Porsche 935 J for the first time. The event made a huge impression, with some incredible ideas germinating on the flight home to Osaka, Japan.

He admits that when he saw that 935 and other '80s Porsche race cars, it immediately attracted him to the brand. He was extremely excited by simply being in the presence of a 935. The decision was made that he was going to build his own version of the 935, not a replica, and would not give up until he achieved success. In the process he studied the 935 and Porsche’s history and also improved his skills in terms of car building. Eventually he realised he couldn’t do everything himself, and thus started acquiring assistance from local companies and specialists. 

The project

The build project started about three years ago and at the time many people thought what he set himself out to do would not be possible. One of the project’s formation events happened when Kazuki was offered a real 935 K4 glass-fibre rear deck lid in the USA by a fellow enthusiast and friend. How you use this single body part as inspiration for an entire car is quite a story. “When these people in the USA offered this rear deck to me, I felt like they were presenting me the opportunity to build this car.”

The team started with a 964 Carrera, firstly because it was affordable at the time when Kazuki returned from his trip to Austria and secondly because the 964 is generally a good base to work from with a good suspension system. For the rest of the body, he simply used model cars to measure and model from.

The final front cowl has been created from no fewer than three separate front cowls. He got a cowl from DP Motorsport in Germany, followed by another front end from Kremer in Germany and finally another from the USA. Open the front lid and apart from the neat fuel tank, the suspension points and all the welding seem factory correct and done to OEM standards. This is largely a consequence of being able to source some of the blue prints of the original car.

The rear deck lid is not the only original part on the car. They were also able to source a set of original 935 18-inch BBS racing wheels. These wheels were rebuilt in Japan and they are now, appropriately, wrapped in Yokohama full slick racing tyres.

The vented bottom sections of the rear deck have all been custom manufactured – and that is the case with most of the car. Although the doors have also been sourced from DP Motorsport in Germany, the large panel running from the rear wheelarch along the bottom of the doors has been bespokely designed and custom made. The original metal roof of the 964 had to be cut off as it dips down sharply towards the rear. Two glass-fibre roofs were used instead so that the final version can run perfectly towards the rear where it meets the decklid. 

This car is so close to being a full-blown race car, one might as well call it one. There is an air jack system and the rear wing has its origins from a Lamborghini Diablo GTR while the side windows are all Lexan. Even the turbo fans for the front wheels have been custom made. If the colour looks familiar, it is because the car has been painted in Porsche Grand Prix White. 

Moving to the rear, when the rear lid is lifted and the support beams put in place, the flat-six engine – another masterpiece of this project – proudly presents itself. Most obvious is the top-mounted fan, as was the case with the original 935. One of the other impressive and beautiful components is the intake system that has been machined from a billet. 

The engine

The engine started off as the 3.6-litre from the donor car, but has been increased in size to 3.8-litres. It is force-fed by two turbos, offers direct injection and the exhaust system is made from Inconel. Power delivery is said to be in the region of 500 to 590 kW, variable depending on the boost pressure you choose. The engine bay really is something to behold as it is finished in true racing car style, being nearly completely open, sans any plastic covers, with the pipework from the chassis clearly visible. 

On to the suspension components and some inspiration was taken from the RUF cars, offering a cantilever setup. The intention of this build becomes ever clearer when you hear details about the transmission. It is a Holinger gearbox from none other than a 997 RSR race car.  It has also been installed upside down so the engine can be mounted lower. 

The cabin

The cabin is immediately recognisable as belonging to a 911, but with numerous twists. Apart from the imposing roll cage, there is a fully fledged racing seat with a Sabelt harness. The centre console features two levers for the adjustable sway bars, front and rear. In what would have been the passenger footwell lives a fire extinguisher.

Kazuki clearly has a sense of humour, as to the right of the steering wheel there is a dial for the level of boost. At the top it indicates “Dead” at 1.2 bar, followed by “or” at 1.0 bar and “Alive” at 0.8 bar. 

Still present are the traditional five gauges complementing the small racing steering wheel, also acquired from DP Motorsport, while the software system for the engine is supplied by Motec. Kazuki admits that the ECU tuning must still be sorted and that he hopes to have the car running by the end of this year. Following that, Kazuki would like to take part in selected motorsport events in Japan. 

The future

He also mentions that he would like to continue developing the car, one element being to have the entire body made from carbon-fibre, which will not only make it stronger, but also lighter, as the body panels are currently manufactured from metal, glass-fibre and carbon-fibre. Let’s hope this is not the one and only 935 ML he will produce.