Bisimoto’s Porsche 935: The EV Conversion That Even Petrolheads Have Fallen For

In 1976, Porsche introduced the 935 as the factory racing edition of the 930 generation 911 Turbo. It was one of the most dominant cars in all of motorsport, winning many legendary endurance races including Sebring, Daytona, Nürburgring, and of course, Le Mans in 1979.

Built to comply with FIA Group 5 rules, it was powered by a monstrous twin-turbocharged flat-six that initially developed 560 hp but was tuned to make well over 700 hp in newer versions such as the iconic 935/78 “Moby Dick” or the Kremer Racing 935-K3 that crossed the finish line first on the Circuit de la Sarthe in 1979.

With that in mind, one of these amazing Porsches powered by anything else but the original flat-six might sound like blasphemy to many purists, especially if the roaring unit is swapped with a dead-silent electric powertrain. However, when the result is a gorgeous 935-K3 that can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (0-97 kph) in just 2 seconds without losing its vintage feel, it’s hard not to stand up and applaud.

The man behind this insane project is none other than Bisi Ezerioha, the founder of Bisimoto Engineering, one of the most recognized engine design and tuning houses in the world.

A die-hard petrolhead known for creating automotive unicorns like the 1991 Civic AWD Wagon or the 1,029-hp Odyssey, Bisi wasn’t too enthusiastic about electrified vehicles until he was tasked with building a SEMA show car for Honda in 2010. After tinkering with the hybrid powertrain and creating the 533-hp CR-Z, he got to test the new NSX, becoming increasingly captivated by the potential of electrification. As the years went by, the fast-paced developments of electric powertrains inspired him to start work on another amazing SEMA project.

Unveiled at last year’s edition of the famous show, this unique vehicle started life as a 1984 Porsche 911 SC, so fans of the German brand who were worried that the tuner “ruined” an authentic 935 can breathe a sigh of relief.

Despite not being original, the car was beefed-up with a widebody kit that was conceived using original 935 K3 molds, so except for a few subtle modifications, it looks exactly like the Kremer racecars from the 1980s. It was painted Glasurit Slate Grey metallic by Dreamworks Auto Center and received a daring pink livery with white accents designed by Andy Blackmore.

Sitting on bespoke BM01 Brixton forged turbofan wheels draped in Toyo RR tires, it maintains as much of the original design as possible. Even the custom Raven K3V ARC 9ELEVEN headlights mimic the K3’s original styling but incorporate modern tech such as LED daytime running lights.

When parked, nothing outside or inside this car hints at electric power. The cabin is as retro-inspired as it could get for the casual onlooker, boasting a Momo Prototipo steering wheel and a Quaife shifter mounted in front of the Supercup bucket seats. The only feature that raises suspicion is the AEM Electronics CD5 display on which you’ll find a digital tach with an 18,200 RPM redline.

This astonishing figure is made possible by a liquid-cooled single drive AC three-phase induction motor borrowed from a Tesla Model S that has been tuned to deliver 475kW, the equivalent of about 636 hp. It may not be as powerful as the twin-turbo ICE at the heart of an original 935-K3 and, along with the twelve LG Chem lithium-ion battery cells, it adds weight, but this electric powertrain delivers more than 600 lb-ft (442 Nm) of torque to the rear wheels almost instantaneously. The drive unit incorporates a single-speed transmission, so the Quaife shifter is only used to put the 935 into neutral, reverse, or drive.

The powertrain comes with several modern features found on today’s stock EVs such as traction control or a regenerative braking system but to make it even more extreme Bisi and his team developed a driving mode similar to Tesla’s Ludicrous Plus which can bypass traction control as well as all thermal limitations to provide maximum power.

While the top speed doesn’t exceed 165 mph (265 kph), way less than the legendary racecar it was based on could achieve, it accelerates far more brutally as you can see in the video below. Without the notorious turbo lag of its ancestor, the experience of sprinting with this monster can be described as downright frightening, even for someone accustomed to blistering-fast machines.

These days, there are many interesting EV conversions out there, but few are as insane as this Bisimoto masterpiece. It adds electric power to one of the best racecars Porsche has ever built in a subtle and soulful manner which is hard not to love, even if deep inside, you’re still an old-fashioned petrolhead.