After nearly two decades of ownership, this Porsche 911 Carrera in 934 outfit has finally hit the streets with a set of license plates.
Yuki Matsumoto purchased the car in 2006 as a standard 1986 930 3.2L Carrera with wide arches, a whale tail and an aftermarket front bumper. Painted in a color reminiscent of Porsche Viola Metallic, the Turbo lookalike was a pristine, street-legal 911, with comfortable seats and clean carpets. But that state of perfection didn’t last long.
I met up with Yuki-san for a ride with friends to see how far the car had come. Yamanouchi’s yellow RSR tribute – one of the first cars I presented in Japan – made me feel quite sentimental. Hidaka-san’s Pork A L’Orange looked as stunning as ever.
The shop where Yuki-san bought the car also organized track days at the Tsukuba Circuit, which gave him a perfect opportunity to test his purchase. After a few laps it was clear that the car needed serious adjustments.
First, Yuki-san ditched the air conditioning system, which helped him lose about 30 pounds. This led to all other unnecessary interior components – such as the rear seat and door cards – being discarded as well. Before Yuki-san could say ‘Ferdinand Porsche’, the car was completely stripped and locked away – Phase 1 completely.
From 2006 to 2018, the car served as a track toy before undergoing its first major transformation: a fresh coat of white paint, a stripped-down interior and new Sunburst bumpers, complemented by a 935-style wing and fabricated 934 fender flares. by Matsumoto Shokai. Challenge Racing in Saitama handled and completed all the bodywork Phase 2.
After 15 years of Idlers Club events in Tsukuba, Yuki-san’s 930 wore its battle scars with pride. The front end was littered with bits of rock, the headlights were battered – one was held together with gaffer tape – and the bumper was splattered with remnants of tire rubber from years of chasing friends around the track. It was time for Phase 3.
During this trip, Yuki-san had only enjoyed his 930 on the race track. That’s all well and good, but it meant he only got half the fun out of the car.
In 2021, Yuki-san brought the car back to Challenge Racing for the final transformation. He could have chosen a slanted nose 935 in Martini livery or a tribute to the Le Mans-winning 1979 Kremer 935 to pay tribute to, but a more feasible tribute loomed closer to reality: the 934.
Based on the 930 Turbo and homologated for Group 4 GT racing, the 934 was on a different level mechanically, but shared enough bodywork similarities with Yuki-san’s car to make the decision an easy one.
The 934 was one of the first Porsches to wear the iconic Jägermeister livery, as did its successor, the formidable 935. The 934 used a factory 930 wing instead of the 935-style wing on Yuki-san’s car, so it was never meant to be this way. An exactly replica.
Lift the huge ventilated tailgate and you’ll see a 3.6-litre Varioram engine mated to a 915 transmission from a 993. The car weighs just 930kg, which, with the updated engine, equates to 300bhp per tonne . Converting to a twin-turbo setup like the 934 would necessitate an upgrade to a G50 transmission, which would mean a chassis overhaul. It is a step that Yuki-san is reluctant to take for now. Maybe there will be one Phase 4…
The transition from naturally aspirated to turbo also makes it more difficult to get the car street legal in Japan. After nearly twenty years on the circuit, Yuki-san decided it was time to enjoy his creation on both circuits And outside the circuit. And who can blame him?
With friends like Yamanouchi-san and Hidaka-san, both of whom have incredible racing-inspired builds with license plates, I wonder if Yuki-san might have felt a little left out.
Of course, driving a track car on the road comes with compromises. Some aspects of race cars would be hell to live with on public roads, and others would make it impossible to register the car. Some may argue that a race car should not sacrifice anything for performance, but I believe the world is not black and white.
There are many ways to enjoy cars, not just in the extreme. After all, we are not talking about a professional competition vehicle here; we celebrate the joy of creating something that fits your life and budget. Something you can enjoy with your friends on the track and that you can also use on nighttime city cruises.
If you can build something even fractionally as cool as Yuki-san’s 934-inspired Jägermeister homage and take it for a spin on the street, then I commend you. This is what car culture is all about.
Toby Thyer
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