Back when the world was normal, I visited Miami and attended the Das Renn Treffen show for the second year in a row. The city is always a treat because the people there are some of the most hospitable you’ll ever meet—they love to show you the culture of what makes Miami, well, Miami.
Enter RMC Miami. The boys here are car lovers to the highest level—they live and breathe outlaw, highly modified beasts from all over the globe. Inside its showroom, you will find goodies from the ’80s and ’90s. Basically, all the cars you dreamt about during childhood. However, talking about all of those cars would take forever, so today, we will talk about a particular vehicle: this legendary DP Motorsport 935.
If you don’t know anything about DP Motorsport, the founder, Ekkehard Zimmermann, built nearly 30 racecars for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Highly modified Porsche 911s from the mid-’70s molded to be nothing but badass, which led to its field domination. These cars were built for speed and had the formulation of significant power, lightweight chassis, and aerodynamics to assist in high-speed racing and, ultimately, winning many titles.
This particular 1989 935 DPII is powered by a twin-turbo 3.3-liter flat-six engine rated at 450 horsepower at 5,900 rpm. Records show that the DP had a 0-60 mph time of 4.2-seconds with a top speed of 183.3 mph, which was a huge deal during the late-’80s. Even after three decades, this DP holds its own in terms of looks and performance.
Of course, having loads of power is one thing, but to couple that with a lightweight setup leads to exceptional conditions for speed. This DPII 935 was fitted with a carbon-Kevlar body, which reduced its body weight considerably and is of the same design used on the Le Mans-winning 935 K3. Part of the reason why the DP was able to reach such high speeds was a result of the aerodynamic modifications; in this rare case, only four of these cars were built with an extended windshield to aid in achieving those performances. The design allowed for ultra-low wind resistance combined with aerodynamic downforce. An additional instrument unique to this DP was the Dial of Death that manually controlled the turbochargers’ boost levels on-demand.
From personal experience, I can attest to the DP’s capabilities on the street and how lovely the feels of boost are. You can feel the effortlessness of the DP cutting wind drag as it continues to build speed. There was much head-nodding as I sat there in the passenger seat with an ear-to-ear grin. You can’t help but perceive the energy for which the car was purposely built.
When we pulled into a very well-known spot where the RMC guys usually shoot their cars for their listings, I had an overwhelming feeling of joy as I was able to experience a day in the life of my extended Miami family. A warm but breezy day really reminded me of a late spring day in California. As many of you know, summer in Miami is extremely uncomfortable, especially if you aren’t a local and aren’t used to the heat and humidity.
I had the DP lined up in the middle of the street, and we witnessed many men drive by with a 90-degree neck twist, drooling over the sight of this raced-out Porsche. One of the things you notice right off the bat is the beautifully-sloped front end. The silver stripes lead you to the side of the vehicle, where you notice the Group C three-piece magnesium BBS wheels that measure 15×9-inch and 15×13-inch with the turbofans. Lowered on Bilstein and H&R products, the DP rides low and demands your respect. Match that up with a four-piston brake system from the 930, and you have a historic piece of racing history ready to turn it up on the Miami streets.
As our shoot wound down, I tried to squeeze in one more location to give another perspective on the DP. There was a parking structure down the street, and we headed in there to give it a bit of a lifestyle effect, as if someone commuted this beast to work on a random Tuesday, just bringing a bit of normal to something that is beyond all things normal. I hope that I was able to humanize it just a bit so that it really brings this legend into a scope of reality, as many of you will never see something of this magnitude on the streets or at your local cars and coffee.
It’s not every day you get to photograph a piece of automotive history in a place you aren’t too familiar with on a week that is packed with car events. It’s a surreal feeling, knowing that I got to capture memories of such an icon with my RMC family, but while you are in Rome, you got to get all you can.
[table id=31 /]