After developing an evolution version of the 935 Group 5 for 1977, called the 935/2, Porsche started a completely new aerodynamic design for the 1978 works 935. Tested at length in Weissach and Paul Ricard, the 935/78 it was characterized by a very low and profiled bodywork, obviously leaving unchanged the cockpit area, as per Group 5 regulation. The 935/78 was then entered in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Norisring 200 miles and the 6 Hours of Vallelunga. "Moby Dick" ran only with the official Porsche team; in 1981 Reinhold Joest, however, made a similar car, known as 935 / 78-81, starting from original designs of the house, which was used in various championships, in Europe and in the United States. Some American teams such as Andial also copied the 935/78 bodywork to adapt it to more or less modified 935 chassis.