One to Buy: ex-Walter Wolf 1980 Kremer K3 Le Mans
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At the 1979 Le Mans 24 Hours, victory went to a production-based car as opposed to a purpose-built prototype for the first time in the post World War 2 era. That vehicle was a works Kremer K3 derived from Porsche’s fabled 935, one of ten new copies built by the famed Cologne outfit while a further ten were converted from existing cars.
Of these, just one K3 was commissioned for road use: chassis 000 00018, which is currently residing at the Mechatronik showroom in Pleidelsheim, Germany.
Assembled from a bare bodyshell delivered to Kremer direct from Porsche, chassis 000 00018 was ordered during mid 1979 by F1 team owner, Walter Wolf.
In addition to his Formula 1 exploits, oil magnate Wolf had become well known for an array of uniquely configured Lamborghinis delivered between 1974 and ‘78. Prior to the K3, Wolf had also taken delivery of a Kremer 935 Street – but this latest machine, dubbed the K3 Le Mans, was on another level altogether.
Famously described by Erwin Kremer as “98% K3 and 2% 911 Turbo”, Wolf’s 740bhp twin turbocharged monster was only slightly de-tuned for road use, coming with niceties such as a silenced exhaust, softer dampers and a little extra ground clearance.
Inside, most of the fixtures and fittings were imported from the contemporary 911. Special equipment included a leather-rimmed three-spoke Personal steering, Recaro seats and Willans harnesses. The dark blue upholstery and red piping matched a Kevlar exterior finished in Wolf’s signature Navy Blue with red and gold highlights. After taking delivery, Wolf had the original audio system uprated to an elaborate 16-speaker set up by Car+Driver in Hamburg.
Walter Wolf retained chassis 000 00018 until 1987, at which point the car was sold to Swiss collector, Angelo Pallavacini, who kept it until the mid-2010s. At this point the car came into the possession of Mechatronik where it remained stored for another decade as part of the firm’s in-house collection.
During the summer of 2024, Mechatronik decided to restore the K3 to running order. The car was dispatched to Kremer Racing who carried out an extensive mechanical recommissioning over a period of two years at a cost of €150,000.
Upon completion in May 2026, the Mechatronik team undertook a three-day road trip from Pleidelsheim to Lake Como where 000 00018 was presented at the Fuori Concorso. Today this one-off Porsche icon is showing a little over 10,250km.
