Apple has built its reputation on sleek gadgets, not fast cars. But the man reportedly in line to become the company’s next chief executive has a serious need for speed. John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering and the name most often mentioned as Tim Cook’s eventual successor, is a genuine car enthusiast. And not the kind who just leases a nice SUV. He owns one of the rarest, most powerful Porsches ever built.
Who Is John Ternus
Ternus has spent nearly two decades at Apple, working his way up through the hardware engineering ranks. He has overseen development of the iPad, MacBook, and Apple Watch, and he is widely seen as the leading internal candidate to take over from Cook whenever that transition happens. Inside Apple, he is known as a hands-on engineer who understands the technical side of the business as well as anyone in the room.
Outside of Cupertino, though, Ternus has a different passion. He is a track day regular and an unapologetic Porsche collector, and his garage reportedly includes a car that most enthusiasts will never even see in person, let alone drive.
The Porsche 935: A Modern Homage to a Racing Legend
The car in question is the Porsche 935, a modern reinterpretation of the legendary Group 5 race car from the late 1970s. Porsche built the original 935 to dominate endurance racing, and it did exactly that, becoming one of the most successful and feared race cars of its era. Decades later, Porsche revived the nameplate as a limited-production, track-only special built to celebrate the model’s 40th anniversary.
Only 77 examples of the modern 935 were ever made, based on the 991-generation 911 GT2 RS Clubsport chassis but wrapped in bodywork that pays direct tribute to the Moby Dick-era race cars of the late 1970s. Every unit was hand-assembled by Porsche’s Motorsport division in Weissach, and each one was sold exclusively to collectors handpicked by the company. Getting one wasn’t just about writing a check. Buyers needed a relationship with Porsche and a track record of using their cars the way they were meant to be used.
Under the skin, the 935 uses a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter flat-six borrowed from the GT2 RS Clubsport race car, pushing out around 700 horsepower. Power goes through a sequential racing transmission, and the car rides on a purpose-built motorsport chassis with a carbon fiber body, massive aerodynamic elements, and a full roll cage. It was never meant for public roads. It was built purely to be driven hard on a track, which is exactly what Ternus reportedly does with his.
Putting the Car to Work at Laguna Seca
Owning a car this exotic is one thing. Actually driving it at its limit is another. According to reports, Ternus doesn’t just keep his 935 tucked away in a climate-controlled garage. He takes it to Laguna Seca, one of the most demanding and historic circuits in American motorsport, and has posted lap times under 1 minute 40 seconds.
That is a serious number. Laguna Seca’s famous Corkscrew section alone punishes drivers who don’t have both the car and the confidence to attack it properly. Running sub-1:40 laps in a 700-horsepower, track-only Porsche isn’t something a casual weekend driver stumbles into. It takes real seat time, real car control, and a genuine comfort level with speed that most people, even wealthy car collectors, never develop.
This is what separates Ternus from the stereotype of the executive with a garage full of expensive cars that never leave the driveway. He appears to be an active, committed driver who treats his Porsche 935 the way Porsche intended: as a race car first and a collector’s piece second.
Why This Matters Beyond the Car World
There is something fitting about Apple’s likely next CEO being drawn to a car built entirely around obsessive engineering and precision. The 935 is a machine where every component exists for a specific performance reason, not for comfort or convenience. That mindset mirrors the kind of hardware focus Ternus has brought to Apple’s product lines for years.
It also adds a human, relatable layer to a tech executive who otherwise operates largely behind the scenes. While Tim Cook has been known for his own interests outside of Apple, including cycling and fitness, Ternus’s connection to one of the most extreme road-course machines Porsche has ever built gives car enthusiasts a reason to pay closer attention to Apple’s leadership pipeline.
Whether or not Ternus officially takes the reins at Apple, his ownership of a 935 says a lot about who he is away from the boardroom. It’s not a car bought for status or bragging rights sitting in a private collection. It’s a race car being driven like one, on a track known for punishing anyone who isn’t fully committed behind the wheel.
For car enthusiasts, that detail might end up being more interesting than anything Apple announces next.
