For years, the difference between road car and race car was a bit more nebulous than it is now.
Especially at places like Le Mans, it wasn’t until the 1960s that the paths for road cars and top-flight prototypes started to diverge.
Which is precisely why the Porsche 963 RSP is so remarkable.
Porsche Motorsport in Germany prepared a new chassis for the 963 RSP—this is not a reused tub from a race car.
Porsche 963 RSP The 963 RSP sits on the same Michelin treaded rain tires the race cars use in inclement conditions, and they’re wrapped around 18-inch OZ wheels.
The distinction between a race car and a road car was less clear for many years than it is today. It was not until the 1960s that the roads for road cars and top-flight prototypes began to diverge, particularly at events like Le Mans. Now, the items you see at the sharp end of the La Sarthe grid resemble Formula 1 cars more than, say, 911s.
That’s why the Porsche 963 RSP is so amazing. This is a genuine 963 LMDh vehicle with French license plates that has been subdued just enough for on-road use. We had conversations with people who made wild ideas a reality.
Photographer: Porsche.
A group of Porsche employees met at the IMSA season-ending Petit Le Mans last year to discuss ways to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary of developing a roadgoing 917. For Count Rossi, the heir to the Martini and Rossi liquor fortune, Porsche built the vehicle. Even with a completely customized interior, Rossi’s was a road racer that won Le Mans. On the street, the Italian actually enjoyed the car and was able to obtain a license plate from the state of Alabama, of all places.
The very particular day that a couple of people sat down and brainstormed was October 12. In a virtual media roundtable, Timo Resch, CEO of Porsche Cars North America, asks, “How could we reimagine such a story as of today?”. We also began working on a project that day with very few participants. “”.
They developed what is known in Germany as a submarine project—one that would have as few personnel as possible, living below the surface and only coming to the surface when it was absolutely necessary.
It was soon determined that the team could not produce a fully road-homologated version of the 963. Porsche would need to completely change the vehicle in order to get it homologated because it is simply too dissimilar from the standards of street cars. Rather, Porsche would design a unique vehicle that most closely resembled the race car and could receive special permission for extremely restricted road use.
Photographer: Porsche.
To make the car a reality, Porsche would obviously need to collaborate with Porsche Penske Motorsport, and the group determined that Roger would be the ideal owner. The initials of the captain, Roger Searle Penske, are the basis for the name RSP.
The 963 RSP’s chassis was created by Porsche Motorsport in Germany; it is not a race car’s repurposed tub. The design work was done by Porsche Exclusiv Manufaktur under designer Grant Larson, but the car was actually assembled at Porsche Cars North America’s Atlanta, Georgia, headquarters. To keep the other technicians in the dark, it was being worked on there behind makeshift walls.
Porsche Penske Motorsport managing director Jonathan Diuguid says, “Many suspension and system changes have been made to make it more tame and more like a road car, but still keep the pedigree of the 963 race car.”. Furthermore, the Atlanta restoration team has managed to present a level of quality that is completely out of step with the race car. “.”.
To say that the race cars aren’t Penske Perfect isn’t accurate. However, their body panels made of carbon fiber have a rough finish and are only covered in vinyl. The carbon fiber bodywork was sanded down and painted in the same Martini Silver as the Count Rossi 917 by PCNA artisans. Along with other homages to road usability, they also trimmed the interior in Alcantara to match the 917’s tan. In addition to a detachable cup holder that is 3D printed, the steering-wheel grips are leather.
Porsche took the picture.
Some changes have also been made to the bodywork. According to racing regulations, the car must have large vents above the wheel wells to avoid being blown over during a spin. Porsche designed the RSP with pieces that fill in gaps while retaining some airflow. Additionally, front and rear license plates required modifications from the team.
No matter how polite it is, this is still a 963. A 4P6-liter V-8 twin-turbo engine is mated to a spec hybrid system that includes an XTrac seven-speed sequential transmission, Bosch power electronics, and an electric motor. Fortescue Zero’s 800-volt lithium ion battery is a compact device that attaches to the carbon-fiber tub from below.
The Porsche 918 Spyder hypercar, which, in turn, was an evolution of the RS Spyder LMP2 vehicle of the 2000s, is the engine’s ancestor. Since it shares roughly 80% of its parts with the 918 Spyder’s engine, it wasn’t as hard to modify for road use as it might have been with a custom racing engine. However, the V-8’s conversion to pump gas posed a considerable calibration difficulty.
Additionally, Porsche Penske Motorsport improved the hybrid system’s deployment to make it more seamless and appropriate for street driving at low speeds. Porsche does not provide a power estimate for the 963 RSP, but the race car can produce about 700 horsepower, which can be divided between the V-8 and the hybrid system based on performance balance.
The Porsche 963 RSP.
Wrapped around 18-inch OZ wheels, the 963 RSP is supported by the same Michelin-tread rain tires that race cars use in bad weather. In order to make the car roadworthy, Porsche adjusted the ride height as high as possible and set the dampers to their lowest possible settings, though it is still expected that the ride will be somewhat firm. The 963 RSP does indeed have a horn and turn signals.
Notably, the 917 is powered by a key that has been drilled out to reduce weight. It is a little more difficult to start the 963; you need a laptop and the help of a race team that is familiar with the vehicle. Penske will therefore need to plan ahead if he wishes to exercise the vehicle, but since he owns a racetrack and a race team, as Porsche notes, it won’t be too hard to use the 963 RSP.
The license plates the car wears are for automakers testing prototypes, and Porsche has special permission from French authorities to drive the vehicle on the roads surrounding Le Mans. Earlier today, Timo Bernhard, a longtime Porsche employee and current brand ambassador, drove the vehicle on the roads close to the circuit alongside the Rossi 917. In a statement, he said, “I will never forget that experience at all.”. It seemed unreal to be driving on a public road while a 917 was next to me. The car was very special and much more comfortable, especially since I didn’t need all of my safety equipment. It also behaved flawlessly, feeling a little friendlier and more forgiving than the typical 963. “”.
It will be some time before Penske can drive the car home. It will be displayed at the Porsche Museum after Le Mans. Porsche intends to run it up the hillclimb at the Goodwood Festival of Speed the following month. Following that, the vehicle will travel to California for Monterey Car Week in August, where it will be given to the captain for the last time and go on additional road trips.
Although Porsche doesn’t currently have any specific plans for another roadgoing 963, that doesn’t mean it won’t produce one in the future. The head of the Porsche LMDh project, Urs Kuratle, states, “Of course, given the nature of the project, we will not build exactly the same car again. However, as I have said before, never say never.”. Porsche prefers to sell cars first, so if there’s a chance to do so again later, why not? However, nothing is planned at this time. “.”.
Get in contact if you’re interested in one and have a lot of money to spend.
