Porsche Reveals One-Off, Road-Going 963 RSP

Porsche has revealed a one-off, road-going version of its championship-winning LMDh car, named the 963 RSP.

Unveiled on Friday ahead of next week’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, where the car will be on display, the 963 RSP is a substantially modified version of the Multimatic-chassised LMDh car commemorating the 50th anniversary of the commission of a road legal version of the 917 that won back-to-back editions of the French endurance classic in 1970 and 1971.

The ‘RSP’ in the car’s name stands for Roger Searle Penske, with the car named after and created for the 88-year-old former racer and team owner that heads up the organisation that forms part of the Porsche Penske Motorsport team.

The car made its debut as part of a promotional run on public roads near the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, with two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Timo Bernhard at the wheel.

According to Porsche, the project came through a collaboration between Porsche, Porsche Penske Motorsport and Porsche Cars North America (PCNA).

The concept originated during a meeting between PCNA president and CEO Timo Resch, Porsche Motorsport vice president Thomas Laudenbach and Porsche Penske Motorsport LMDh factory director Urs Kuratle held at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

The trio then presented the idea to both Penske and Porsche Penske Motorsport managing director Jonathan Diuguid, after which the project was developed further and Penske was nominated as the customer for the car.

“This really started out as a “what if?” – a passion project by a small team of enthusiasts at Penske and at Porsche who together imagined a version of the 963 that really resembled as closely as possible the spirit and appearance of the Count Rossi 917,” said Resch.

“The 917 from the story was every inch a race car – albeit one driven on the road – and we took the same approach with the 963 RSP. It uses beautiful materials of the best quality available, but is still every bit a race car underneath.”

In order to make the 963 suitable for road use, the car required extensive modifications, but with the goal to produce a car that was as close a homage to the original road-legal 917 as possible.

As a result, the car is the first 963 to have been painted rather than wrapped, with the paint-to-sample ‘Martini Silver’ color verified from records held by the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart and applied with a triple-layer lacquer.

Minor components, such as hinges and wing connectors, are finished in satin black, while a 3D-printed ‘963 RSP’ badge was applied to the rear.

Further bodywork modifications include the creation of unique fender vents, the removal of carbon fiber wing blanking plates required for the race car, as well as the addition of an enamel Porsche badge on the nose and mounting points for the front and rear license plates.

The interior, meanwhile, received a significant overhaul with a mix of tan leather and alcantara applied throughout the cockpit, including on the seat, leg cushions, roof lining, pillars and steering wheel.

As a bespoke touch, engineers have added a detachable, 3D-printed cup holder.

Finally, a number of mechanical modifications needed to be made to ensure the 963 RSP would be capable of taking on public roads.

The ride height was raised to its maximum available setting, while the adjustable Multimatic DSSV were set to their softest setting in order to create a more compliant ride.

Engineers also modified the control unit to allow the car to operate turn signals and allow the headlights to be adjusted for road use.

These changes along with modified bodywork to cover the wheel arches, the use of Michelin wet weather compound tires and the fitment of a horn, ensured the car meets the necessary criteria to be allowed to drive on the road and wear license plates.

When it comes to the powertrain, the power delivery from the MGU has been remapped to provide smooth delivery more appropriate for road use. Remapping was also required for the power train to be able to run on pump gas, which has been described as a “significant undertaking.”

The car will be on display at the Circuit de La Sarthe during the Le Mans event before returning to the Porsche Museum. It is set to appear at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July, alongside the 917 that inspired it.

Porsche has noted that, while the 963 RSP has been approved for road usage, the car is not a homologated addition to its model line-up and is intended to remain a one-off.