Porsche has developed a road-legal version of its successful 963 endurance race car, reviving the legacy of a road-going Le Mans icon it created 50 years ago.
The 963 RSP draws direct inspiration from the road-legal variant of the legendary Porsche 917, built in 1975 for Italian aristocrat Count Gregorio Rossi di Montelera. Much like that car, which still features at events such as the Festival of Speed and Villa d’Este, the road-legal 963 is nearly identical in technical specification to its racing counterpart that will compete at Le Mans next week.
Porsche’s LMDh hypercar competes in the World Endurance Championship alongside rivals like the Ferrari 499, Alpine A424, and BMW M Hybrid V8. It is based on an LMP2-spec chassis supplied by Canadian firm Multimatic. Its powerful 671bhp hybrid powertrain centers on a 4.6-litre twin-turbo V8, evolved from the engine used in the Porsche 918 Spyder hypercar.
While Porsche has not officially released performance figures, the 963 race car’s estimated 0-62mph time is around 3.0 seconds, with a top speed exceeding 205mph. This suggests the 963 RSP will rank among the fastest Porsches ever made road-legal.
In addition to racing in the WEC, the 963 also regularly competes at the front of the IMSA Sportscar Championship in the US. Porsche’s motorsport partner Penske runs these entries, and the road-legal model was commissioned by Roger Penske himself, inspiring the ‘RSP’ suffix.
Unlike previous road-legal race cars adapted after competition, the 963 RSP was purpose-built for public roads by Porsche’s US Sonderwunsch bespoke division in Atlanta. It has already proven capable by driving on public roads near Le Mans ahead of the upcoming 24-hour race.
To meet road regulations, Porsche added features such as indicators, brake lights, and raised the suspension to its highest setting. The car runs on less aggressive wet-weather tyres and some track-oriented aerodynamic elements were refined—vent openings on the front wings were sealed to prevent debris from hitting the windshield. A cupholder was also installed, replacing the race car’s button-controlled hydration system.
Sonderwunsch closely matched the car’s styling to Rossi’s original 917, including a tan leather interior and ‘Martini’ silver paint. The paintwork was particularly challenging due to the 963’s fully carbon-fibre body.
Despite being road-legal in select countries, the 963 RSP requires a laptop to start, unlike the traditional ignition key of the original 917.
Porsche plans to reveal the 963 RSP during Le Mans week at La Sarthe before bringing it to the UK for the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July.
Autocar understands the bespoke car cost around €5 million. For now, it is a one-off, though Porsche has not ruled out producing further examples if there is demand.
