1-of-1 Porsche 963 RSP Breaks Cowl As A Tribute To Penske Forward Of Le Mans 2025

Porsche has as soon as once more redefined what it means to convey a race automotive to the street, and in case you’ve been following our earlier reporting, you’ll keep in mind that we anticipated this: a modern-day homage to Roger Penske and the enduring street-driven Porsche 917 commissioned by Rely Rossi within the Nineteen Seventies. At the moment, that imaginative and prescient involves life as a 1-of-1 Porsche 963 RSP, making its debut on public roads close to Le Mans, France, operating alongside the 917 that impressed it.

The 963 RSP, the place the ‘P’ refers to Roger S Penske, is a wild Sonderwunsch creation, born from the DNA of Porsche’s Le Mans-conquering 963 Hypercar. It shares the race-winning spine with the racecar, however wears a novel 917-inspired bodywork, exterior shade, and a bespoke cabin with classic 70s-style touches. On the wheel throughout its first public outing was none aside from three-time Le Mans winner Timo Bernhard. 

“We’ve loved a terrific relationship with Porsche relationship again to 1972. The Porsche 917/30, particularly, was one of many biggest eras in Group Penske’s historical past, with quite a few wins and championships. With such a exceptional partnership persevering with to at the present time, we felt it was time to create essentially the most thrilling automotive we may think about. Similar to the 917, I wished this automotive to be genuine to its origin and have as few modifications to it as attainable. After we obtained into the mission, the variations within the two generations of race automobiles supplied a terrific problem. What emerged is a automotive that has misplaced none of its edge and is thrilling whether or not on the observe or on the street.” – Roger S Penske

The origins of this particular automotive return to a trackside dialog at Street Atlanta between Porsche’s Timo Resch, Thomas Laudenback, and Urs Kratel. What started as a “What if?” ultimately grew to become a full-fledged ardour mission that took form with the likes of Porsche AG, Porsche Penske Motorsport, and Porsche Vehicles North America collaborating on the mission. 

Exterior highlights embody the Martini Silver paint, impressed by Rely Rossi’s unique 917, the black-silver livery wraps that subtly reworked carbon-fiber/kevlar bodywork, enclosed fender vents, and a clear rear wing sans the blanking plates required from racing, with a classic enamel Porsche crest on the nostril.

As a result of this can be a observe automotive for the street, the transformation on the inside is much more dramatic, with luxurious and on a regular basis creature comforts making their method into this in any other case sporty cockpit.  There’s a superb dose of tan leather-based and Alcantara, a cup holder (you learn that proper), a retrimmed steering wheel, a customized stowage panel for a Peltor headset, and a Laptop computer. Even Roger Penske’s customized helmet has an identical Martini Silver end. 

Mechanically, the Hybrid V8 stays true to its racing roots and relies on the 918 Spyder’s 4.6-liter engine that produces 680 horsepower, with modified hybrid management mapping calibrated for street use. The powertrain management unit was reprogrammed to permit smoother supply and run on pump fuel, a vital tweak for non-track circumstances. Different modifications embody an elevated trip top to its max setting, Multimatic DSSV dampers dialed to the softest setting, and reprogrammed lights and switch alerts. Michelin rain-spec tires wrapped round 18-inch cast OZ wheels, a horn, and license plates imply that this automotive is road-legal in France, with the blessing of the French authorities and the Vehicle Membership de l’Ouest (ACO), which runs the 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

The Porsche 963 RSP will probably be displayed in the course of the upcoming Le Mans weekend earlier than heading to the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart and the Goodwood Pageant of Velocity in July. 

Porsche 963 RSP Specs

Supply: Porsche