We’ve all had that thought while watching motorsport: this would make a really cool road car. Well, if you are close to Porsche management (and extremely loaded) your thoughts result in a wild reality. That’s what happened 50 years ago when a French fan asked Porsche to turn its famous 917 racer into a road car. The same has taken place now with the creation of the Porsche 963 RSP. Today’s creation was imagined by and made for Roger Searle Penske. Penske’s firm is responsible for the Porsche factory-supported IMSA and WEC sports prototype program, so he seemed like an ideal candidate for this special car.

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We have enjoyed a terrific relationship with Porsche dating back to 1972. The Porsche 917/30, in particular, was one of the greatest eras in Team Penske history with numerous wins and championships, along with the closed-course speed record set by Mark Donohue in 1975. With such a remarkable partnership continuing to this day, we felt it was time to create the most exciting car we could imagine. Just like the 917, I wanted this car to be authentic to its origin and have as few changes to it as possible. When we got into the project, the differences in the two generations of racecars provided a great challenge. What emerged is a car that has lost none of its edge and is exciting whether on the track or on the road
– said Roger Penske, chairman of the Penske Corporation.

Looking Back

This one-off creation was shown today in France as a run up to the 24 Hours of Le Mans where Penske will field three Porsche 963s. The Porsche 963 RSP takes many of its cues from the older one-off creation (as pictured in the gallery). The endurance racer has been painted in silver with black details. Furthermore the cabin takes full inspiration from the 917 in terms of colours and materials. Naturally, there were several changes that needed to be made for the car to be able to used on the road.

The ride height of the car was raised to its maximum available setting to accommodate road use, while the adjustable dampers designed for racing prototypes are in their softest setting to create a more compliant ride. In addition, the control unit was modified to allow the car to operate turn signals and allow the headlights to be adjusted for road.

The greatest departure from the 963 race car occurs inside the 963 RSP. A handcrafted and completely bespoke interior features a mix of soft tan leather and Alcantara. There is a single piece carbon-fibre seat trimmed in leather with cushioning placed down the center and a fixed headrest mounted on the carbon-fibre bulkhead. The seats are air conditioned (as as the racecars). The leg cushions in the footwell as well as the roof lining and pillars have been retrimmed in light Alcantara while the steering wheel has been finished in leather.

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Powerplant

The 963 is powered by a 4,6-litre twin-turbocharged V8 making up to approximately 500 kW. This power output is mandated by the World Endurance Championship. As with the racecar the road car also features a Bosch hybrid system. The hybrid V8 powertrain – capable of being run on electrical power only – remains in standard race tune in the 963 RSP. However, the power delivery from the MGU has been remapped to provide smooth delivery. The powertrain was also re-mapped to be capable of running on pump gas.