Porsche 963 RSP: Le Mans race car turned into road-going hypercar
Unveiled ahead of this week's 24 Hours of Le Mans, the new 963 RSP is based on the 963 race car that competes in the FIA's World Endurance Championship –of which Le Mans is one of eight races — and the IMSA SportsCar Championship, which includes the 24 Hours of Daytona.
The new 963 RSP is so named because it was built, nominally, for Roger Searle Penske, owner of many racing teams, the IndyCar racing series, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Porsche Penske Motorsports runs the factory team racing the 963.
Through his eponymous corporation he also his hands in car dealerships, automotive engineering, trucking, and logistics.
According to Porsche, the RSP is inspired by the Count Rossi 917 (pictured below), a race car from the 70s that was turned into a road-going vehicle, and remains on French roads to this day.
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The team working on turning the 963 race car into the RSP decided early on to follow the Count Rossi 917 template, and make as few changes as possible.
This, no doubt, reduced development time and cost significantly, but also means the RSP is not homologated, and is limited to road use under 'special circumstances'. For its debut on the streets near Circuit de la Sarthe, where the Le Mans 24 Hour race is held, it wore manufacturer plates.
To that end the head- and tail-lights have been reprogrammed, while a horn and licence plate brackets have been added to the car. The most significant changes to the 963's exterior are the addition of fully covered wheel arches, and the removal of the blanking plates for the rear wing.
An enamel Porsche badge has been added to the front, while 70s-era Michelin logos are used for the rain-spec 18-inch race tyres that are wrapped around forged OZ racing wheels.
Painting the 963 RSP in Martini Silver was problematic due to the car's Kevlar and carbon-fibre body. Some smaller body parts, such as the hinges and wing connectors, are finished in satin black.
For the interior, the single-piece air-conditioned carbon seat is trimmed in leather. It is made more comfortable with a cushion down the middle and a fixed headrest fitted to the rear bulkhead.
Leather is also used for the steering wheel, while faux suede is applied to the headlining, leg cushions and door trim. A 3D-printed cup holder has been added to the middle of the dashboard.
As real-world roads aren't race track smooth, the RSP sits on the 963's tallest suspension setting, and the race-going Multimatic DSSV dampers are set to their most absorbent.
Powering the RSP is a hybrid system with a 4.6-litre twin-turbo V8 at its core, a 1.35kWh battery, 800V electrical system, and an electric motor that can deliver up to 50kW in short bursts.
The drivetrain is in race-spec trim, and overall output is limited to the V8's maximum output of around 507kW (680hp). When the electric motor operates in tandem with the petrol engine, the V8's power is clipped so the maximum output of the drivetrain is maintained.
Under light loads, the 963 can operate solely on electric power. Given the RSP will live most of its life driving at a moderate pace, the electric motor has been remapped to prioritise smooth power delivery. The V8 engine has also been retuned to live on lower-octane road-going petrol.
After swanning around at Le Mans, the 963 RSP will head off to the Porsche museum in Stuttgart, and then make an appearance at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed.
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