One-Off Porsche 963 RSP Is The Ultimate Roadgoing Racecar

Miami Herald

06-06-2025

It's here, and as expected, the Porsche 963 RSP is a one-off road-going monster based on the automaker's Le Mans Hypercar contender, created for none other than Roger Penske, who nearly became a professional racing driver himself. He and Porsche have enjoyed a long and successful motorsport relationship that stretches back to 1972, and with the pair still working together in endurance racing in 2025, it's only fitting that the man who helped Porsche achieve glory in motorsport is honored with a one-off car like no other. Porschephiles will know that Porsche famously did something similar in 1975, when the Count Rossi 917 was created for one wealthy enthusiast. Just as was the case then, this was no easy feat.
To clear at least some speed bumps, the suspension was raised to its maximum ride height, and the Multimatic DSSV dampers were calibrated to their softest setting. Even so, some images reveal a car that barely clears small obstructions. Then again, we doubt Mr. Penske uses roads with lots of potholes very often. Changes were also made to the lighting and turn signal systems to ensure they're suitable for road use without dazzling or confusing other drivers. But what about the engine, you're asking? Well, the hybrid V8 derived from the 918 Spyder retains its standard race tune (which we suspect means 670 horsepower, per Balance of Performance regulations for the Hypercar class), but the mapping was changed for smoother power delivery. That sounds simple, but Porsche says that getting the powertrain to run on pump gas was "a significant undertaking." Porsche never implies that anything is impossible, but this must have been quite a challenge.
Carbon fiber and Kevlar have similar qualities, but the latter is tougher and far more difficult to tint, so it's rarely used (or, more accurately, seen) in modern hypercars. But in racing cars, aesthetics will always take a back seat to performance and safety. Thus, most racecars are wrapped, not painted, which also allows manufacturers to get away with a rougher finish, since the goal is lightness and strength, not smoothness of surface. For a one-off road car as significant as the 963 RSP, a vinyl finish simply wouldn't do. Giving Porsche's paint specialists a chance to show off (or pull their hair out), the Paint to Sample color Martini Silver was expertly recreated according to records at the Porsche Museum, with a triple-layer lacquer encouraging Mr. Penske to use it on the road as often as possible, as intended. Disappointingly, Porsche has not revealed much of the rear of the car, but the planking/fin between the rear wing was removed to make the 963 look more like the 917.
Inside, a lavish leather upholstery program has been carried out over the otherwise almost unchanged cabin, with the standard race wheel and dash being retained. A cupholder was fitted, and all the foam inserts were rewrapped, while the roof lining and A-pillars were retrimmed in matching light Alcantara, but there's no airbag or infotainment system. That's because, as a one-off, this received special approval from the government in France, where the 24 Hours of Le Mans is held and where the 917 Count Rossi lived. Other nods to the 917 Count Rossi include old-school Michelin logos on the tire walls, a Porsche enamel badge rather than a graphic, end plates for the ventilation system that mimic the fan atop the 917's flat-12 engine, and a bespoke toolset, as one would have expected in the gritty days of roadgoing endurance racers. We have no word on total cost, but the Le Mans racer it's based on starts at $2.9 million...
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