Porsche Just Unveiled a New One-of-a-Kind Hypercar for the Road
Porsche won Le Mans in 1970 with its now-legendary 917, and a road-going version of which later emerged in 1975 known as the Count Rossi 917. On Friday, the marque unveiled a road-going version of the 963 Hypercar that will race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans next week, inspired by the Count Rossi 917 from decades ago.
The 963 RSP, as it is called, was made in partnership with racing legend Roger Penske and Porsche Penske Motorsport, the team running at Le Mans next week. Roger Penske's initials, in fact, complete the name of the 963 RSP, which comes with a coat of exterior paint, unlike the competition 963s. Porsche said the act of painting the car itself was a bit of an ask, because of all the carbon fiber and Kevlar components. The color is called Martini Silver, like the Count Rossi 917; inside, there is tan leather and Alcantara, which is similar to the Count Rossi 917.
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Porsche took the 963 RSP out for a spin on roads outside of Le Mans, and that involved changing the specs from the competition cars as well, including lifting the car a little bit and changing the electronics that control the headlights and taillights. Porsche had to fully cover the wheels and install a horn as well. Even after that, Porsche still needed to get 'special permission' from the French to drive the car on French roads and get a license plate.
Timo Bernhard, a former 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, drove the 963 RSP for its first miles. He said it was more comfortable to drive without having to wear layers of racing gear.
'Driving down a public road with a 917 beside me—it felt unreal,' Bernhard said in a statement. 'The car behaved perfectly—it felt a little friendlier and more forgiving than the normal 963—and felt super special and a lot more comfortable, especially as I was not needing all my safety gear.'
The 963 RSP is powered by a hybrid V-8 setup, which Porsche says is the same as the race car powertrain but has been modified to accept fuel from standard gas pumps. The 4.6-liter engine makes 680 horsepower.
As a one-off commissioned and created for Penske, Porsche did not reveal a price, though it's safe to say it cost more than a Cayman.Best of Robb Report
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Miami Herald
13 hours ago
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One-Off Porsche 963 RSP Is The Ultimate Roadgoing Racecar
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... Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
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Porsche Just Unveiled a New One-of-a-Kind Hypercar for the Road
Porsche won Le Mans in 1970 with its now-legendary 917, and a road-going version of which later emerged in 1975 known as the Count Rossi 917. On Friday, the marque unveiled a road-going version of the 963 Hypercar that will race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans next week, inspired by the Count Rossi 917 from decades ago. The 963 RSP, as it is called, was made in partnership with racing legend Roger Penske and Porsche Penske Motorsport, the team running at Le Mans next week. Roger Penske's initials, in fact, complete the name of the 963 RSP, which comes with a coat of exterior paint, unlike the competition 963s. Porsche said the act of painting the car itself was a bit of an ask, because of all the carbon fiber and Kevlar components. The color is called Martini Silver, like the Count Rossi 917; inside, there is tan leather and Alcantara, which is similar to the Count Rossi 917. More from Robb Report Knickers, Amish Vests, and Rare Buttons: Painter Jamie Wyeth on How His Art Influences His Personal Style These Personal Subs Can Now Be Rented by the Week Anyone? Anyone? Ferris Bueller's Famous Sweater Vest Is Up for Grabs This Summer Porsche took the 963 RSP out for a spin on roads outside of Le Mans, and that involved changing the specs from the competition cars as well, including lifting the car a little bit and changing the electronics that control the headlights and taillights. Porsche had to fully cover the wheels and install a horn as well. Even after that, Porsche still needed to get 'special permission' from the French to drive the car on French roads and get a license plate. Timo Bernhard, a former 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, drove the 963 RSP for its first miles. He said it was more comfortable to drive without having to wear layers of racing gear. 'Driving down a public road with a 917 beside me—it felt unreal,' Bernhard said in a statement. 'The car behaved perfectly—it felt a little friendlier and more forgiving than the normal 963—and felt super special and a lot more comfortable, especially as I was not needing all my safety gear.' The 963 RSP is powered by a hybrid V-8 setup, which Porsche says is the same as the race car powertrain but has been modified to accept fuel from standard gas pumps. The 4.6-liter engine makes 680 horsepower. As a one-off commissioned and created for Penske, Porsche did not reveal a price, though it's safe to say it cost more than a of Robb Report The 2024 Chevy C8 Corvette: Everything We Know About the Powerful Mid-Engine Beast The World's Best Superyacht Shipyards The ABCs of Chartering a Yacht Click here to read the full article.
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16 hours ago
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