Porsche Teases the 963 RSP, a Roadgoing Endurance Racer
Porsche released a teaser video for a new one-off car called the 963 RSP.
The 963 RSP appears to be based on the 963 endurance race car that has won twice at the 24 Hours of Daytona.
Only one will be built, and we expect it to make its debut ahead of this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans, which starts on June 14.
Last month, Porsche took the time to highlight an obscure vehicle from its past, a special 917 race car from 1975 that was converted from endurance-racing spec for street use. While it wasn't entirely clear why Porsche was bringing attention to this undeniably cool piece of automotive history, a video released at the time hinted that Porsche was cooking up something special. Now we know that Porsche is planning to unveil a one-off version of its current endurance racer, the 963, that could also be road-legal.
In a new teaser video, Porsche revealed the name of this special creation: the Porsche 963 RSP. We're not entirely sure what RSP stands for, as this moniker has never been used in Porsche's illustrious and alphanumeric-filled past. Our friends over at Road & Track pointed out that those letters match the initials of Roger Penske (whose middle name is Seale), the motorsports mogul who owns the team that operates Porsche's factory endurance racing program and has seen massive success in both IMSA and the FIA World Endurance Championship.
In the video, we see Porsche workers handcrafting the 963 RSP, presented in an ASMR-style format. The workers cut and sew upholstery, sand down carbon-fiber body panels, and mix paint. We also see the employees attaching a real Porsche badge to what appears to be the car's hood, an important distinction since the real race car wears the Porsche crest as a sticker to save weight and improve aerodynamics.
Caleb Miller
|
Car and Driver
The Porsche 963 race car in action at the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona.
No details were provided about the 963 RSP, other than the fact that only one will be built. The RSP will likely be closely related to the 963 race car, which has won the 24 Hours of Daytona in back-to-back years with Porsche Penske Motorsport, as well as the IMSA Teams' Championship for the top class in 2024.
The race car features a twin-turbocharged V-8 mated to a seven-speed sequential transmission and a rear-mounted electric motor, and we expect the RSP's powertrain to follow a similar approach. We think the 963 RSP will likely debut ahead of the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans, which kicks off on June 14.
Caleb Miller
Associate News Editor
Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.
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