Latest news with #Porsche963RSP
News.com.au
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- News.com.au
Porsche 963 RSP will make millionaires beg
Like toddlers all clamouring for the same toy, Porsche is expecting to be flooded with calls from billionaire car collectors from around the world after revealing its latest one-of-a-kind creation. The Porsche 963 RSP is a road-legal (although, they use that term loosely) version of the brand's prototype racing sports car that will compete at next week's Le Mans 24 Hours. It was built and named for Roger Searle Penske, the billionaire businessman and race team owner who oversees Porsche's on-track activities; as well as running successful NASCAR and IndyCar teams. The 963 RSP project was inspired by a one-off road-legal version of Porsche's iconic 917 race car that it built in 1975 for Gregorio Rossi di Montelera, the heir to the Martini & Rossi company. But whereas that car was built specifically for 'Count Rossi' this new race-car-for-the-road began as a top secret project and found its obvious owner once the multimillion-dollar project was underway. Timo Resch, President and chief executive of Porsche Cars North America, oversaw the project with the car being built both in Germany and the USA, with influence from the factory racing department and Porsche Penske Motorsport personnel. 'I think it's fair to say that we started this without having one specific person in mind,' Resch admitted. 'But at the very, very early stage … when we started figuring out 'can this be done or are we taking too much on ourselves?' And in this conversation with Roger, at the very early stage, we realised that the customer can only be Roger. So that was kind of very early on where we realised he would be the perfect customer, number one, and also the only customer for such a car because it's a one-off. 'Who knows what the future brings. But this particular car is a one-off.' That open-ended answer will no doubt have other car collectors from around the world calling Porsche asking for their own custom-made road-legal race car. No price was put on the 963 RSP, which required a lot of specialised work to make it suitable for the road, but Porsche reportedly sells the racing versions of the 963 to race teams for US$2.9 million (approx. $4.4m). Angus Fitton, vice president of public relations for Porsche North America, said the company had already started receiving calls, as soon as a shadowy teaser image was revealed in April. ' We have received questions, yes, I can tell that I know that Urs [Kuratle, Director of Factor Racing Porsche Motorsport] and JD [Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director Porsche Penske Motorsport] have had [questions too],' Fitton said. 'Whether that translates into anything more serious, that'll need to wait for another day,' 'But certainly people are asking the questions of us, because inevitably you look at the teaser and look at some of the speculation and press [and people say] 'Hey, you guys working on something?' and that conversation. It'll be interesting to see what comes out after June 6th, when this is revealed, what the feedback is. 'But no, there is no harm in asking. We'll always listen and as Urs said earlier, you know, never say never, but for now, this is a one-of-one this car.' Key technical changes for the 963 RSP compared to the racing version include new bodywork that encloses the wheels (and is painted silver to match the Count Rossi 917), higher and softer suspension, wet weather tyres and a detuned twin-turbo V8 engine and hybrid system to make it more manageable at road speeds. The 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans will be held in France on June 14-15. Australia's Matt Campbell will be competing for outright victory with Porsche Penske Motorsport in a racing version of the 963.
Auto Blog
a day ago
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
One-Off Porsche 963 RSP Is The Ultimate Roadgoing Racecar
Porsche 963 RSP Pays Tribute To 917 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. Significant Mechanical Changes Required For Road Use 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. Kevlar And Carbon Fiber Are Difficult To Paint 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. An Interior That Is Just About Liveable 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… About the Author Sebastian Cenizo View Profile
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
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
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
The Porsche 963 RSP in Photos
More from Robb Report These Personal Subs Can Now Be Rented by the Week Anyone? Anyone? Ferris Bueller's Famous Sweater Vest Is Up for Grabs This Summer Chef Matty Matheson Teamed up With Gozney on a Limited-Edition Pizza Oven Best 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. The Porsche 917 from the side. The Porsche 963 RSP's cockpit. Porsche 963 RSP (left) alongside the Porsche 917. Porsche 963 RSP from above.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Porsche's One-Off Hypercar May Be Headed to Roger Penske's Legendary Garage
⚡️ Read the full article on Motorious Porsche is putting the finishing touches on a street-legal version of its dominant 963 LMDh Le Mans racer, and signs point to a very exclusive destination—perhaps even the private collection of motorsport legend Roger Penske. Referred to as the Porsche 963 RSP, this one-off hypercar is being crafted with clear ties to Porsche's high-performance racing pedigree. A recent teaser video shared by the automaker reveals Porsche's expert craftsmen hand-assembling the car's components, from cutting Alcantara for the cabin to sanding bespoke carbon fiber bodywork. Though road-legal, the RSP reportedly remains remarkably true to its IMSA and WEC competition sibling. Changes appear limited to essential upgrades such as modified lighting, wing mirrors, and safety features. Inside, Porsche has upgraded the racing cockpit with premium materials while preserving much of the original layout's stripped-down aesthetic. The powertrain, a hybridized 4.6-liter twin-turbocharged V8, is expected to closely mirror that of the race car. In competition, the engine is limited to 670 horsepower to meet regulatory standards, but the absence of racing restrictions in this road-going version could allow for significantly more output. Speculation around the car's final owner centers on Roger Penske, the man behind Porsche's factory racing efforts. The initials 'RSP' match his own, and Penske led the Porsche 963 to championship success in 2023 across both IMSA and the World Endurance Championship. This isn't the first time Porsche has built a bespoke hypercar for a notable partner. In 1975, Count Gregorio Rossi di Montelera of Martini & Rossi fame received a road-legal version of the 917K. If confirmed, the 963 RSP would not only represent a fusion of cutting-edge engineering and heritage, but also highlight the storied relationship between Porsche and one of motorsport's most revered figures.
