Porsche has unveiled the one-of-a-kind 963 RSP, a street-legal road car derived from the formidable 963 LMDh Le Mans prototype. So why did Porsche create such a unique machine? The answer lies with the 88-year-old billionaire, Roger S. Penske. Known throughout the racing world as “The Captain,” the legendary former driver and founder of both Penske Corporation and Team Penske is the proud owner of this bespoke creation.
While most performance Porsche models such as the 911 GT RS receives the racing treatment, this bespoke 963 RSP does the opposite. The RSP (likely shorthand for Roger S. Penske) is based on the 963 LMDh prototype that competes at the top of endurance racing. That means a screaming 10,000-rpm V8 hybrid setup and the kind of tech that normally never sees a public road.
However, the automaker has made some tweaks, just enough for the car to be driven around the streets of France during Le Mans week. Additionally, the 963 RSP is noted to be inspired by the legendary street legal Porsche 917 built for Count Rossi back in 1975.
Interestingly, the transformation happened not in Germany, but at Porsche Classic in Atlanta. Known more for restoring museum-quality cars than for customizing cutting-edge race machines, the Classic team was tapped to handle everything from the suspension softening to the finishing touches that would make the RSP at least look ready for the street.
Now for the details; as for the bodywork, the height of the car has been increased, functional vents are placed over the wheel arches and even the suspension has been tweaked to meet the road regulations. It even has turn signals and a horn. Besides that, the car now drives on Michelin wet weather compound tires.
As for the interior, it features a mix of soft tan leather and Alcantara and a 3D-printed cupholder. The cabin still seats only one. Despite these changes, the car needs to use a laptop to start rather than the conventional start button.
As for the powertrain, Porsche hasn’t disclosed official specifications for the 963 RSP. However, for reference, the track-only 963 LMDh it’s based on features a chassis developed by Canadian firm Multimatic, built to LMP2 regulations. At its heart is a 4.6-liter twin-turbo V8 hybrid—a setup inspired by the Porsche 918 Spyder hypercar. This powertrain delivers around 671 horsepower, launching the race car from 0 to 100 km/h in approximately 3 seconds, with a top speed said to exceed 330 km/h.
This one of built is reported to cost US$5 million (~RM21.14 million), although, again the official price of the car is disclosed by Porsche. The 963 RSP will go on public display at the Circuit de la Sarthe during the 24 Hours of Le Mans before it returns to Stuttgart to be shown at the Porsche Museum. In July the car will appear alongside the 917 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
(Source: Porsche Newsroom / Carz)
