Porsche has as soon as once more redefined what it means to carry a race automotive to the street, and in the event you’ve been following our earlier reporting, you’ll do not forget that we anticipated this: a modern-day homage to Roger Penske and the enduring street-driven Porsche 917 commissioned by Rely Rossi within the Nineteen Seventies. Right now, that imaginative and prescient involves life as a 1-of-1 Porsche 963 RSP, making its debut on public roads close to Le Mans, France, operating alongside the 917 that impressed it.
The 963 RSP, the place the ‘P’ refers to Roger S Penske, is a wild Sonderwunsch creation, born from the DNA of Porsche’s Le Mans-conquering 963 Hypercar. It shares the race-winning spine with the racecar, however wears a novel 917-inspired bodywork, exterior coloration, and a bespoke cabin with classic 70s-style touches. On the wheel throughout its first public outing was none aside from three-time Le Mans winner Timo Bernhard.
We now have loved a terrific relationship with Porsche relationship again to 1972. The Porsche 917/30, specifically, was one of many biggest eras in Group Penske’s historical past, with quite a few wins and championships. With such a exceptional partnership persevering with to today, we felt it was time to create essentially the most thrilling automotive we might think about. Identical to the 917, I wished this automotive to be genuine to its origin and have as few adjustments to it as doable. Once we bought into the undertaking, the variations within the two generations of race automobiles offered an important problem. What emerged is a automotive that has misplaced none of its edge and is thrilling whether or not on the observe or on the street. – Roger S Penske
The origins of this particular automotive return to a trackside dialog at Street Atlanta between Porsche’s Timo Resch, Thomas Laudenback, and Urs Kratel. What started as a “What if?” ultimately grew to become a full-fledged ardour undertaking that took form with the likes of Porsche AG, Porsche Penske Motorsport, and Porsche Automobiles North America collaborating on the undertaking.
Exterior highlights embrace the Martini Silver paint, impressed by Rely Rossi’s authentic 917, the black-silver livery wraps that subtly reworked carbon-fiber bodywork, enclosed fender vents, and a clear rear wing sans the blanking plates required from racing, with a classic enamel Porsche crest on the nostril.
As a result of it is a observe automotive for the street, the transformation on the inside is much more dramatic, with luxurious and on a regular basis creature comforts making their approach into this in any other case sporty cockpit. There’s a great dose of tan leather-based and Alcantara, a cup holder (you learn that proper), a retrimmed steering wheel, a customized stowage panel for a Peltor headset, and a Laptop computer. Even Roger Penske’s customized helmet has an identical Martini Silver end.
Mechanically, the Hybrid V8 stays true to its racing roots and relies on the 918 Spyder’s 4.6-liter engine, now calibrated for street use. Different modifications embrace an elevated trip top to its max setting, softer dampers, and reprogrammed lights. Michelin wet-compliant tires, a horn, and license plates imply that this automotive is road-legal in France, with the blessing of the ACO.
The Porsche 963 RSP will likely be displayed through the upcoming Le Mans weekend earlier than heading to the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart and the Goodwood Competition of Velocity in July.
Supply: Porsche
