Attempts to adapt Le Mans racing cars for civilian use are undertaken by various companies with enviable regularity, but in most cases we are talking about a large-scale rebuilding of the car – often with the installation of completely different units. For example, the recent hypercar SCG 007S turned out to be such . However, the Porsche 963 RSP presented today is not just built on a racing chassis, but is actually a real Le Mans prototype adapted for public roads!
This is not the first time that Porsche has converted a racing car into a conventionally civilian vehicle. Back in 1975, a Porsche 917 underwent a similar conversion : the car was ordered by Count Rossi, a motorsport enthusiast and co-owner of the Martini & Rossi liquor company. It was the road Porsche 917 that served as the prototype for the new Porsche 963 RSP, which is why the two cars are shown together in the company photo shoot. However, this time the customer was different: long-time Porsche partner and owner of Penske Motorsport Roger Searle Penske. The RSP prefix in the name of the unique car is his initials.
The Porsche 963 RSP hypercar was built by the North American division of the company together with Penske Motorsport, and the car was built from scratch, and not on the basis of an already driven racing car. The body acquired closed front wings instead of the open elements required by the regulations. The lighting was changed, and places for license plates appeared in the front and back. Temporary state numbers were issued in France so that the Porsche 963 RSP could get on the roads and highways adjacent to Le Mans. The racing cars have unpainted carbon fiber bodies covered in vinyl film, but the outer panels of the road Porsche 963 RSP are carefully sanded for better adhesion of the enamel. The Martini Silver color is just like Count Rossi’s Porsche 917. The 18-inch OZ wheels are shod with Michelin racing tires in the rain specification.
The cockpit of the Porsche 963 is preserved, but the road version has a full leather and Alcantara trim, and its color is the same as the interior of the same Porsche 917. Even the racing steering wheel has a place for leather-covered handles. And an additional element of civilian comfort is a removable cup holder printed on a 3D printer. Finally, the Porsche 963 RSP has acquired turn signals and a horn.
The racing power unit has been retained. It is a 4.6-liter V8 twin-turbo engine (680 hp) with an 800-volt Bosch electric motor (68 hp) and a seven-speed XTrac sequential gearbox. Of course, the engine has been retuned for civilian use, and the hybrid system as a whole is tuned for softer responses, especially at low speeds. By the way, this eight-cylinder racing engine is 80% identical to the “eight” of the Porsche 918 Spyder supercar . The original car’s adjustable suspension is raised as much as possible above the road, and the shock absorbers are softened.
The car is already completely ready, but Roger Penske will not get it anytime soon. First, the Porsche 963 RSP will go to a ceremonial show in Le Mans, then to a special exhibition in the Porsche Museum, then to the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and then to the luxury car show in Monterey, California. Thus, only in the fall will Penske finally be able to go to the nearest supermarket in his signature car. There is no talk of producing road 963s, even in a small series.
