► Street-legal 963 revealed
► Based on the ‘Count Rossi’ 917 from ‘75
► On display at Le Mans and Goodwood
You’re looking at the Porsche 963 RSP, a one-off special of Stuttgart’s IMSA-and WEC-winning hypercar that’s been made road-legal. Revealed today at the Circuit de Sarthe ahead of the Le Mans endurance race next week – it’s also a throwback to the ‘Count Rossi’ 917.
Known as Chassis 30 in Zuffenhausen, the ‘Count Rossi’ was a 917 that was driven from the factory to Paris by an owner that insisted it was adapted for the road as little as possible. It’s that silver racer that this 963 RSP is the spiritual successor to.
As for the RSP part? That’s short for Roger S. Penske. The car was also the work of Porsche AG, Porsche Penske Motorsport and Porsche Cars North America.
‘That was an experience that will stay with me for a lifetime,’ said Porsche works driver, Timo Bernhard, after driving the car for the first time on a public road. ‘The car behaved perfectly, it felt a little friendlier and more forgiving than the normal 963 – I felt super special and a lot more comfortable especially as I want not needing all my safety gear.’
What’s different?
The Count Rossi’s changes were minimal, but a lot has happened in the 50 years since – and that means the 963 RSP is different beast to the Porsche hypercar you’ll see racing. It’s the first 963 car to be painted – tricky given the patchwork of Kevlar and carbonfibre that makes up a modern racecar – and it’s been finished in a classic Martini Silver like the original car.
Inside you get tan leather and Alcantara which is a little nicer than the real thing, and the bodywork has also been tweaked to further channel the 917. There are new front vents, period-accurate Michelin logos, forged OZ-racing wheels and an enamel Porsche logo. Blanking plates on the rear wing – required for the racing car – have been removed, too.
Engine-wise, it keeps the same 4.6-litre twin-turbocharged V8 as the racecar, and there’s no mention of any detuning. In the same way, the hybrid system and Xtrac ‘box appear untouched. It’s the Count Rossi way, after all.
The skateboard-stiff suspension has also been changed, however; ride height has been increased and its Multimatic dampers have been calibrated to the softest possible level – so it’ll easier for the 963 to contend with the rougher roads and streets around Le Mans. A horn, numberplate and special Michelin tyres keep the gendarme away.
You’ll be able to see this car on display during the Le Mans race week, but also at Goodwood later this year.