The 24 Hours of Le Mans has inspired many sporting road cars, but the Porsche 963 RSP is considerably more special than most.
Essentially a road-going version of the marque’s current LMDh prototype racer, the 963 RSP was commissioned for Roger Penske.
A motorsport legend, Penske owns the racing team that runs the title-winning Porsche 963 in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
The man referred to as ‘The Captain’ was nominated to receive the one-off hypercar, which is named ‘RSP’ after his initials.
Inspired by the Count Rossi 917
Transforming a 963 endurance racer into a street-legal vehicle was no easy task. But Porsche took inspiration from the legendary 917 road car owned by Count Rossi.
A ‘Martini Silver’ paint colour was chosen to match the classic 917. Painting a carbon fibre and Kevlar race car that was designed to be wrapped proved to be a challenge, however.
The Porsche Sonderwunsch (‘special wishes’) team had to create wheelarch covers for the 963 RSP, as those on the racing car are open. The new arches are filled by 18-inch forged OZ Racing wheels with rain-spec tyres.
Completing the exterior makeover is an enamel Porsche badge for the nose, along with bespoke mounts for front and rear number plates.
Taking The Captain’s chair
Inside, the Porsche 963 RSP gets an even more dramatic makeover. The cabin is trimmed in a mixture of soft tan leather and Alcantara: another nod to the Count Rossi 917.
Porsche has added extra padding to a single-piece carbon fibre race seat that, like the racing model, is air conditioned. The steering wheel is upholstered in leather, with the roof and doors trimmed in Alcantara.
A bespoke storage unit next to the seat offers a place for the steering wheel and a custom crash helmet when not in use. It also provides a platform for the laptop computer needed to start the 963 RSP’s engine.
For maximum comfort, Porsche has even 3D-printed a detachable cup holder, capable of securely grasping a Porsche travel mug.
Super unleaded only, please
Clearly, tailoring the Porsche 963 RSP for road use required more than just a set of number plates and a cup holder. The Multimatic DSSV adjustable suspension dampers were configured to their softest setting, making the car easier to live with.
Porsche remapped the 680hp 4.6-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, giving it a smoother power delivery. Hybrid assistance is retained, however.
Modifying the race-spec engine to use unleaded fuel proved to be a major undertaking. It means the 963 RSP can now be filled from a regular petrol pump.
Other important changes included adapting the car’s electronics to allow for indicators. Porsche also adjusted the headlights to make them suitable for road use.
Losing none of its edge
Roger Penske, chairman of the Penske Corporation, said: “Just like the 917, I wanted this car to be authentic to its origin and have as few changes to it as possible. When we got into the project, the differences in the two generations of race cars provided a great challenge. What emerged is a car that has lost none of its edge and is exciting whether on the track or on the road.”
“That was an experience that will stay with me for a lifetime,” said Porsche test driver Timo Bernhard, who was at the wheel of the 963 RSP for its first outing.
“Driving down a public road with a 917 beside me – it felt unreal. The car behaved perfectly – it felt a little friendlier and more forgiving than the normal 963 – and felt super special and a lot more comfortable, especially as I was not needing all my safety gear.”
Porsche is keen to stress that the 963 RSP is very much a one-off – and there are no plans for more road-going versions of its Le Mans racer.
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