Porsche 963 RSP Summary Points
- Porsche unveiled the 963 RSP as it readied for the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans. It’s a road-going variant of the Type 9R0 Porsche 963 LMDh prototype racing car named after the initials of businessman Roger Penske.
- The Porsche 963 RSP is also a 50th-anniversary tribute to the custom road-legal Porsche 917 K that Count Rossi of Martini & Rossi drove from the Zuffenhausen factory to Paris in 1975.
- Powered by a 680-horsepower, 4.6-liter twin-turbocharged hybrid V8, the Porsche 963 RSP has gained a few niceties, including headlights, a road-friendly suspension, and a leather and Alcantara interior.
One Fateful Day In 1975
Porsche developed the 917 prototype racing car in 1969 and went on to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970, as well as the World Sportscar Championship from 1969 to 1971. It earned a reputation as the greatest Porsche racing car of all time, but it also drew praise for its gorgeous vintage bodywork and flat-12 engine.
All those merits were too hard to pass for Count Rossi di Montelera (Count Rossi), the Prince of Premuda and heir to the Martini & Rossi beverage empire, who in 1974 arrived at the Porsche Zuffenhausen factory and requested a road-legal version of the 917 K racing car. The automaker willingly obliged and took chassis 030 from storage to fulfill the Count’s fervent wish.
Porsche didn’t do much to convert the 917 from a hardcore racer to a tamer, road-going variant (that’s how the Count wanted it, anyway). Besides removing a few aero fins and adding an exhaust silencer to prevent hearing damage among pedestrians, Count Rossi’s Porsche 917 is an authentic racing car with a genuine tan leather interior.
Enthralled by his new, one-off creation, the Count drove his 917 from the Zuffenhausen factory to Paris in 1975, where it remains in its original form to this day. Over 50 years later, Porsche is reliving the glory days with the 963 RSP.
Porsche 963 RSP Celebrates The Count Rossi 917
The Porsche 963 RSP began its life at a trackside meeting between Timo Resch, President and CEO of Porsche North America, Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President of Porsche Motorsport, and Urs Kuratle, Director of Factory Racing at Road Atlanta.
“This really started out as a ‘what if?’—a passion project by a small team of enthusiasts at Penske and at Porsche who together imagined a version of the 963 that resembled as closely as possible the spirit and appearance of the Count Rossi 917,” Resch recalled.
The gentlemen introduced the concept to Roger Penske and Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director of Porsche Penske Motorsport. It didn’t take long for the group to name their project after Penske; hence, the 963 RSP was born.
“We have enjoyed a terrific relationship with Porsche dating back to 1972,” said Roger Penske, Chairman of the Penske Corporation. “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 the road.”
Porsche 963 RSP Powertrain Specs
Powering the Porsche 963 RSP is a 4.6-liter twin-turbocharged V8 that produces approximately 680 horsepower. The twin-turbo V8 of the 963 RSP was inspired by the Penske-operated RS Spyder race program, which claimed all titles in the LMP2 class of the American Le Mans Series from 2006 to 2008. The engine was enlarged from 3.4 to 4.6 liters and then used in the limited-production 918 Spyder road car, which debuted in 2013.
While the 918 Spyder’s engine was naturally aspirated, the 963 RSP leverages two turbochargers from Dutch manufacturer Van der Lee. The 963 RSP V8 features a flat-plane crankshaft with a shorter stroke and a lower mounting point, all of which optimize the car’s center of gravity.
Meanwhile, the 800V hybrid-electric components include a rear-mounted Bosch motor generator unit (located in the bell housing between the V8 engine and the seven-speed Xtrac transmission) and a 1.35 kWh high-voltage battery from Williams Advanced Engineering.
The V8 can spin to 8,000 rpm assisted by the Bosch motor generator unit, while the electric motor can output 30 to 50 kW in short bursts without changing the powertrain’s output. However, Porsche reconfigured the power delivery of the hybrid system to make it more suitable for everyday roads.
It may not have a high-strung flat-12 engine like the 917, but the 963 RSP’s hybridized V8 is as close as it gets to bringing race car pedigree to the street.
Exterior Highlights
Porsche and Penske Motorsport had two goals in mind when conceptualizing the design attributes of the 963 RSP: to remain as close to the original car as initially envisioned by Count Rossi and for the bodywork to resemble the spirit of the 917.
The Sonderwunsch customization team in Zuffenhausen and at Porsche Classic in Atlanta flexed their creative muscles and immediately got to work. They collaborated with Porsche Penske Motorsport to design new front and rear fender vents that allow air within the wheel wells to escape. The carbon fiber blanking plates of the racing variant, which would normally be located within the rear wing, could be removed for the 963 RSP.
The team decided to paint the Kevlar and carbon fiber body in a Martini Silver hue with Satin Black elements. Finishing the look are 18-inch forged OZ racing wheels, Michelin tires emblazoned with 1970s-era logos on the sidewalls, a front enamel Porsche badge, and a 3D-printed 963 RSP appliqué on the rear of the car.
Standard Cupholder
The Porsche 963 RSP’s interior features a mix of soft tan leather and Alcantara, inspired by the original trim choices made by Count Rossi. Alcantara trim was used for the leg cushions in the footwell as well as the roof lining and pillars. The steering wheel, where the majority of the vehicle’s functions are located, was finished in leather.
Despite having only one seat for the driver, the cabin has air conditioning. The solo leather seat is outfitted with softer cushions and a fixed headrest mounted on the carbon fiber bulkhead.
The space next to the driver features a trimmed panel to accommodate a laptop (for starting and operating the car), a Peltor headset, and Penske’s custom carbon crash helmet. We like the detachable 3D-printed cup holder, a feature that the 963 LMDh prototype could only dream about.
Other add-ons include a horn, turn signals, and a bespoke Snap-on toolset that contains everything needed to start, operate, and service the vehicle.
Only One For The Road
The changes have made the Porsche 963 RSP a road-legal machine, but there are no plans to green-light the car for commercial production. Porsche insists that its latest creation is “intended to remain a very special one-off” and is not a “homologated addition to the Porsche model lineup.”
The Porsche 963 RSP made its maiden appearance on the streets near Circuit de la Sarthe alongside the 917 during the recently concluded 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans. It is currently on display at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart and will reappear at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (along with the 917) in July 2025.
“That was an experience that will stay with me for a lifetime,” said Timo Bernhard, who drove the 963 RSP for its road debut. “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.”
“The 917 from the story was every inch a race car—albeit one driven on the road—and we took the same approach with the 963 RSP,” Resch added. “It uses beautiful materials of the best quality available, but is still every bit a race car underneath.”
Alvin Reyes is an Automoblog feature columnist and an expert in sports and performance cars. He studied civil aviation, aeronautics, and accountancy in his younger years and is still very much smitten to his former Lancer GSR and Galant SS. He also likes fried chicken, music, and herbal medicine.
Photos & Source: Porsche Cars North America, Inc.
