Porsche 963 Hypercar joins Le Mans traffic as one-off road car is revealed

If powering around Le Mans sounds like thirsty work, then Porsche has you covered: a new version of its 963 Hypercar with a leather-trimmed interior and cupholder.

Just over a week before Porsche’s prototypes do battle for victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours, it has revealed a road-going version of its sports car and driven it down the D338 which, when closed in a few days’ time, will be better known as the Mulsanne Straight.

While the silver 963 RSP bears a close resemblance to the World Endurance Championship Hypercars and uses a modified version of their V8 hybrid engines, it is somewhat road legal — Porsche says that it ran with registration plates under “special permission” from French authorities.

The vague legality doesn’t really matter because, in a crushing disappointment to speed demons who like to stay hydrated, the project is a one-off that’s destined to spend its days in the service of Porsche’s marketing department.

Built as a collaboration with Porsche Penske Motorsport, which runs the 963 Hypercars, it’s a tribute to a famous 1975 road-going version of Porsche’s seminal 917, which remained as original as possible.

The alterations to the 917, requested by the car’s owner, Count Rossi di Montelera, an heir to the Martini & Rossi fortune, included painting the car in Martini silver and fitting a tan interior. He then drove it from Porsche’s Zuffenhausen factory to Paris on public roads, 50 years ago.

This week, both cars joined the traffic around Le Mans, with Porsche works driver Timo Bernhard at the wheel of the 963 RSP.

“That was an experience that will stay with me for a lifetime,” said Bernhard. “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.”

Two of Porsche’s competitors, Ferrari and Aston Martin have made fully modified road-going versions of their Hypercars, which were available for selected customers to buy.

The work required for the 963 RSP was less extensive but, even with special dispensation, Porsche had to add fully-covered wheelarches in the carbon-fibre bodywork, treaded tyres and a horn. The car’s engine has been modified to cope with standard pump petrol and for smoother power delivery.

Away from the smoothed asphalt of the Le Mans environs, it can tackle French cobbled streets thanks to its raised ride height and softened dampers.

Inside, the driver gets more seat cushioning than their racing counterparts. There’s a trimmed panel next to the driver for the removable steering wheel, as well as a platform for the driver’s crash helmet and the “key” required to start the car. Which is a laptop computer.

The tan colour of the Alcantara and leather interior references the 917, as do the end-plates for the ventilation system, which mimic the fan on the top of the 917’s flat-12 engine.

“We have enjoyed a terrific relationship with Porsche dating back to 1972,” said Penske chairman Roger Penske, whose initials are incorporated into the car’s name.

“The Porsche 917/30, in particular, was one of the greatest eras in Team Penske history with numerous wins and championships, along with the closed-course speed record set by Mark Donohue in 1975. With such a remarkable partnership continuing to this day, we felt it was time to create the most exciting car we could imagine.

“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.”

Fans at Le Mans will have the chance to compare it with the real thing, as the one-off project will be on display at the circuit throughout the race week. It’s then due to go on display at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart before appearing at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.