One Man Got A New Porsche V8 Hypercar No One Else Ever Will

The age of hybrid hypercars hasn’t exactly delivered a spiritual successor to the Porsche 918 Spyder, at least, not one extreme enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with the McLaren P1 or Ferrari F80. While the world waits for that new “holy trinity” to form, something entirely unexpected has emerged: a street-legal version of the Porsche 963 LMDh race car, the same one that’s conquered both IMSA and WEC championships.

More: Porsche Made One Of These Street-Legal Beasts And It’s Still Daily Driven

It’s called the 963 RSP, and before you go looking for your checkbook, know this: it’s a one-off. Not a homologation special like the 911 GT1 Strassenversion. Just one. The idea came from Timo Resch, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America, who pitched it as a tribute to the Count Rossi 917, the legendary race car that was made roadworthy five decades ago.

A Tribute with Pedigree

If you’re wondering what RSP stands for, those initials belong to Roger S. Penske. Yes, that Roger Penske. The businessman and former racing driver who also happens to own Team Penske, the outfit that runs Porsche’s 963s in IMSA and WEC. He was “nominated as the customer for the car,” which is a polite way of saying: when you help bring Porsche championships, you get one-of-a-kind toys.

Making a Race Car Behave in Traffic

The design brief was simple: stay as close to the race car as possible, with nods to the Count Rossi 917. The bodywork, made from carbon fiber and Kevlar, keeps the silhouette intact but gains extra coverage over the wheel arches. A few exterior details help set it apart, including new fender vents, a reworked rear wing minus the blanking plates, and a proper enamel Porsche crest on the nose.

Unlike its counterparts which are wrapped in racing liveries, the 963 RSP is painted in a special Martini Silver shade, tastefully combined with a few satin black accents.

Step inside and it’s clear this isn’t your average stripped-out racer. The cabin is wrapped in tan leather and Alcantara, another nod to the Count Rossi car. The carbon seats come straight from the race version but are softened with handcrafted upholstery, fixed headrests, and actual padding. The footwells and roofliner are trimmed in Alcantara too, while the steering wheel and door panels are leather-wrapped.

Creature comforts are predictably sparse. You get a detachable 3D-printed cupholder and a small trimmed panel next to the driver’s seat, which Porsche suggests using for a laptop, helmet, or removable steering wheel. Even the air vents get special treatment, as they’re shaped like the fan blades from the 917’s engine. Finally, there is an alloy plaque on the door with the vehicle’s chassis number alongside the date and location of construction.

And because no Porsche tribute would be complete without accessories, the car comes with a custom-painted helmet and a Snap-On toolset with leather-wrapped handles. Naturally.

A Slightly Tamed Beast Is Still A Beast

The one-off 963 RSP rides on 18-inch forged wheels by OZ, wrapped in rain-spec Michelin tires which provide more grip than the racing slicks. Engineers have increased the ground clearance, and chose the softer available setting for the adjustable Multimatic DSSV dampers. Furthermore, they installed a horn, mounting points for license plates on both ends, and tweaked the software for the headlights and taillights to allow for the use of turn signals.

The hybrid V8 powertrain and seven-speed sequential gearbox from Xtrac have been carried over directly from the race car, though not without a few essential tweaks. The rear-mounted electric motor and generator were remapped to deliver power more smoothly, while the mid-mounted, twin-turbo 4.6-liter V8, which is good for around 671 hp (500 kW / 680 PS), has been reconfigured to run on standard pump gas.

Notably, Porsche hasn’t said a word about changes to the exhaust, which suggests this one-off might still sound like it’s doing laps at Daytona even when it’s just rolling through town.

All of these modifications earned the 963 RSP special permission from French authorities to be driven on public roads. That said, it’s not fully homologated. The car is only allowed on the street “under special circumstances and in accordance with local requirements.” In other words, don’t expect Roger Penske to be running errands in it anytime soon.

Three-time Le Mans winner Timo Bernhard, who had the chance to drive the one-off on public roads next to the Circuit de la Sarthe, said: “That was an experience that will stay with me for a lifetime. 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.”

Can’t They Make Another One For Me?

Porsche hasn’t said what it cost to build the 963 RSP, but it’s safe to assume the price tag could buy you a few dozen Taycans. Not that it matters, since Porsche won’t be making another. Still, you can bet collectors would empty their bank accounts and happily slap their initials on the tail if given the chance.

For now, the one-off is on display at the Circuit de la Sarthe for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. After the race, it’s heading back to the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart for a short stay before making its way to the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it will appear alongside the original 917.