World’s first: Porsche 963 RSP

Porsche Motorsport’s press conference on the eve of the race start was well-attended. All the brand’s drivers were present, along with their managers, and a special highlight was the participation of Roger Penske, who, together with Mark Webber, unveiled the world premiere of the new Porsche 963 RSP – the result of an idea by Penske, who dreamed of producing a road-going version of the hypercar.

The result couldn’t be more remarkable and is the product of joint work between Porsche AG, Porsche Penske Motorsport and Porsche Cars North America, in partnership with Roger Penske – a true motorsport legend whose initials appear in the car’s name. Hence, the RSP.

The creation of the car was inspired by the legendary 917, which is now 50 years old, and the aim of the new model was to stay as close as possible to the spirit and appearance of the original.

Roger Penske, chairman of the Penske Corporation, wanted the car to be as authentic as possible – and the result is a car that is as exciting on the track as it is on the road.

The 963 RSP, at the end of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, will go to the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart before appearing alongside the 917 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the United Kingdom.

It is equipped with a 4.6-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 engine generating up to approximately 680 horsepower. The engine “has its origins in the RS Spyder race program operated by Penske, which claimed all titles in the LMP2 class of the American Le Mans Series from 2006 to 2008.”

The car features a pair of turbochargers that generate moderate boost pressure. Around 80 percent of the engine components are shared with the Porsche 918 Spyder, which was already designed to operate with a hybrid system.

Images taken at Le Mans of the press conference and the 963 RSP are published here exclusively for Macau Daily Times readers. SAC/MDT