This Is Porsche's Street Legal Hypercar—The 963 RSP

The idea was simple, yet complex: take the 963 prototype race car and adapt it just enough for road use. Penske was pitched as the prospective owner—he didn’t need much convincing. The car would have to maintain its identity as a race car, not become a diluted tribute.

The car would be called the 963 RSP, named for Roger Searle Penske, and it would echo a similar Porsche project from 1975—the 917 built for Count Rossi, a Martini & Rossi heir who used to drive his race car on public roads.

The 963 RSP shares much of its DNA with the race car. Porsche’s goal, unfortunately, wasn’t to homologate it for general street use—doing so would have required some drastic changes. Instead, it would be sketched as a one-off that could be used in very limited road situations with special approval.

It's not one of Penske's used or discarded 963 race tubs either, the chassis is brand new from Multimatic. The 4.6-liter twin-turbo V8 remains, as does the hybrid system, including a small battery and a motor-generator mounted in the bellhousing.

In race trim, this setup is capable of around 680 horsepower, depending on the series’ Balance of Performance constraints. For the RSP, Porsche adapted the calibration to accommodate 93-octane pump fuel and tweaked the hybrid assist to suit stop-and-go traffic rather than a pit lane launch.

Porsche retained the Multimatic DSSV dampers used on the race car, but the setup was softened using knowledge gathered from street circuits, allowing the team to deliver a ride that won't punish the driver on public roads. Although let's be honest, the 88-year-old Roger Penske probably isn't going to wheel this thing down to the local McDonald's very often.

Visual changes are subtle. While the carbon bodywork has been smoothed and painted Silver in a nod to Count Rossi’s 917.

The interior uses Alcantara and leather in areas where the race car would feature only raw carbon, with Porsche even adding a removable cupholder as a gesture to daily usability. Despite the "creature comforts", the RSP still requires a laptop and a Porsche engineer to start.

The 963 RSP will spend time on display before eventually making its way to Penske's home. For now, it’s scheduled to appear at the Porsche Museum, the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and Monterey Car Week.

While Porsche has no immediate plans to repeat the project, they haven’t ruled out the possibility if someone shows up with enough cash.

Become an AutoGuide insider. Get the latest from the automotive world first by subscribing to our newsletter here.