Half a century after Count Rossi’s infamous Porsche 917 took to the streets of France, the lineage of Le Mans legends continues with the unveiling of the 963 RSP – a road-drivable one-off based on Porsche’s current LMDh hypercar. Revealed on 6 June near the Circuit de la Sarthe, just days before the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans, it stands as both tribute and technical showcase.
The inspiration lies in a real event. In 1975, Count Gregorio Rossi di Montelera – heir to the Martini & Rossi fortune – drove his privately owned Porsche 917 from Zuffenhausen to Paris. With minimal changes, that Martini-liveried 917 became a genuine road car. Fast, loud and entirely uncompromising, it was one of the most audacious road cars ever seen. Today, Porsche has revived that spirit in the 963 RSP, a bespoke build named for Roger S Penske and created in collaboration with his long-standing motorsport outfit.
Built around the same hybrid drivetrain as the WEC and IMSA championship-winning 963 race car, the RSP retains the original carbon monocoque and twin-turbo 4.6-litre V8 – a direct descendant of the RS Spyder and 918 Spyder programmes. The hybrid assistance is provided by a Bosch MGU and a Williams-supplied battery, but the powertrain has been recalibrated for public road use, including compatibility with pump fuel and smoother electric delivery. Suspension has been softened via its adjustable Multimatic dampers, ride height raised, and lighting systems adapted to meet road regulations – all to enable short but legal journeys.
Porsche’s Sonderwunsch division led the design, with inspiration drawn heavily from the Count Rossi 917. The 963 RSP is painted – not wrapped – in Martini Silver, with fared-in arches, vented panels and a subtle black graphic treatment in place of sponsor logos. Michelin wet tyres are fitted to OZ wheels wearing retro branding. Inside, tan leather and Alcantara trim elevate what is still a fundamentally purposeful cockpit, complete with single-piece carbon seats, bespoke cabin padding and even a custom cupholder and stowage for the Peltor headset.
‘It uses beautiful materials of the best quality available, but is still every bit a race car underneath,’ said Porsche Cars North America CEO Timo Resch, who first proposed the project. The car was developed jointly by Porsche AG, Porsche Penske Motorsport and Porsche Cars North America, with the idea reportedly conceived during a discussion trackside at Road Atlanta in 2023. Roger Penske himself approved the project and was named as the customer – the car bearing his initials as a result.
For more info, visit porsche.com
