The road-going 963 RSP hypercar was inspired by the Count Rossi Porsche 917 and just went on display at Le Mans

Porsche won Le Mans in 1970 with its now-legendary 917, and a road-going version of which later emerged in 1975 known as the Count Rossi 917. This month, the marque unveiled a road-going version of the 963 Hypercar that just raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, inspired by the Count Rossi 917 from decades ago.

The 963 RSP, as it is called, was made in partnership with racing legend Roger Penske and Porsche Penske Motorsport, the team that ran at Le Mans. Roger Penske’s initials, in fact, complete the name of the 963 RSP, which comes with a coat of exterior paint, unlike the competition 963s. Porsche said the act of painting the car itself was a bit of an ask, because of all the carbon fibre and Kevlar components. The colour is called Martini Silver, like the Count Rossi 917; inside, there is tan leather and Alcantara, which is similar to the Count Rossi 917.

Porsche took the 963 RSP out for a spin on roads outside of Le Mans, and that involved changing the specs from the competition cars as well, including lifting the car a little bit and changing the electronics that control the headlights and taillights. Porsche had to fully cover the wheels and install a horn as well. Even after that, Porsche still needed to get “special permission” from the French to drive the car on French roads and get a license plate.

Timo Bernhard, a former 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, drove the 963 RSP for its first miles. He said it was more comfortable to drive without having to wear layers of racing gear.

“Driving down a public road with a 917 beside me—it felt unreal,” Bernhard said in a statement. “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.”

The 963 RSP is powered by a hybrid V-8 setup, which Porsche says is the same as the race car powertrain but has been modified to accept fuel from standard gas pumps. The 4.6-litre engine makes 680 horsepower.

As a one-off commissioned and created for Penske, Porsche did not reveal a price, though it’s safe to say it cost more than a Cayman.

This story was first published on Robb Report USA. Featured photo by Richard Pardon