The German brand returns to the first category of endurance racing.
Porsche returns to Le Mans and the elite of endurance racing with the Porsche 963, an LMDh specification prototype that was unveiled today at Goodwood. The German brand, which has 19 outright victories in the legendary endurance race, has teamed up with Penske Motorsport for this adventure.
The LMDh regulations will not only allow Porsche to compete in Le Mans and the World Endurance Championship, but will also give it the option of fighting for the American IMSA Championship, which includes events such as the 24 Hours of Daytona. For this reason, together with Penske Motorsport, it will work in two locations: Mannheim (Germany) and North Carolina (USA).
The new Porsche 963 has been presented in the usual colors of Porsche in competition: white red and black. This imposing prototype built on the basis of an LMP2 category chassis, of which four units will be built, develops a combined power of 680 hp, thanks to a propulsion system based on that of the Porsche 918 Spyder.
This is made up of a 4.6-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine and a series of hybrid components provided by the companies Bosch, Williams Advanced Engineering and Xtrac.
Also, the 963 has aesthetic details that make it an authentic Porsche. Its design has been inspired by the classic 956 and 962 of the 1980s. A continuous strip of lighting at the rear nods to the current 911, while the tricolor decoration is a tribute to Porsche’s triumphs in racing. .
“After 7,889 test kilometers during the first half of 2022, we are on the right track, but there is still work to be done before the start of next season,” said Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President of Porsche Motorsport.
“The new Porsche 963 should continue the legacy of models as legendary as the 917, 935, 956, 962 and 919 Hybrid. I am sure that we will be up to the task when it comes to technology and having created a team structure that will lead us to victory,” he adds.
The 963 will debut in competition next January at the 24 Hours of Daytona, the first event on the IMSA calendar, but before that, in November, it plans to take part as a test in the 8 Hours of Bahrain, which closes the World Championship of Resistance.
“Over the past few months, our people at Porsche Motorsport and Team Penske have built up an efficient and committed team: Porsche Penske Motorsport,” says Urs Kuratle, Competition Director of the LMDh Project at Porsche Motorsport.
“The Porsche 963 should be homologated this fall. Until then, we want to continue testing to collect as much information as possible. We are really looking forward to the start of the first race,” he adds.
As for the driver line-up, Porsche has announced that it will feature Kévin Estre, Michael Christensen, André Lotterer, Laurens Vanthoor, Matt Campbell, Mahieu Jaminet, Dane Cameron and Felipe Nasr. They will take turns behind the wheel of the four prototypes that Porsche will field in the WEC and IMSA (two in each championship), along with other names to be announced later.
“Expectations are extremely high,” acknowledges Jonathan Diuguid, General Manager of Porsche Penske Motorsport. “Not only from the public, but also from Porsche and Penske, who have written great chapters in motorsport together in the past,” he says.
