Porsche Penske Motorsport team’s much-anticipated hybrid LMDh prototype has a name: the Porsche 963.
The new car was unveiled at Goodwood House in England on Friday, and follows the Porsche and Team Penske collaboration that began in May 2021.
Based on the LMDh regulatory LMP2-category chassis, the 963 sports a 4.6-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine. The engine and overall design borrow from Porsche’s winning models of the past, Porsche said. Such DNA can be seen in features such as the strip lighting in the rear of the vehicle and the white, red and black color palette.
“Our new Porsche 963 should continue the legacy of legendary models such as the 917, 935, 956, 962 and the 919,” Thomas Laudenbach, vice president of motorsport for Porsche, said in a release. “I’m positive that we’ll be well positioned when it comes to technology and we’ve also created the relevant team structures to set us up for wins.”
The 963 will debut in Daytona Beach, Fla., in January at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and will race in both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship — including the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Race vehicles will be prepared in both Mannheim, Germany, and Mooresville, N.C.
Porsche is not the only automaker that will be fielding a new racer on these tracks. Cadillac showed off its prototype, the Project GTP Hypercar, this month. Acura, BMW and Lamborghini are also scheduled to compete.
Until then, there is more work to be done. The Porsche prototype has completed approximately 4,900 test miles and will complete many more in the coming months.
“After 7,889 test kilometers during the first half of 2022, we’re on a very good path but there is still work to be done before the start of next season,” said Laudenbach.
