The brand new LMDh prototype Porsche 963 debuts at the Goodwood Festival of Speed with inspiration drawn from iconic 1980s racing models and hopes to emulate some of their bygone successes.
The Goodwood Festival of Speed isn’t only about relieving the golden era of vintage motorsport but also provides a glimpse into the future. The prestigious weekend has already hosted a string of unveilings but the Porsche 963 is perhaps a little bit more special than the others ahead of its racing debut in 2023.
The newcomer signals the return of Porsche to the LMDh prototype category for the FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. It is therefore built to regulations but is based on the LMP2 chassis category with a new setup developed by Multimatic. Powering the new Porsche is a 4,6-litre twin-turbocharged V8 motor which is based on the hybrid propelled 918 Spyder.
Management at the Stuttgart automaker are confident the new Porsche 963 will be competitive in its future endeavours after Thomas Laudenbach, vice president of Porsche Motorsport stated: “After 7,889 test kilometers (4,900 miles) 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.”
In terms of design, the Porsche 963 borrows some styling cues from the 956 and the 962, iconic models from the 1980s. The rear end also borrows the light bar from the current era of 911 models which sits below the rear wing. The livery itself also instils a sense of nostalgia with Porsches rich racing heritage. Laudenbach further stated: “Our new Porsche 963 should continue the legacy of legendary models such as the 917, 935, 956, 962, and the 919. 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 in the thrilling competition between many manufacturers and different concepts.”
While the new Porsche 963 endeavoured up the Goodwood hillclimb at a rather leisurely pace this weekend, it will take to the race track for all out competition at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, competing in the new GTP class from January next year.
