Porsche 963
The Porsche 963 (Type 9R0) is an LMDh sports prototype racing car designed by Porsche and built by Multimatic, to compete in the Hypercar and GTP (Grand Touring Prototype) classes in the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA SportsCar Championship, respectively. The 963 name draws inspiration from the Porsche 956 and Porsche 962 that raced in the 1980s, which also competed in American and European racing series. The car was revealed at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed, with a traditional red, white, and black livery.
The No. 6 963 racing at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans | |||||||||||
| Category | LMDh | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constructor | Porsche (Multimatic) | ||||||||||
| Designer(s) | Grant Larson (Director of Special Projects, Style Porsche) Stéphane Lenglin (Exterior Designer) Christian Eifrig (Technical Project Manager) Stefan Moser (Head Engineer, Powertrain) | ||||||||||
| Predecessor | Porsche 919 Hybrid (LMP1) Porsche RS Spyder (LMP2) | ||||||||||
| Technical specifications | |||||||||||
| Chassis | LMP2-based carbon-fibre monocoque with aluminium honeycomb core | ||||||||||
| Suspension (front) | Double wishbones, pushrods with power steering | ||||||||||
| Suspension (rear) | Double wishbones, pushrods | ||||||||||
| Length | 5,100 mm (200.8 in) | ||||||||||
| Width | 2,000 mm (78.7 in) | ||||||||||
| Height | 1,060 mm (41.7 in) | ||||||||||
| Wheelbase | 3,148 mm (123.9 in) | ||||||||||
| Engine | Porsche 9RD 4,593 cc (280.3 cu in) 90° V8 twin-turbocharged, 32-valve, DOHC mid-engine, longitudinally-mounted | ||||||||||
| Electric motor | Rear-mounted 50 kW (68 PS; 67 hp) spec MGU supplied by Bosch | ||||||||||
| Transmission | Xtrac P1359 7-speed sequential manual | ||||||||||
| Power | 500 kW (680 PS; 671 hp) | ||||||||||
| Weight | 1,030 kg (2,270.8 lb) | ||||||||||
| Fuel | TotalEnergies (WEC) VP Racing Fuels (IMSA) | ||||||||||
| Lubricants | Mobil 1 | ||||||||||
| Brakes | AP Racing carbon 380/365mm with AP Monobloc 6-piston calipers | ||||||||||
| Tyres | Michelin slicks with BBS one-piece forged alloys, 29/71-18 front and 34/71-18 rear | ||||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||||
| Competition | FIA World Endurance Championship, IMSA SportsCar Championship | ||||||||||
| Notable entrants | |||||||||||
| Notable drivers |
| ||||||||||
| Debut | 2023 24 Hours of Daytona | ||||||||||
| First win | 2023 Grand Prix of Long Beach | ||||||||||
| Last win | 2024 24 Hours of Daytona | ||||||||||
| Last event | 2024 24 Hours of Daytona | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Teams' Championships | 1 (2023 FIA WEC (FIA World Cup for Hypercar Teams)) | ||||||||||
The official race debut of the 963 was at the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona, the season-opening round of the 2023 IMSA SportsCar Championship. The car was originally slated for a non-competitive dress rehearsal at the 2022 8 Hours of Bahrain, however, Porsche decided later that they would not race at Bahrain in favour of more private testing time. Porsche later announced that the first customer 963s would not be delivered until April 2023 due to delays caused by supply chain disruptions, forcing customer teams to miss the opening races of the IMSA SportsCar Championship and WEC, something that the teams understood when engaging in talks with Porsche to take delivery.