Porsche's Le Mans 963 might be the next road-legal hypercar

Porsche is rumored to be working on a road-legal version of its championship-winning 963 Prototype race car.

Exactly 50 years ago, on April 28, 1975, a Porsche 917 race car left Porsche’s development center in Weissach, Germany.

Instead of heading to the race track, like every 917 before, it became the first 917 to be driven on public roads.

Now, the company is teasing it might do the same for its 963 prototype car.

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The road-legal Porsche 917 began as an ‘outlandish request’

The owner of the carmaker’s legendary road-legal Porsche 917 was Italian businessman and Martini heir Gregorio Rossi di Montelera, a known Porsche enthusiast known more simply as ‘Count Rossi’.

This unique 917 was designed by a small team within Porsche, which described Rossi’s request as ‘outlandish’, proudly called the project an ‘audacious adventure’, and showcased it as an example of the company’s commitment to fulfil the wishes of its customers.

The car was finished in Martini Silver and featured a set of rudimentary exhaust mufflers, additional mirrors, side indicators, and even a horn.

It also carried the mandatory spare tire beneath its rear clamshell, something that is normally absent in a race car.

Fittingly, unlike a normal race car, this particular 917 was also customised to provide a more comfortable experience.

The two seats were refinished in tan leather, commissioned from Hermès, with accompanying suede for the roof lining, doors and dashboard.

The gear shifter retained the same wooden finish as the racers, and even kept the same drilled, lightweight key.

While the car originally wore an Alabama license plate, obtained by Count Rossi, the car is now registered in the U.K., although it is located in the south of France.

The car has since undergone restoration work, although its original paint and interior has been preserved.

More details to be revealed on June 2025

On April 25, Porsche USA posted a video commemorating the history of the one-off 917 race car that it built for the streets.

At the end of the video, a silhouette of the Porsche 963 appears, with the words ‘What if?’ teased on the screen, along with the date ‘June 2025’.

While there aren’t any more details within the video, Porsche’s recent press release on the 50th anniversary of the road-legal 917 also hinted the brand was up to something big.

The company said that while the 917’s descendant, the 963 prototype, is enjoying success on the track today, the company’s spirit and desire that allowed the creation of the road-worthy 917 remains ‘very much alive’.

It also ended the press release in a similar fashion to its video, asking ‘what if?’

With the video teasing more details of the project in June 2025, it is possible that the historic company will reveal more of its plans during the 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of the most prestigious races worldwide.

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