After 5 years, Porsche returns to prototype endurance racing with the all-new 963 hypercar. Set to compete in both the WEC and IMSA championships in 2023, the car made its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and we get the treat of watching it tackle the famous Hillclimb.
Powering the 963 is a 4.6L twin-turbo V8 derived from the roadgoing 918 Spyder‘s engine, and like all cars competing in the WEC’s LMDh class, it’s mated to a standardized hybrid system for added power. It’s unclear what the total system output will be, but we’d imagine it’s plenty.
Read More: Porsche Unveils The 670 HP 963 Hypercar That Will Compete At Daytona And Le Mans
In terms of styling, the 963’s shape draws inspiration from two of Porsche’s most iconic race cars from the 1980s: the 956 and 962, and the paint scheme is somewhat reminiscent of the red-and-white “Salzburg Red” livery from the 917. Elsewhere, graphical elements such as the full width light bar imbue the 963 with the spirit of Porsche’s current crop of road cars.
Related: Ferrari Teases Their Le Mans Hypercar, Will Compete In Next Year’s Race
Like proper any race car, all of these new Hypercars are built with function over form in mind, with every crease and curvature of the body serving a distinct performance-enhancing purpose, but this new era of endurance racing seems to be bringing back a little bit more of the form to the sport, and that’s something we can certainly get behind.
To see the 963 and its thunderous V8 make a run up the famous Goodwood hill for yourself, you can check it out in the video below.
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