Porsche’s new contender in the upcoming FIA World Endurance Championship has been revealed at Goodwood. The new 963 hybrid LMDh-spec prototype will be racing in 2023 in both the FIA world championship and the North American-based IMSA sportscar series, with the two competitions running the same formula for the first time. This will allow manufacturers to compete with one car in both championships.
Speaking at the reveal in Goodwood Thomas Laudenbach, Porsche’s Vice President Motorsport said it was an easy decision for Porsche to develop a new LMDh spec car. “Endurance racing is in our DNA, we have a great history and the chance to compete with one car in both championships was a good thing to do.” He also said the ‘financial efficiencies’ of the new rules are compelling. “If you look at the rules, you have some spec parts and some parts you develop yourself which gives you a chance to show your skills.” Laudenbach says the US market is important to Porsche, so to be able to chase two titles on each side of the Atlantic was attractive. But above all, he’s excited to be back in the top class of endurance racing.
This year’s Le Mans should be a classic, it being the 100th running of the event, and Porsche’s chance to notch its 20th outright. And this new LMDh field promises to include eight brands and 20 cars for the French classic, many more than years past.
The 963 will have its first outing in a non-competitive race in Bahrain, while its race debut will be at the 24 Hours of Daytona in January 2023. There will be four factory cars, the team headquartered in two locations with the German based squad concentrating on the FIA championship and the US team focusing on the IMSA series, with both teams sharing development data. The 963 will be made available to privateer teams also.
As per the LMDh regulations, the 963 is based on an LMP2-category chassis, which has been developed for Porsche by Multimatic. Bosch, Williams Advanced Engineering and Xtrac contribute the standardised hybrid components which in the 963 marry to a twin-turbo 4.6-litre V8, producing 500kW. This is a development of the engine from the 918 Spyder hybrid, which can trace its roots back to the RS Spyder from the mid-2000s.
