THE PORSCHE 963 RSP PART 1

GEE, I REMEMBER ROGER PENSKE when he was a Lehigh University kid setting FTD in a Porsche RSK at Giants Despair Hillclimb in eastern Pennsylvania. That was in 1959. 

Penske has done a lot with cars since then. And ditto Porsche. To wit: the 963 RSP—as in “Roger Searle Penske.” A recent press release from the Porsche Newsroom recounted “an audacious drive that took place a half century ago”—and an equally audacious one taken only recently. Here, in Parts 1 and 2 today and tomorrow, are tidbits gleaned from this press release. All quoted passages are Zuffenhausen’s. 

From Zuffenhausen to Paris—April 1975. “In April 1975, a 917 (chassis 30)—the most advanced endurance race car at that time—made an extraordinary journey, not on the track, but on public roads. From the factory in Zuffenhausen, it traveled to Paris—at the wheel was its enigmatic owner, who insisted on as few changes as possible to the car, which remains in France, and on the road, to this day.”

For more on the 917 race car, see SimanaitisSays. For more on the enigmatic owner, be aware that he was Italian businessman/Martini heir Gregorio Rossi di Montelera, aka “Count Rossi.”

The Count Rossi 917. This and other images from Porsche.

“What Ifs” Promote Neat Projects. “This really started out as a ‘what if?’—’a passion project by a small team of enthusiasts at Penske and at Porsche who together imagined a version of the 963 that really resembled as closely as possible the spirit and appearance of the Count Rossi 917,’ said Porsche Cars North America President and CEO Timo Resch, who conceived of the original idea.”

The 963 RSP poses in front; the 917 in arrear. 

The 963 RSP’s Interior. “Whereas the race car features very few comfort features, the 963 RSP is more accommodating—with the single piece carbon seat trimmed in leather with soft cushioning placed down the center and a fixed headrest mounted on the carbon fiber bulkhead. The seats are—in common with the race version—air conditioned. The leg cushions in the footwell as well as the roof lining and pillars have been retrimmed in light Alcantara while the steering wheel—where the majority of the vehicle’s functions are located—has been finished in leather. A light-hearted addition is a detachable 3D-printed cup holder capable of securely holding a Porsche travel mug.”

I love the steering wheel. And the cup holder. 

Ha. I have a Mercedes-Benz expanding cup holder in the Miata (bought on a Mercedes press trip, originally fitted to the Morgan Four-Passenger Family Tourer).

“Next to the driver, a new trimmed panel provides a location for the car’s Peltor headset and steering wheel when not in use as well as a platform for the laptop that starts and assists in the operation of the car and Roger Penske’s custom carbon crash helmet.”

Tomorrow in Part 2, we’ll share more tidbits of the RSP.

© Dennis Simanaitis, SimanaitisSays.com, 2025