The Porsche 911 is a legend on the road but the Zuffenhausen-based carmaker also has an impressive history in endurance racing. Littered with iconic racers like the Porsche 919 Evo that set a Nurburgring record a few years ago, and the 935 that is worth seven figures whenever one goes up for sale, Porsche is now adding to this lineage at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed. The Porsche Penske Motorsport team has been hard at work preparing two Porsche 963 hybrid LMDh-spec prototypes and now we finally get to see them. Starting next year, these racers are set to enter the FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

The specific racing car we got to see up close in Goodwood is finished in white, red, and black, unlike the disguised prototypes we saw previously. These are the traditional Porsche motor racing colors. Porsche says design inspiration came from the 956 and 962 from the 1980s, and at the back, a strip of lighting references the current 992-generation 911. It looks sensational, and its specifications are just as impressive. Based on the 918 Spyder hybrid, the main source of power comes from a 4.6-liter twin-turbo V8. Porsche quotes an output of 680 horsepower. The 963 uses an LMP2-category chassis and Canadian company Multimatic supplied it. Porsche also partnered with Bosch, Williams Advanced Engineering, and Xtrac for the hybrid components.

"After 7,889 test kilometers (4,900 miles) during the first half of 2022, we're on a very good path but there is still work to be done before the start of next season," said Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Motorsport. "Our new Porsche 963 should continue the legacy of legendary models such as the 917, 935, 956, 962, and the 919."

The Porsche 963 will make its race debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona in the USA in January 2023. It will compete in the new overall class known as the GTP class. Two headquarters have been selected for the two major championships. The vehicles for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship are to be prepped in Mooresville, North Carolina, while Mannheim in Germany will handle the cars for the FIA WEC.

Excitingly, Porsche promises that the 963 will be available to customers starting in its first year of competition.