We recently learned that the Porsche 963 LMDh hypercar would carry a scandalous price tag that nudges $3 million. For that money, you could buy 12 different examples of the 911 Turbo, but no 911 can do what the 963 can. A 4.6-liter twin-turbo V8 hybrid derived from the naturally aspirated V8 in the spectacular 918 Spyder hypercar is the main source of motivation for the monstrous machine, producing up to 670 horsepower. Of course, those figures are somewhat disappointing in an age where four-digit horsepower claims are common, but you don't buy a race car for its straight-line speed alone. You buy it for what it can do in the corners and based on the 963's run at the recent Goodwood Festival of Speed, that $2.9 million price tag seems totally fair.

Showcasing its hybrid nature, the endurance racer pulls away on electric power alone, whining as it does so. Thankfully, this isn't a near-silent run, and that glorious V8 roars into life just a couple of seconds later. As you'd expect, the car looks very stable at speed and moves with agility through the corners. That being said, it quickly becomes apparent that the driver is not giving it the full beans, but since this is a nearly $3 million prototype on a bumpy track with camber changes and not much grip, a bit of trepidation seems warranted. Either way, it sounds spectacular, especially in the upper reaches of the rev range where a high-pitched shriek manifests itself. Endurance racing will clearly continue to sound magnificent.

Porsche will have plenty of competition when it joins the new Hypercar class: Acura, BMW, Cadillac, Peugeot, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Alpine, Toyota, and Aston Martin are all expected to add to the endurance racing spectacle. Even Dodge could join the party. At the same time, recent reports have confirmed that Porsche remains committed to joining Formula 1, so the Zuffenhausen-based outfit will have plenty of motorsport commitments to deal with this decade. As excited as we are about Porsche joining F1, endurance racing is where the German brand has shown significant prowess in the past, and with the support of Penske, that trend seems likely to continue.