Porsche 963 LMDh Drives through Goodwood

Porsche officially unveiled last week at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed the sports prototype developed for the new LMDh (Le Mans Daytona Hybrid) race car category, which will be eligible for both the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA Sports Car Championship top classes, the Hypercar and GTP (Grand Touring Prototype) classes respectively, from 2023. Le Mans Daytona Hybrid) race car category, respectively.

The race car is named 963, meaning that it is a direct successor to the 962 that competed in IMSA's GTP class in the 1980s. This time, Porsche will enter the 963 in both the sports car and WEC championships.

In accordance with LMDh rules, the car's powertrain is a hybrid setup, capable of producing a maximum output of approximately 670 hp at any given time. The internal combustion component is confirmed to be a twin-turbo 4.6-liter V-8 related to the engine of the hypercar 918 Spyder. Thomas Rodenbach, Porsche's vice president of motorsport, said in a statement that the V-8 twin turbo was chosen for its performance, weight, and cost.

Regulations limit the engine to a maximum speed of 10,000 rpm, a maximum noise level of 110 decibels, and a minimum weight of 180 kg, including intake, exhaust, cooling, and forced air intake systems. The engine is also designed to run on renewable fuels, which allows for a significant reduction in CO2 emissions.

According to Porsche, the V-8 engine is capable of producing an output that meets any balance-of-performance parameter between 643 hp and 697 hp. As mentioned earlier, the combined output of the engine and electric drive system is only about 670 hp, measured at half shaft.

The 963 features a single motor-generator, which appears to be located on the front axle. The motor-generator and associated control electronics are supplied by Bosch, while the race car's battery and transmission are supplied by Williams Advanced Engineering and Extrac, respectively. The video shows the car starting in electric mode and the V8 engine starting as the speed increases.

Porsche, along with the American Team Penske, will run LMDh campaigns in both the sports car championship and the WEC. The team will be based at Penske's headquarters in Mooresville, North Carolina, the same location where Penske oversees its IndyCar and NASCAR campaigns. The team races under the Porsche Penske Motorsports banner and its drivers include Kevin Estre, Michael Christensen, Andre Lotterer, Laurens Vansoor, Matt Campbell, Mathieu Jaminet, Dane Cameron, and Felipe Nasr. Felipe Nasr, among others.

The 963 will also be offered to customer teams after the homologation process is completed this fall. The car's first race will be the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona, the opening race of the 2023 Sports Car Championship.

For more information on the Goodwood Festival of Speed, visit the dedicated hub.