Ahead of this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans, Porsche has introduced a street-legal sister to the 963 Hypercar—the 963 RSP.

Based on the IMSA and WEC championship-winning car, the machine closely follows the design direction taken by the 917 "Count Rossi" from 50 years ago and made its debut on the streets near the Circuit de la Sarthe in France.

In April 1975, the 917—the most advanced endurance race car at that time–made the journey on public roads from the Porsche factory in Zuffenhausen to Paris, France. The owner insisted on as few changes as possible to the car, which remains in France, and on the road, to this day.

The 963 RSP features significant changes over the car on which it is based. Unlike the competition racecars, which are wrapped in different colors, the 963 RSP is the first of its kind to be painted; a unique challenge due to the nature of the carbon fiber and Kevlar bodywork which is ultra-thin in places to save weight.

In a nod to the Count Rossi 917, the 963 RSP is finished in Martini Silver and features uniquely altered bodywork and a bespoke tan leather and Alcantara interior inspired by the trim choices made by Count Rossi 50 years ago.

The 963 is powered by a 4.6-L twin-turbocharged V8 making up to approximately 680 hp that has its origins in the RS Spyder race program operated by Penske which claimed all titles in the LMP2 class of the American Le Mans Series from 2006 to 2008. The engine was enlarged from 3.4 to 4.6L and then used in the limited-production 918 Spyder road car, which debuted in 2013. While the 918 Spyder used the engine in naturally aspirated form, the 963 pairs it with two turbochargers provided by the Dutch manufacturer Van der Lee.

A dedicated mechanical and electronic setup were configured for its debut on the streets near Le Mans—including a raised ride height and softened dampers, as well as a reprogrammed control unit to allow for the headlights and taillights to operate closer to those of a road car. These changes, along with modified bodywork to cover the wheel arches, the use of Michelin wet weather compound tires and even the fitment of a horn meant the car met the necessary criteria to be allowed to drive on the road and wear license plates under special permission from the French authorities and with the support of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), which runs the 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

For more information, visit porsche.com.