50 years since the birth of the road-legal Porsche 917, Porsche 963 may also be released as a road-legal model

The first time the Porsche 917 ran on public roads was on April 28, 1975.

The other dayI just wrote about my visit to the Porsche Experience Center Los Angeles (PEC LA)However, "917" is also the name of a restaurant inside PEC LA.

This 917, the Porsche 917, first ran on public roads on April 28, 1975, so this year, April 28, 2025, Porsche will be marking the "anniversary of the first Porsche 917 running on public roads 50 years ago."

I thought to myself, "They've been announcing a lot of details (sorry to say that), but this announcement doesn't just mean "It's the 50th anniversary," it seems to be more like a prologue to something.

Let's leave aside the question of what this prologue is about for now, and start by looking at the Porsche 917, a race car that Porsche released that can also be driven on public roads:

A street-legal race car: Porsche 917 Chassis 30

• The 917 chassis 30 was originally a race car, and featured numerous improvements that made it a leader in endurance racing in the early 1970s.
• Some of these improvements were required by the race regulations at the time.
• Other improvements were made at the request of the owner, Gregorio Rossi di Montelera (also known as Count Ross), an Italian businessman and Porsche enthusiast, and heir to the Martini family.

• The Martini Silver body is fitted with a simple muffler, additional mirrors, side indicators and a horn.
• Under the rear clamshell was a spare tire, a regulation required for race participation.

• The interior was designed with comfort in mind, and the two seats were finished in tan leather, which was one of the requirements for endurance racing at the time.
• This tan leather finish was actually made to order by Hermes.
• Suede surfacer was used on the roof lining, doors and dashboard.

• The gear shift lever has the same wooden finish as the race car, and the lightweight drilled key is still included.
• The car originally had Alabama license plates acquired by Count Rossi.

• Today, the car continues to be enjoyed by its current enthusiastic owner on the open roads of southern France.
• Currently registered in the UK
• Recently restored (while preserving the original paint and interior), it's ready to wow other road users for the next half century.

• Making this 917 into a car that could be driven on public roads as well as on the track was a bold venture driven by the passion of a private owner and the strong will of a small team within Porsche to fulfill customer requests, no matter how outlandish.
• The first test drive on public roads didn't just involve a careful cruise on local roads, but covered hundreds of miles before arriving in Paris.
• This feat would inspire many adventures in the decades to come.

...And now that the 917 racing car is able to run on public roads, it is said that "even after 50 years, the spirit and passion of Porsche still lives on." At the end of this announcement, Porsche said:

what if?

The text ends with this:

what if? In other words, it means "what if?" or, more specifically, "what if...?"

This means that the part that goes into "~" is likely hidden, and it will likely become a grand story that continues from this prologue.

A video has also been released about this matter, and at the end of the video, the word "what if?" is followed by "June 2025" and this suspicious image appears for a moment, and the video ends:

June 2025?

Did something happen in June?

???

!!!!

Porsche 963 that can be driven on public roads may be announced

Yes. Of course, June is the birthday of Porsche, the day the "Porsche 356 No.1 Roadster" was registered, but from the perspective of racing, there is also the Le Mans 24 Hours!

Porsche Penske Motorsport will be running three Porsche 963s, which are said to look very similar to the silhouette of the car shown at the end of the video.

In other words, Porsche may be repeating the undying enthusiasm it had 50 years ago when it turned the Porsche 917 race car into a model that could be driven on public roads, and now, 50 years later, it is trying to turn the Porsche 963 into a model that can be driven on public roads.

What if? Is the correct answer "What if the Porsche 963 were allowed to drive on public roads?"

Even if a 963 were to be released that could be driven on public roads...who would buy it, and where would they drive it?

Here is the video (0:49)↓

Source:
◆(Official)Porsche celebrates fifty years since the original audacious adventure
◆Is Porsche Working On A Roadgoing Le Mans Racer?

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