Nearly 50 years after Count Rossi stunned the world by commissioning a road-legal Porsche 917 race car, Porsche appears poised to revive that spirit with a modern equivalent: a street-legal version of its 963 Hypercar. In a brief video tribute to the legendary 917 chassis number 30, Porsche teased the possibility of transforming its cutting-edge endurance racer into a road-going machine.
The teaser comes just ahead of the 50th anniversary of April 28, 1975—the day the first road-registered 917 rolled out of Weissach. That car, famously owned by Count Teofilo Guiscardo Rossi di Montelera, was painstakingly modified to comply with road regulations. Mufflers, mirrors, turn signals, and even a horn were added, alongside custom Hermès leather upholstery and a hidden spare tire—all in pursuit of street legality for a car designed to conquer Le Mans.
In the final moments of Porsche’s newly released anniversary video, a cryptic question appears on screen: “What if?” The moment is punctuated by a shadowy glimpse of what strongly resembles the 963 LMDh race car, which currently competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
While no official details have been released, insiders speculate the mystery car will be a one-off road-legal 963, created in the same spirit as Count Rossi’s 917. Porsche is expected to unveil the model—presumably dubbed 917/963—at or around this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.
With the original 917 street car now an automotive legend, the modern interpretation promises to become one of the most exclusive creations ever to wear the Porsche crest, reinforcing the brand’s dominance in both track engineering and design fantasy.
Is it June yet?
Shawn Henry