Porsche Teases A Hypercar As It Celebrates 50 Years Of The Street-Legal 917

Porsche is one of just a handful of brands that has a strong lineage of both race cars and road cars in equal measure. Come April 28th, Porsche will celebrate another milestone. On April 28, 1975, a Porsche 917K that had dominated Le Mans just a few years prior rolled out of the development center in Weissach, heading not towards a racetrack but bound for Paris instead.

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A man in a suit stands next to a street-legal 917, its Dunlop tires and license plate visible, parked on a stone-paved area in front of a modern building—a tribute to Porsche 50 years of timeless automotive design.

A silver vintage street-legal 917 race car with a low, aerodynamic body is parked on pavement in front of a corrugated metal wall—a striking tribute to Porsche 50 years of racing legacy.

A silver street-legal 917 Porsche race car is parked on a driveway before a stone building, with a red vintage tractor in the background—an iconic scene echoing 50 years of Porsche hypercar heritage.

A silver classic race car, reminiscent of a street-legal 917, with black wheels is parked on a gravel surface in front of green bushes and a stone building.

Interior view of a vintage sports car, reminiscent of a street-legal 917, featuring tan bucket seats, a black steering wheel, and a simple dashboard, with sunlight streaming through the side window—a nod to Porsche hypercar heritage spanning over 50 years.

A classic Porsche 917 race car with a large rear wing, celebrating 50 years of racing heritage, is parked outside a row of closed garage doors.

Italian count Gregorio Rossi di Montelera, a passionate Porsche customer, wanted the impossible: a road-going 917. At his request, Chassis 30 was modified for street use, picking up additional mirrors, a horn, turn signals, exhaust mufflers, and a spare tire. Inside, the seats were trimmed in tan leather from Hermès, with suede on the dashboard, doors, and roof, reminiscent of the 1970s. The car also retained its original wooden shift knob. Whereas racing 917s featured iconic Gulf Racing or Salzburg liveries, chassis 30 was refinished in Martini silver. An Alabama license plate sealed its identity.

Now, 50 years later, Porsche seems ready to tap into that spirit once again, as the German automaker has teased something special. From the profile, it appears to be a street-legal version of the 963 race car. Set for a June 2025 debut, it coincides with this year’s 2024 Hours of Le Mans. Could this be Porsche’s next flagship hypercar, i.e., the successor to the 918 Spyder and potential rival to the McLaren W1 and Ferrari F80? The abandoned 919 Street and electric Mission X, once seen as a possibility, appear to be less likely amid a broader slowdown in the EV market. A 963-derived hypercar, blending Porsche’s latest endurance racing tech with real-world usability, could be the perfect answer to a new-age ‘Holy Trinity’.

A red and black Porsche 963 hypercar is on display, with its silhouette beneath and people visible in the background—a fitting tribute to Porsche 50 years of racing excellence.

The connection with the past runs deep. Packing a flat-12 engine developed by the legendary Hans Mezger, it was the 917K that gave Porsche its first Le Mans victory back in 1970 at the hands of Richard Attwood and Hans Hermann. That win didn’t just put Porsche on the map but also made it the brand it is today, and that motorsport legacy continues to this day with the 963 race car. As Count Rossi’s Martini Silver 917k continues to take on the street in the South of France, a new generation of Porsche drivers may soon be able to experience something similar in a new-age hypercar come June.

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Image Source: Porsche