Yahoo Autos Porsche reveals Le Mans Hypercar colors
Porsche revealed an updated livery for the trio of 963 Hypercars that it will run at the Le Mans 24 Hours in June.
The base design that Porsche Penske Motorsport’s 963s currently sport in the FIA World Endurance Championship will remain, but the update — revealed ahead of tomorrow’s 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps — adds stripes to the cars to pay tribute to the brand’s motorsport successes in sports car racing as part of its 75th anniversary celebrations.
The Le Mans-only livery will feature 15 stripes in seven different colors, that will run from the front to the rear of the cars.
Porsche Penske Motorsport reveals Le Mans Centenary colours which celebrates heritage of the numerous iconic liveries of the brand in la Sarthe. ✨#WEC #LeMans24 @PorscheRaces pic.twitter.com/4NDl7fB71N
— FIA World Endurance Championship (@FIAWEC) April 28, 2023
The stripes feature colors from iconic Porsche liveries from the past including the Gulf, “Pink Pig,” “Hippie” and Salzburg 917s, Rothmans 956s, Martini-backed 936s, and Penske-run RS Spyders from the American Le Mans Series.
To differentiate between the three 963s, the fins on each engine cover will be painted in different colors: black for the No. 5 car, white for the No. 6 and red for the brand’s third car, the No. 75.
“In Le Mans, our three Porsche 963 will be truly eye-catching at the 75th anniversary of our brand and the 100th anniversary of the 24-hour race. I do not doubt that this design will immediately win the hearts of fans,” said Porsche’s vice president of motorsport, Thomas Laudenbach.
“We embraced the vehicle designs from Porsche’s rich and illustrious history at Le Mans,” he added. “The 917 as a pink ‘pig’ and the ‘hippie car’ from 1970 — these liveries have made racing history and are still popular today. With our special design on the three Porsche 963, we’re continuing this great tradition at Le Mans.”
“The Porsche 963 has a very long wheelbase, so we had to play with the proportions a bit,” explained Stephane Lenglin, Porsche exterior designer. “The lines of color fanning out to the rear lend beautiful dynamics and harmonious proportions.
“Working on this design was a lot of fun. We played with many different color combinations and finally settled on seven color schemes that allow an immediately recognizable look into Porsche’s long and illustrious history and the special Le Mans liveries. I’m sure that the cars will be well received by the fans.”
