The 24 Hours of Le Mans is going to be interesting in 2023. After Toyota dominated the race for five years in a row, the 2023 racing season is going to bring back some fierce competition. One of the makers that will make a return is Porsche, and its new 963 LMDh prototype race car was unveiled at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed. At its unveiling, Porsche announced that in the next few months the racer will be put under extreme testing to prepare for the IMSA GTP and WEC Hypercar classes. Youtube user Lanky Turtle spotted the 963 LMDh during one of these testing session at the Sebring Raceway in Florida.

Unlike the prototype presented at Goodwood that featured a white, red, and black paint scheme - a tribute to Porsche’s racing history - the racer caught testing is wearing a simple all-black paint with a few white Porsche and Penske contrasting logos. What remains a constant for both prototypes is that huge rear wing that helps improve the car’s aerodynamics. Of course the model that will enter the race will feature a more interesting paint scheme, as black is just a commodity for the testing session.

The best part of the video is of course the engine sound. As per LMDh regulations, the 963 LMDh is powered by a 4.6-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine combined with hybrid components supplied by Bosch, Williams Advanced Engineering, and Xtrac. The hybrid system delivers a total of 680 horsepower. While there are no restrictions with regards to engine displacement, it shouldn't be louder than 110 decibels. No matter what, when pushed to the limits, the engine sounds amazing and there is no doubt about how fast the 962 is! It also appears that Porsche equipped the 963 with a very stiff suspension - just look how it bounces on the track.

The new race car will compete with the Porsche Penske Motors team starting the 2023 racing season. However, interested teams can purchase the racer for the amazing price of $2.9 million. And, for the first in a very long time, anything is possible at Le Mans. Companies like Acura, Ferrari, Peugeot, or Toyota will offer Porsche many reasons to fear. In the next few months, the car will continue its testing session on race tracks from Mannheim, Germany for the FIA World Endurance Championship and in Mooresville, North Carolina, USA for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.