Suspension update coming for Porsche 963

According to Porsche factory LMDh racing boss Urs Kuratle, the front suspension of the Porsche 963 is likely to be updated ahead of the 2025 FIA WEC and IMSA seasons. If given the green light by regulators, this will be the car’s second ‘Joker’ evolution after the German brand introduced sensor updates ahead of the 2024 Rolex At Daytona in January.

“We have requests, we have conveyed our wishes to the governing bodies (IMSA and ACO) and once approved we will implement the changes to the front suspension parts for testing at Daytona at the end of the month,” Kuratle said. he told RACER.

Kuratle believes the suspension updates will make an impact at a variety of circuits next year by giving the 963 teams greater flexibility in setup.

“This is an area where we think there is an avenue to explore, with engineers and drivers providing feedback,” he said. “This will give us more regulation of the suspension. It will help us throughout the year and make the 963 a more equal car at every track.

“Our tests with it were positive and once we made sure we submitted the paperwork. We are waiting for approval to start producing and distributing parts. We should be ready for the race at Daytona (next January), equipping the cars with the necessary spare parts.

“We have to be careful because there’s only so much ‘Joker’ you can do. It has to make sense, and it has to make sense in the rules. But we are confident that this will make the car better.”

This news comes after Porsche previously scrapped plans earlier in the year to update the 963 with a new 90-degree crankshaft to eliminate vibration issues in the car.

“It’s a token, but to be really honest, the more important thing is the money,” Kuratle told RACER during the June Le Mans week when asked why plans to switch to the new crank arm were canceled. “If we had to replace the crankshaft for a good reason, it would cost us a lot because we would have to update customer cars as well. But the reliability of the 963 has improved greatly and these (vibrations) no longer seem to be a problem.”