The Porsche RS Spyder was an LMP2 racing prototype powered by a 3.4-liter V8. Penske won every American Le Mans Series LMP2 title with it from 2006 to 2008. It also beat the bigger LMP1 cars overall, including at the 2008 12 Hours of Sebring.
In this article, we’ll explain the Porsche RS Spyder, the small prototype that kept beating bigger cars. We’ll cover its V8, the Penske years, and its link to the 918.
Contents
What Was the Porsche RS Spyder
The RS Spyder was Porsche’s return to prototype racing in the mid-2000s. It was a purpose-built, open-cockpit race car for the LMP2 class, with no road version.
The name is a deliberate nod to the 550 Spyder of the 1950s, Porsche’s original giant-killer. Like the 550, the RS Spyder was a small, light car that made its name beating bigger machinery.
Built for LMP2
LMP2 was the second tier of prototype racing, below the LMP1 cars from Audi and later Peugeot. The rules gave LMP2 cars less power but a lower minimum weight. On tight tracks, that trade could make a well-built LMP2 car faster than the big cars.
The RS Spyder made its race debut at Laguna Seca in late 2005. Sascha Maassen and Lucas Luhr won LMP2 and finished fifth overall first time out. For a brand-new car, that was a strong start.
For the wider endurance story, our Porsche at Le Mans guide covers Porsche’s long history at the 24 Hours.
The 3.4-Liter V8
Porsche built a new 3.4-liter, naturally aspirated V8 for the car. In its 2006 and 2007 form it made 476 hp at 10,000 rpm and 370 Nm of torque.
In mid-2008, Porsche added direct fuel injection, the same tech it was putting in the Cayenne and 911. Power rose to 503 hp at 10,000 rpm, and torque rose to 385 Nm. The change also cut fuel use, which helps a lot in endurance racing.
That V8 is the part of the RS Spyder that lived on. We’ll come back to it in the 918 and 963 section below.
The Penske Years
Three straight titles
Roger Penske’s team ran the RS Spyder in the American Le Mans Series. Penske won every LMP2 title in the series from 2006 to 2008. That’s three straight championships for a car that had only just debuted.
Beating Audi in 2007
The big year was 2007. Porsche brought an Evo version with all-new aero, a change so big it required changes to the tub. The car was also about 330 pounds lighter than the LMP1 Audi R10.
The result was a run of eight overall wins in the middle of the season, beating the Le Mans-winning Audis. Romain Dumas said they did it with 200 horsepower less than the Audis. He and Timo Bernhard took the 2007 LMP2 drivers’ title.
Sebring 2008
The win people remember most came at the 2008 12 Hours of Sebring. Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas, and Emmanuel Collard took the Penske car to an overall victory.
Sebring is one of the toughest endurance races in the world. It was the first win there in 14 years for a car outside the top prototype class. Beating the LMP1 cars over 12 hours was a much bigger deal than winning a short sprint race.
Le Mans and Europe
In 2008 the RS Spyder also came to Europe with customer teams. Van Merksteijn Motorsport and Team Essex ran cars in the Le Mans Series, and Van Merksteijn won the title.
At the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans, Peter van Merksteijn, Jeroen Bleekemolen, and Jos Verstappen won LMP2 and finished 10th overall. Team Essex came back in 2009 and won the class again.
From RS Spyder to 918 and 963
The RS Spyder helped develop the 918 Spyder and the 919 Hybrid. The clearest link is the V8. The 918’s road-car V8 grew out of the RS Spyder’s racing engine.
The story kept going. The twin-turbo V8 in the Porsche 963 also traces back to the RS Spyder. It’s a much bigger engine, at 4.6 liters with two turbos and a hybrid system. The family resemblance is in the basic V8 design.
The RS Spyder and Its Relatives
Porsche has used the Spyder name a lot, and the RS Spyder’s engine lives on in later cars. Here’s how they fit together.
| Car | What it was | How it relates |
|---|---|---|
| 550 Spyder | 1950s sports racer | The car the RS Spyder is named after |
| 718 RS 60 Spyder | 1960 sports racer with a flat-four | Won Sebring in 1960, 48 years before the RS Spyder |
| RS Spyder | 2000s LMP2 prototype with a 3.4-liter V8 | Won three straight ALMS LMP2 titles, 2006 to 2008 |
| 918 Spyder | Road-going hybrid hypercar | Its V8 grew out of the RS Spyder engine |
| 963 | 2020s hybrid prototype | Its 4.6-liter twin-turbo V8 also traces back to the RS Spyder |
RS Spyders Today
RS Spyders still turn up at historic events like Goodwood and Porsche’s Rennsport Reunion. They were built to race, so each car’s history is different.
If you’re looking at one for sale, start with the chassis number. Then check which teams ran it, its race history, and any crash repairs. Ask for engine and gearbox rebuild records too. On a race car, the history is worth more than the badge. Specialists with Porsche archive access can confirm it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Porsche RS Spyder?
The Porsche RS Spyder was an LMP2 racing prototype that raced from 2005. It used a 3.4-liter V8 and was run by Penske in America and by customer teams in Europe.
How much horsepower did the RS Spyder have?
Porsche quoted 476 hp at 10,000 rpm for the 2006 and 2007 engine. Direct fuel injection raised that to 503 hp in mid-2008.
What did the RS Spyder win?
Penske won every American Le Mans Series LMP2 title from 2006 to 2008. The car also won the 2008 12 Hours of Sebring overall and took LMP2 wins at Le Mans in 2008 and 2009.
Did the RS Spyder beat the Audi R10?
Yes. In 2007 the Penske RS Spyders scored eight overall wins in the American Le Mans Series, beating the LMP1 Audi R10 despite giving away about 200 horsepower.
Is the RS Spyder related to the 918 Spyder?
Yes. The RS Spyder helped develop the 918 Spyder and the 919 Hybrid. The 918 and 963 V8s both trace back to the RS Spyder engine, though both are bigger.
Images: Muscle Milk Team Cytosport RS Spyder, 2010 by TorontoGuy79, CC BY-SA 4.0. Penske Racing RS Spyder, 2007 by TorontoGuy79, CC BY-SA 4.0. RS Spyder wind tunnel model by Morio, CC BY-SA 3.0. Penske RS Spyder cockpit by Schen, CC BY 2.0. Van Merksteijn RS Spyder, Silverstone 2008 by Darren, CC BY 2.0. Penske 2008 Sebring-winning RS Spyder Evo by OctaviaCombi, CC BY-SA 4.0. RS Spyder chassis 9R6.706 by Calreyn88, CC BY-SA 4.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.
