Few cars at the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans told a more complete story than the #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963. Disqualified from qualifying for being below the minimum weight, the car started from the back of the Hypercar grid on 14 June 2025, yet crossed the finish line second overall after 387 laps — separated from the winning #83 Ferrari 499P by just 14.084 seconds. IXO Models documents that result in die-cast metal at 1:18 scale, in the standard white and red Porsche Penske Motorsport livery the car wore throughout the 2025 season.
Engineering the 963: LMDh's common platform, Porsche's own engine
The Porsche 963 carries the internal type designation 9R0 and is built around an LMP2-derived carbon-fibre monocoque with an aluminium honeycomb core, constructed by Canadian firm Multimatic. Its 4,593 cc 90-degree twin-turbocharged V8, designated 9RD, traces its lineage directly to the 4.6-litre unit in the Porsche 918 Spyder road car. Under the LMDh regulations, every competitor shares identical spec hybrid components: a 50 kW Bosch MGU, a Williams Advanced Engineering lithium-ion battery and an Xtrac P1359 7-speed sequential gearbox. Combined system output is capped at approximately 500 kW. The car measures 5,100 mm long, 2,000 mm wide and rides on a 3,148 mm wheelbase.
From the back of the grid to the podium in 24 hours
The #6 crew of Matt Campbell (Australia), Kévin Estre (France) and Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium) began the race from the back of the Hypercar field following their qualifying exclusion. On lap one, Estre overtook seven rivals immediately. Within approximately two hours the 963 had joined the leading group, where it remained in contention for 24 hours without mechanical failure. In the closing stages a well-timed pit stop allowed Estre to jump the #50 Ferrari and secure second place. All three Porsche Penske Motorsport factory cars — numbers 4, 5 and 6 — completed the full race distance, finishing 2nd, 6th and 8th. The 14-second deficit to victory was the narrowest the 963 had achieved at Le Mans since the programme debuted in 2023.
IXO Models at 1:18: die-cast metal for a modern endurance racer
IXO Models renders the #6 car in die-cast metal at 1:18 scale, the format that best rewards the 963's aerodynamic surface work — from its low nose profile to the rear diffuser assembly. The livery reproduces the white and red Porsche Penske Motorsport colour scheme confirmed across the 2025 WEC season, not the multi-stripe centenary livery used in 2023. IXO is building a systematic 1:18 library of the 963 programme across both WEC and IMSA, making this model a natural continuation of that series rather than a standalone release.
In the cabinet: scale, footprint and collection context
At 1:18, the model measures approximately 28.5 cm in length, reflecting the real car's 5,100 mm body. That footprint demands a shelf depth of at least 12 cm and pairs naturally with other 1:18 Hypercar-era subjects — the sister #5 963 from the same race, the #7 Daytona 2025 winner, or the Ferrari 499P that finished 14 seconds ahead. For collectors building a 2025 WEC season narrative, this is the only confirmed 1:18 die-cast representation of a podium-finishing Porsche from that Le Mans.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the 1:18 scale model?
The Porsche 963 measures 5,100 mm in real life. Divided by 18, the model comes to approximately 28.5 cm in length. Allow a shelf depth of at least 12 cm to accommodate the car's wide 2,000 mm real-world bodywork, which scales to roughly 11 cm across.
Does the model have opening parts?
Opening parts are not confirmed for this release. The detail is concentrated on the exterior surfaces — bodywork, aerodynamic elements and livery graphics — which is typical of IXO's die-cast endurance car models at this scale.
Is the 963 a purpose-built Le Mans prototype or adapted from a road car?
It is a purpose-built prototype. The 963 uses an LMP2-derived carbon-fibre monocoque constructed by Multimatic and carries Porsche's own 4,593 cc twin-turbo V8 (type 9RD), which shares its architecture with the engine from the 918 Spyder hypercar. It has no direct road-car equivalent.
Why did the #6 start from the back of the grid at Le Mans 2025?
The car was excluded from qualifying for being below the minimum weight, placing it at the rear of the Hypercar grid. The crew of Estre, Vanthoor and Campbell recovered to second overall across 387 laps — the best WEC Le Mans result for the 963 since the programme launched in 2023.
