Historic Apple Porsche colors return on Porsche 963 at Laguna Seca

More than four decades after an Apple-branded Porsche first hit the track, Porsche Penske Motorsport revives the rainbow livery on its 963 prototypes for a one-off run at Laguna Seca.

The livery revives the rainbow-striped look of a 1980 Porsche 935, marking the 75th anniversary of Porsche Motorsport and the 50th anniversary of Apple. It will appear on May 3 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Porsche based the look on a Dick Barbour Racing Porsche 935 K3 that carried Apple branding during the 1980 season, including an entry at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Both factory-entered 963 cars will wear it for the fourth round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, limiting the tribute to a single race.

Oliver Schusser, Vice President Apple Music, Sports and Beats, said the collaboration continues a relationship that began in 1980, when a Porsche race car first carried its logo. The companies are using Laguna Seca to reconnect with today's motorsport program, but the change is limited to branding.

Porsche Penske Motorsport enters Laguna Seca leading the championship standings after early-season wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor will drive the No. 6 Porsche 963, while Julien Andlauer and Felipe Nasr will share the No. 7 car.

The livery revives the rainbow-striped look of a 1980 Porsche 935. Image credit: Porsche

Laguna Seca serves as a deliberate choice for the tribute because the track sits about 80 miles south of Apple Park in Cupertino. The circuit has also hosted multiple Rennsport Reunion events, which ties the collaboration to both companies' history.

Both anniversaries land in 2026, with Apple marking 50 years since its 1976 founding and Porsche Motorsport reaching 75 years since 1951. Porsche uses that direct link to give the tribute more weight and to justify keeping the design to a single race.

The Laguna Seca round runs two hours and 40 minutes and serves as the fourth stop on the IMSA calendar. Porsche's 963 program remains the focus on track regardless of the one-off livery.

Apple stays involved through partnerships and services tied to motorsports without expanding its role. Porsche uses the tribute to reinforce its heritage while its prototype program continues to run at the front of the championship.