--- title: "A Porsche With an Apple Livery Is Racing at Long Beach This Weekend" description: "Apple and motorsport don't historically have much history together, outside of [one rainbow-liveried Porsche 935]() from 1980. Much more recently, of course, the brand has taken an increased interest in events on track, producing last year's [F1]() movie and [snapping…" date: "2026-04-16" modified: "2026-04-16" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/a-porsche-with-an-apple-livery-is-racing-at-long-beach-this-weekend" categories: - "News" - "Racing" tags: - "porsche" - "race car" --- # A Porsche With an Apple Livery Is Racing at Long Beach This Weekend ![Porsche 963 Apple Music liveries]() *\Porsche\* Apple and motorsport don't historically have much history together, outside of [one rainbow-liveried Porsche 935]() from 1980. Much more recently, of course, the brand has taken an increased interest in events on track, producing last year's [F1]() movie and [snapping up the U.S. rights]() to the sport itself. But the maker of Macs and iPhones is also gearing up for a surprise return appearance on an actual race car, and fittingly, it's another Porsche. Apple Music will sponsor a pair of Penske Porsche 963s at IMSA's Long Beach Grand Prix this weekend, marking 46 years since that iconic 935 contested the likes of Sebring and Le Mans. The streaming service's logo appears large on the Hypercar's slender sides, with some minimal and retro warm-toned stripes breaking up the mostly white bodywork and connecting the headlights. The result looks good, if a little safe, but it does sort of align with Apple's last branded race car. Story goes that the original sponsorship deal came about because Apple founder Steve Jobs was a Porsche fan, and, in the late '70s, took his 356 to Bob Garretson's repair shop in Mountain View, California—a short trip from Cupertino, the town Apple is famously headquartered in. Garretson also drove for Dick Barbour's sports car-racing crew. ![]() **Porsche** One thing led to another, and Apple Computer wound up on one of Barbour's cars for the 1980 season. Garretson was at the helm, alongside legends Bobby Rahal and Alan Moffat. The Apple 935 wasn't particularly successful; it retired halfway through Le Mans and the best the trio mustered was third at Road America. Barbour's previous efforts in '78, '79, and later in '81 were more fruitful. But the car turned heads, and that was the point. As for *this* Apple car, the No. 7 Penske 963 of Julien Andlauer and Felipe Nasr won the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring to kick off the current campaign, so there's a very strong chance the team could continue the brands' shared legacy with a victory. The IMSA race starts at 1 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, April 18, with IndyCar running on Sunday at 2:45 p.m. ![]() ![]() ![]() *Got a tip? Reach out to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()