2023 Porsche 911 The Sport Classic is one of the most intriguing special 911s we’ve ever seen. PorscheThe powertrain, exterior design, interior materials and more for this car make it a unique proposition in the vast 911 family.
911 Turbo WILL is the mechanical starting point of this car, but important revisions give you elements long forbidden by Models of 911 Turbo like manual transmission and rear-wheel drive – you know, how Turbo starts. Those familiar with the 911 Turbo will know that today Porsche only sells it with a PDK transmission and all-wheel drive, which makes the powertrain setup in the Sport Classic interesting.
7-speed manual transmission (PDK is not optional) is obtained from non-Turbo 911 model, and to ensure that the transmission could maintain the power of the Turbo S, Porsche tuned the engine. In the Sport Classic, the 3.7-liter twin-turbo 6.7-liter engine produces 543 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. That is significantly less than 640 590 pound-feet of horsepower and torque are found in the Turbo S, but that’s the penalty you pay for going the traditional three-pedal route. Even with reduced power, the Sport Classic can still tout it as the most powerful Porsche with a manual transmission in its lineup today. For comparison, GT3 manual is closest at 502 hp.
Despite the drop in power, the Sport Classic still has all the performance upgrades of the Turbo S. That means it comes standard with Porsche Active Suspension, Control System. Porsche dynamic chassis, ceramic brake, rear-wheel drive, Sport Chrono Package and Sport Exhaust. Compared to the Turbo S, Porsche says it has slightly reduced the front spring ratio because the car does not have all-wheel drive. It’s also been tuned for the road, not the track, to make it a more comfortable touring car.
Perhaps more impressive than the powertrain setup is the exterior design. Porsche designers and engineers tell us they asked a lot of big and expensive questions when designing this car, and the answer to each of them is yes. The team started with the 911 Turbo S because they wanted the remarkably wide body that the Turbo offers. Once acquired, several body modifications were made. The biggest and most impressive change is the all-new rear fender design. While the Turbo and Turbo S have air intakes in the rear fenders, the Sport Classic has completely smooth and supple hips. This gave the designers a clean look, but Porsche required significant engineering work to ensure the Turbo S engine received the air it needed. Plus, it required completely new tools to stamp the dashboard, as the wide, airless Turbo body was something Porsche had never done before. The air intake problem has been solved through ducts integrated into the new rear spoiler. That ducktail spoiler itself is meant to be a modern take on the ducktail spoiler from 1972-73 911 Carrera RS 2.7.
The roof is made of carbon, and is different from the one used on the Turbo S – you’ll notice the Sport Classic’s hood is recessed in the middle. This particular model also features a unique dual-bubble carbon roof that you won’t see on the Turbo S. A modern interpretation of the Fuchs design wheels are located at all four corners, and these have central locking.
If you’ve absorbed the heritage and classic touches by now, that’s fine. This 911 Sport Classic alone is special enough, but it’s really part of the Porsche Heritage Design strategy that began. with 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition (red image above) and will continue with future models. Porsche badges use in car which is meant to look like they did in 1963. It uses gold badging on the rear grille, similar to what you see on a Porsche 356. Even color heritage inspired program. The exterior sports metallic gray is inspired by the Fashion Gray color, first used on the 356. Sporty Metallic Gray with “Light Sport Gray” stripes is the standard exterior theme, but you can also specify Black, Onyx Gray or Metallic Blue Gray for the exterior of the Sport Classic.
To keep the classic look consistent, Porsche removed the all aerodynamic Turbo S’. The moving front spoiler is replaced by a fixed spoiler, and the moving rear spoiler is replaced by the aforementioned ducktail spoiler. Again, it’s about comfort and style on the road, not maximum track performance. You will be able to choose any number you want to stick on the side of 1-99. Porsche even notes that the number is affixed to the decal so that future owners can remove it and replace it with a number of their choice at a later date.
The classic touches continue inside. You’ll notice the seat centers and doors are upholstered in Pepita fabric meant to be a reminiscent of the 1960s and 1970s. If you like an all-black leather interior, Porsche will oblige, but don’t be boring. The leather combination with Pepita is semi-aniline leather and Porsche says this is the first time it has used this type of leather since 918 Spyder. The interior decoration is made of Paldao wood which is quite dark. The green accents in the cluster and the white needles further enhance the classic aim. Meanwhile, the interior is basically decked out with every possible leather and Race-Tex option – this car will be massively expensive on Porsche configurations if you determine it is fitted.
Model-specific captions include the unique 911 Sport Classic logo on the door sill panels and a special badge on the dashboard passenger faceplate displaying the vehicle’s specific production number. Speaking of production numbers, Porsche is limiting the 911 Sport Classic to a worldwide production run of 1,250 units. Pricing information is currently unavailable, but expect it to be very high. Porsche says owners will be able to purchase a unique Porsche Design watch that matches their vehicle’s specifications. Deliveries of the Sport Classic are expected to begin in the US by the end of 2022.
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