The German automaker got it right with the 2023 Porsche 911 Sport Classic. Aiming to infuse vintage styling with the powertrain of modern 911 sports cars, we weren’t expecting Porsche to imbibe the 911 Sport Classic with analog components that could make it the best new 911 in our book.
2023 Porsche 911 Sport Classic: What’s New?
The new 911 Sport Classic is based on a 992-Series 911 Turbo S with the same rear-mounted, twin-turbocharged 3.7-liter flat-six and widebody kit. However, the similarities end there because the Sport Classic has a rear-wheel drivetrain and – at last! – an exclusive seven-speed manual gearbox.
A standard 911 Turbo with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic and all-wheel drive has 572 horsepower and 553 lb-ft. of torque. But the manual needs to work nicely with the twin-turbo engine, so Porsche engineers had to dial down the power output. Still, the Sport Classic has 543 horsepower and 442 lb-ft. of torque at its disposal, routed to the rear wheels for a vintage 911 driving experience.
We’re also expecting the acceleration numbers to suffer marginally with the seven-speed manual, but the 911 Sport Classic is not about neck-breaking agility from the onset. The 911 Turbo goes from zero to 60 mph in a scant 2.4 seconds, but it has all-wheel traction, lightning-quick gear changes, launch control, and 29 more horses. Honestly, we don’t care how the 911 Sport Classic rushes to 60 mph from a standstill simply for how it looks.
Vintage-Inspired Styling
You wouldn’t mistake the Sport Classic for any other Porsche than a 911. It has a fixed spoiler lip, black LED-Matrix headlights, and a carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) hood, the latter not available for a standard 911 Turbo. The unique hood has an indentation in the center to match the vehicle’s model-exclusive double-bubble roof, a homage to the first-ever 911 Sport Classic based on the Type-997 Porsche 911.
The Sport Classic has bespoke Sport Grey Metallic paint with contrasting light gray stripes, but you can get it in non-metallic Black, Agate Gray Metallic, or Gentian Gray Metallic if you don’t prefer the stock gray paint. Porsche decided to liven up the body with decals instead of paint should owners wish to have them removed later for a more subdued, non-racing vibe. The Porsche script, white lollipop body graphics, and heritage badges are standard, and buyers can choose any number between 1 to 99 to fill the lollipops at no extra cost.
Unique to the new 911 Sport Classic is a set of Fuchs-inspired center-lock wheels measuring 20-inches in the front and 21-inches at the back. Speaking of the back, the Sport Classic has a prominent CFRP ducktail spoiler with new ducts underneath to cool the engine. In a standard 911 turbo, the rear fender has air intakes to feed and cool the motor, but the Sport Classic has wider fenders with deleted air intakes to “gain even more visual emphasis,” said Porsche.
2023 Porsche 911 Sport Classic Hardware
Since the Sport Classic is a 911 Turbo S with old-school styling elements, it comes standard with generous heapings of performance-enhancing hardware. It has carbon-ceramic brakes with black calipers, Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC), the Sport Chrono Package, and a new exhaust system. Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) with a 10-millimeter lower ride height and rear-axle steering are both standard.
Throwback Interior
Porsche said the new 911 Sport Classic’s interior is meant to “call back the 1960s and 1970s,” and it manages to impress. The nostalgia starts with Pepita inserts on the seat centers and door panels combined with semi-aniline leather upholstery in classic Cognac or black. Furthermore, you’ll find perforated Race-Tex fabric on the headliner and body pillars. Meanwhile, the cabin is resplendent in open-pore dark Paldao wood trim, while all Sport Classic models receive a badge on the passenger side to indicate the limited production run.
Porsche Chronograph 911 Sport Classic
Buyers of the 2023 Porsche 911 Sport Classic also receive a unique wristwatch from Porsche Design called the Chronograph 911 Sport Classic. The timepiece has a two-tone titanium casing, a Werk 01.200 Porsche design mechanical chronograph caliber (certified by the COSC or the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres in Switzerland), anti-glare sapphire crystal glass, and a quick-change wristband. As expected, the watch is configurable to match the car.
2023 Porsche 911 Sport Classic: Pricing
Pricing and other details remain forthcoming for the 2023 Porsche 911 Sport Classic, but we expect the base MSRP to start above $250,000. It’s a lot of money, but only 1,250 units of the 911 Sport Classic will exist worldwide, making it an ultra-exclusive, collectible model.
Alvin Reyes is an Automoblog feature columnist and an expert in sports and performance cars. He studied civil aviation, aeronautics, and accountancy in his younger years and is still very much smitten to his former Lancer GSR and Galant SS. He also likes fried chicken, music, and herbal medicine.
Photos & Source: Porsche Cars North America, Inc.
