2023 Porsche 911 Sport Classic is turbocharged, rear-wheel drive — and manual only

Article and photos by: Damon Lowney and Porsche

Porsche announced a new limited-edition sports car, the 911 Sport Classic, which is based on the 911 Turbo chassis and powertrain yet comes exclusively with a seven-speed manual transmission and rear-wheel drive. There will be 1,250 cars produced.

The 992 Sport Classic’s turbo flat six, manual transmission, and rear-wheel drive positively scream GT2, but the official inspiration was the 1973 911 Carrera RS 2.7, a car covered in-depth recently in this YouTube video, and the 997 Sport Classic (which was also inspired by the Carrera RS 2.7). Porsche makes clear that the new Sport Classic is a high-style sports car meant for driving enjoyment, not for turning record lap times like its GT RS cars.

Though the Sport Classic is based on the 911 Turbo, it comes with a less potent 543 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. Apparently 572 hp and 553 lb-ft were too much for the seven-speed manual to handle, though it has still grabbed the title of the most powerful 911 currently offered with a manual transmission. Also missing is the Turbo’s all-wheel-drive system, shedding weight and increasing driver responsibility — just like a GT2. Porsche also got rid of the intake openings on the rear fenders, which was not an insignificant task due to the engineering and new tooling it required.

The Sport Classic keeps the Turbo’s carbon ceramic brakes (but with black instead of yellow calipers), active anti-roll bars, and rear axle steering. A sport exhaust system is standard as is Sport Chrono Package. Porsche says the front spring rates are softer than the Turbo’s to compensate for the lighter front end, and the car sits 10 millimeters lower.

The 992 Sport Classic’s arrival comes just two months after Porsche Club of America (PCA) and Porsche unveiled the 996-gen 911 Classic Club Coupe, a restomod performed by Porsche Classic in Germany for PCA that completes a trio of water-cooled 911s that were inspired by the 911 Carrera RS 2.7. With that in mind, you’ve probably noticed the new Sport Classic shares many design cues with the Classic Club Coupe, including the Sport Grey Metallic paint with light Sport Grey stripes; side decals; a double-bubble roof (carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic CFRP in this case); and a CFRP ducktail rear spoiler. The front hood is also CFRP and dips in the center, continuing the lines of the double-bubble roof. A fixed front spoiler lip replaces the retractable one on the Turbo. Unique 911 Sport Classic wheels (20-inch front, 21-inch rear) are a modern reinterpretation of the original Fuchs wheels. LED Matrix Headlights complete the package.

If you’d like your Sport Classic in a different color, Porsche will paint it nonmetallic Black, Agate Grey Metallic, or Gentian Blue Metallic.

Inside, the seat centers and door cards feature a cloth Pepita material, while the rest of the interior is covered in black and Cognac leather. A single-tone black leather interior is optional. Open-pore Paldao wood trim is a nice standard touch, as is the obligatory badge with unit number on the passenger side of the dashboard. The gauge cluster and Sport Chrono timer also have some unique visual touches. Race-Tex (aka, Alcantara or faux suede) covers the headliner, A-, B-, and C-pillars, and the sun visors.

The 911 Sport Classic is the second car produced as part of Porsche’s Heritage Design strategy, following the 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition of a couple years ago.

The Sport Classic will begin to arrive in dealers in 2022 as a 2023 model. Porsche says it will announce pricing as it gets closer to market arrival.