2023 Porsche 911 Sport Classic is the Retro-Styled, Manual 911 Turbo of Our Dreams

Porsche pairs a manual transmission with a (slightly detuned) 911 Turbo motor once again—but only 1,250 lucky folks will get one.

Porsche late Wednesday revealed the latest member of the 911 family. Dubbed the Sport Classic, a name last seen over a decade ago, the newest 911 applies the pick-and-mix approach to the iconic sports car, producing a hugely desirable package for the lucky few.

The last time the Sport Classic badge was affixed to the 911’s rump, the car was essentially a pre-cursor to the then-upcoming 997-generation Carrera GTS models. The 2023 edition instead uses the current 911 Turbo S as its base, meaning a wider body—but no huge air intakes. From there, Porsche has fitted a carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) hood and roof, with a dip in the middle of both as a nod to the last SC. Around back, Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur has crafted a ducktail spoiler out of CFRP, a returning nod to the classic 2.7 RS of the ’70s. Ducts underneath the spoiler feed the engine, making up for the clean rear arches.

Fuchs-style wheels, sized 20 inches in front and 21 inches in the rear, round out the look. The launch car is dipped in Sport Grey Metallic, with contrasting light Sport Grey painted stripes, number lollipop, and other graphics. Buyers can pick from a trio of other colors, as well.

Using the 911 Turbo as the jumping off point also means that car’s 3.7-liter flat-six is lurking in the tail of the Sport Classic. Porsche has detuned the engine, but we’re still talking 543 horsepower and 442 pound-feet. What’s more, the SC ditches the AWD system, something the Turbo has come standard with for over 20 years. Just for good measure, Porsche is also pairing the engine exclusively with its seven-speed manual transmission. That makes this the most powerful three-pedal 911 you can buy, eclipsing the 911 GTS by 70 hp and 22 lb-ft, and the GT3 Touring by 41 hp.

Porsche hasn’t left the interior untouched, either. Retro-cool pepita cloth seats are available, with the standard interior using black and Classic Cognac semi-aniline leather—the first time Porsche has used it since the 918 Spyder. Wood trim lines the dashboard, with extended leather covering the steering column, air vent slats, and sun visors. Perforated Race-Tex is used on the headliner and pillars. Porsche has stuck to an analog tachometer—right in the center of the instrument panel, as it should be—featuring unique green numbers paired with the white hash marks and needle. There are generous Porsche crest embossings within the interior, and a special badge above the glovebox denotes the build number within the 1,250-unit production run.

As a special edition, the 911 Sport Classic comes loaded up with just about everything you can option on a 911, as standard. Porsche Active Suspension Management is included, with a 0.4-inch (10-millimeter) drop in ride height, and slight softer rear spring rates to account for the SC’s rear-drive nature. Also part of the package are rear axle steering, the Sport Chrono pack, Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC), and carbon composite brakes.

Lucky buyers will also be offered the chance to buy a matching Chronograph 911 Sport Classic watch from Porsche Design.

You’ll probably want to get in line now. Porsche will build no more than 1,250 examples of the 2023 911 Sport Classic for global consumption. There’s no word yet on pricing, but given its semi-bespoke nature, we expect it to come in right at the top of the sprawling lineup. The cars will begin arriving in dealerships late 2022.

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