Porsche is a master of producing limited and special editions to keep its core 911 fans constantly engaged with their latest offering, the new 911 Sport Classic, betting on nostalgia to get those bank accounts rolling.
Some of you may remember the original 997-generation Porsche 911 Sport Classic from 2009 that was made in 250 units, all sold within 48 hours of its debut. The fresh incarnation of the Sport Classic series follows on the same path, though you might have a few more slim chances of acquiring one, as Porsche will build 1,250 examples of the 992-based model. It will also be offered for the first time in the USA too.
The most powerful 911 with a manual gearbox
While the 997 Sport Classic was built around the Carrera S of the time producing 402hp, Porsche went ballistic with the new model basing it off the 992 Turbo S using the same 3.7-liter twin-turbocharged flat-six. However, whereas the Turbo has 572hp and 553 lb-ft , and the Turbo S 640hp and 590 lb-ft, with both being offered exclusively with AWD and an 8-speed dual clutch automatic, the Sport Classic’s flat-six is de-tuned to 542hp and 442 lb.-ft with a 7-speed manual gearbox driving the rear wheels only. Porsche said that it revised the engine mapping to deliver output compatible with the Sport Classic’s layout.
What makes a Sport Classic special?
It’s all about those retro vibes from the brand’s storied past along with the always welcome extra boost of power. The most evident changes on the outside begin with the throwback ducktail spoiler that takes inspiration from the 1973 Carrera 2.7 RS and the five-spoke alloys with black trimmings, which aren’t near as cool as the black-centered Fuchs-style rims worn by the 997 Sport Classic. The special edition is painted in a similar grey color to the last car, with two lighter grey stripes running across the top. And then there’s the ‘Porsche’ and racing-style ’60’ scripts on the sides, though, fortunately, Porsche’s designers avoided going full ‘Herbie the Love Bug’ with them restricting their use on the doors.
The real treat, however, is once you step inside the 911 Sport Classic as Porsche went with a sweet Houndstooth pattern known as the Pepita design for the seats contrasted by caramel leather that also adorns the bottom half of the dashboard and door panels.
This is a developing story that will be updated…
