Ah, the good old days! There’s a point in life when the past can sometimes seem more appealing than the seemingly unending changes occurring in today’s world. Certainly, some things get better, like each new Porsche 911 generation, yet once in a while a new version of the legendary sports car combines the best of yesteryear with everything that makes the new model great, resulting in a car that’s better than both. Such is the case with the fabulous new 911 Sport Classic.
This very exclusive 911 combines a number of classic styling elements, such as Fuchs-like alloys wheels and a 1973 911 RS-inspired ducktail spoiler, with some of the best modern-day performance tech Porsche has on offer, but it’s truly much more than that as you’ll soon find out.
With no further ado, the new 911 Sport Classic wears modified Turbo S skin and underpinnings, while driving just the rear wheels via a seven-speed manual gearbox. Yes, you heard that right. It’ll soon be the only “Turbo” in Porsche’s 911 lineup that solely powers the rear wheels, not to mention the only one available with a do-it-yourself transmission.
Every single 911 Turbo or Turbo S available today features the Porsche Traction Management (PTM) all-wheel drive system along with the premium brand’s superb eight-speed Doppelkupplung (PDK) dual-clutch gearbox, so, while the upcoming Sport Classic’s zero to 100 km/h sprint time may not end up being as quick as a regular Turbo S’ with four-wheel traction off the line and a much quicker PDK to row through the gears, Porsche purists won’t care one whit.
As you may have already guessed, the Sport Classic’s powertrain will be the most potent available with a manual transmission and rear-wheel drive, but take note that in order to make it driveable with the manual the 3.7-litre flat-six has been detuned from 572 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque to a slightly less formidable 543 horsepower and 442 lb-ft, via changes to the engine mapping.
As noted earlier, the Sport Classic rides on Turbo S underpinnings, which means it starts off with slightly wider fender flairs. What’s more, the new model boasts upgraded brakes, wheels, tires, and suspension enhancements, with the first upgraded item on this list being Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) with black-painted calipers. These are framed by a beautiful set of staggered 20- and 21-inch 911 Sport Classic alloy wheels styled to look like “a modern re-interpretation of the Fuchs design,” said Porsche in their press release, while the fronts are wrapped in 255/35 ZR20 performance tires, and the rears in a set of 315/30 ZR21s.
Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) Sport has been added to the standard mix too, complete with a 10-millimetre (0.4-in) drop in ride height, while the front axle spring rates are decreased slightly to adjust for less frontal mass due to the removal of the all-wheel driveline.
Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) and Rear Axle Steering are also standard, as is Porsche’s much-lauded Sport Chrono Package, while the six-cylinder turbocharged engine’s song should sing particularly well thanks to specially designed Sport Exhaust.
As brilliant as the 911 Sport Classic must be to drive, many will initially be attracted by looks alone. That’s because, as noted earlier, the new model tugs on our collective heartstrings with design cues from the famed sports car’s past. Part of Porsche’s “Heritage Design” series, the new model shares some of the spotlight with 2020’s 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition, which was a beautiful Cherry Metallic masterpiece that looked as classy as it was sporty, but the new 911 Sport Classic’s Sport Grey Metallic paint, along with its light Sport Grey painted contrasting stripes, has a more purposefully performance-focused appearance.
Joining the all-grey look is a lightweight carbon-fibre hood not normally offered on Turbo models, plus a racing-style “double-bubble” roof, the latter flowing down the 911 coupe’s rear glass to the aforementioned ducktail spoiler. Interestingly, the car’s curvaceous coke-bottle flanks are devoid of the ovoid intakes normally found ahead of each rear fender flair, these critical cooling ducts now positioned just below the just-noted rear wing, which sits overtop a pair of large round tailpipes that poke out the rear bumper cap. The entire package looks more discreet than the Turbo or Turbo S, albeit the massive white lollipops on each side, which can be numbered from 1 to 99 at no additional cost, not to mention the striped “PORSCHE” lettering spanning each rocker panel, which, like the lollipop, is a decal that can be removed by a customer or dealer if desired, makes up for any missing ductwork.
Notably, those missing rear cooling vents required a major retooling at Porsche’s Zuffenhausen factory, not only because of the lack of ducts, but also due to entirely different lower sections on the front quarter panels (behind the front wheels), each rocker panel, and the bottom edges of rear quarter panels as well.
If you were thinking Porsche would keep all the ‘70s design cues to the outside without bringing them into the cabin, check out the 911 Sport Classic’s interior. Cool “Pepita” checkered cloth seat centres and door panels immediately pull eyeballs, as do black and Classic Cognac semi-aniline leather used throughout the entire interior. Of course, those wanting to keep things on the downlow can choose optional single-tone black leather, which like in the two-tone version also wraps its hides around each sun visor, plus the steering wheel rim, and even the steering column, not to mention the air vent slats. Perforated Race-Tex fabric gets applied to the headliner as well as the A-, B- and C-Pillars, incidentally, improving this special 911’s appearance as well as its tactile refinement and sound deadening.
In front of the driver, Porsche’s mostly digital gauge cluster features green-backlit dials to mimic the brand’s storied past, while the Sport Classic’s Porsche Communications Management (PCM) system is wholly modern in design and internal functionality, which will no doubt be seen as a good thing for a car that’s meant more for the road than the track.
Only 1,250 examples of the limited edition 911 Sport Classic will be made available globally, which means it will be very difficult for anyone to acquire. Nevertheless, contact Porsche Centre Vancouver to learn more about this unique offering as well as other 911s in stock, by calling (604) 736-7911 or dropping by the showroom at 688 Terminal Ave. in Vancouver.
As for the price, you know the saying: “If you have to ask…”
So far, Porsche Canada hasn’t announced pricing, but we can expect it to be somewhere north of today’s 911 Turbo.
Story credits: Trevor Hofmann
Photo credits: Porsche