Tested: 2023 Porsche 911 Sport Classic, a Rear-Drive, Manual Turbo

From the November 2023 issue of Car and Driver.

The burrito artist issued a succinct two-word review of the 2023 Porsche 911 Sport Classic as we sat nearby. “Nice spec,” he said, nodding toward the haunchy machine we’d backed into a front-and-center parking spot. He had no idea how right he was, even though the editor in our head thought that “awesome,” “wicked,” or even “bitchin'” was more apt for the car’s heritage vibe.

The vibe harks back to the 2010 911 Sport Classic and beyond. This new car combines that 997 special’s ghostly skunk stripes, double-bubble roof, and Carrera RS 2.7–style ducktail spoiler with similar gray paint, an indented hood from the air-cooled era, Fuchs-inspired wheels, and chunky Porsche Turbo tires and fenders, but without air intakes marring their flanks.

Power comes from the twin-turbocharged 3.7-liter flat-six found in the current Turbo. Adaptive dampers, rear-axle steering, and active anti-roll bars come from the Turbo S. It has the classic Turbo configuration: rear-wheel drive and a manual gearbox, a coveted 911 Turbo combination that disappeared nearly three decades ago, when the 993 Turbo launched. This setup dictated a software remap, so maximum power shrinks from 572 to 543 horses. The Sport Classic’s pounds-to-power ratio is marginally better than the Turbo’s, however, because it’s 199 pounds lighter.

That makes this the most powerful Porsche 911 currently available with a manual. Instead of the six-speed GT3 gearbox we cherish, the Sport Classic uses Porsche’s seven-speed unit, which inspires a hearty golf clap. Neither can handle as much torque as Porsche’s PDK dual-clutch automatic, and the fat rear tires must go it alone, so the torque remap is more draconian. The Sport Classic’s torque, 442 pound-feet, represents a 111-pound-foot deduction from the Turbo, but that’s still 22 more than the GTS.

This explains much about the car’s track performance, where these realities and a 3500-rpm rev limit while stationary make it hard to score the perfect launch. Our 3.7-second dash to 60 mph bests Porsche’s own prediction by two-tenths, but with all-wheel drive and PDK, the Turbo needs just 2.4 seconds. Of course, this misses a huge point, because a rear-drive manual was never going to rule the drag strip. The Sport Classic is more about winding roads, driver involvement, and a rollicking good time. On this front, the Sport Classic absolutely delivers.

Turning in, the Sport Classic is tenacious. Its front tires deliver a surprising surplus of grip that can tighten the arc even when you think you’ve overcooked it. There is a lightness in this Porsche, an absence of front mass that allows the front end to skip gleefully into turns. The tires, Pirelli P Zero PZ4s in the standard Turbo size, stuck at 1.07 g’s on the skidpad. Balance remains steadfast through a corner even if you trail the brakes in deep. As you roll onto the throttle at exit and revs build, a satisfying wiggle makes clear that this is a rear-drive machine, but the ass end never hints at walking you tail-first toward the guardrail. When the next corner rushes up, the massive carbon-ceramic brakes haul the car down smartly, and the cycle repeats.

The feel and feedback of it are all but impeccable—through the well-bolstered seats, nicely placed pedals, and ergonomically contoured steering wheel. The seven-speed’s shift action is a bit rubbery and the only element needing more polish. Also, seventh gear feels superfluous, too tall for sub-autobahn speeds.

Zooming out, we admire the interior’s heritage Pepita houndstooth pattern and saddle-brown leather. And Porsche should bookmark the tech balance of this cockpit, which combines the best elements of the Taycan’s curved instrument panel and central touchscreen with a big tach, normal air-conditioning vents, and logical switchgear.

The most worrying aspects of the 2023 911 Sport Classic are its $274,750 cost of entry and its limited supply of just 1250 worldwide. If you miss out, you can console yourself with a 911 GTS in a “nice spec.” The burrito artist would approve.

Technical Editor

Dan Edmunds was born into the world of automobiles, but not how you might think. His father was a retired racing driver who opened Autoresearch, a race-car-building shop, where Dan cut his teeth as a metal fabricator. Engineering school followed, then SCCA Showroom Stock racing, and that combination landed him suspension development jobs at two different automakers. His writing career began when he was picked up by Edmunds.com (no relation) to build a testing department.