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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.

HIGHS: Amazing grip and balance, goes like stink, looks like a million bucks.

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.

LOWS: Superfluous seventh gear, hard to nail the launch, costs over a quarter-million bucks.

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.

VERDICT: The rear-drive, stick-shift 911 Turbo returns, and it was worth the wait.

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.

Specifications

Specifications

2023 Porsche 911 Sport Classic
Vehicle Type: rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2+2-passenger, 2-door coupe

PRICE

Base/As Tested: $274,750/$282,810
Options: Burmeister High-End Surround Sound system, $3980; Surround View, $1430; Lane Keep Assist with traffic sign recognition, $1220; Lane Change Assist, $1060; power folding exterior mirrors, $370

ENGINE

twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve flat-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 229 in3, 3745 cm3
Power: 543 hp @ 6750 rpm
Torque: 442 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm

TRANSMISSION

7-speed manual

CHASSIS

Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 16.5-in carbon-ceramic disc/15.4-in carbon-ceramic disc
Tires: Pirelli P Zero PZ4
F: 255/35ZR-20 (93Y) NA1
R: 315/30ZR-21 (105Y) NA1 Extra Load

DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 96.5 in
Length: 178.5 in
Width: 74.8 in
Height: 51.1 in
Trunk Volume: 5 ft3
Curb Weight: 3438 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS

60 mph: 3.7 sec
100 mph: 7.5 sec
1/4-Mile: 11.7 sec @ 127 mph
130 mph: 12.1 sec
150 mph: 16.9 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 4.7 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 11.8 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 9.6 sec
Top Speed (mfr’s claim): 195 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 139 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph: 279 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 1.07 g

C/D FUEL ECONOMY

Observed: 16 mpg 

EPA FUEL ECONOMY

Combined/City/Highway: 17/15/21 mpg

C/D TESTING EXPLAINED

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.


Source: Reviews - aranddriver.com


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