Porsche announced a new variant of the 911 inspired by our rose-tinted memories of the original 911 Turbo. Back in the 1970s, the Porsche 911 Turbo had a reputation for a turbo lag capable of unleashing an incredible thrust of power. As a result of this mechanical quirk, the original 911 Turbo became known as the “widowmaker.” That spirit of alluring danger and speed inspired the new 2023 Porsche 911 Sport Classic.
The 911 Sport Classic is based on the current 911 Turbo S. It uses the same 3.8-liter flat-six engine. However, the 911 Sport Classic’s engine is detuned from 640-hp down to 543-hp. That might sound like a disadvantage, but the Porsche 911 Sport Classic features a seven-speed manual transmission and is available exclusively in rear-wheel drive. In addition, the Sport Classic is now the most powerful manual transmission-equipped Porsche 911 available. Other standard performance goodies include carbon-ceramic brakes, rear-wheel steering, the Sport Chrono Package, and a sport exhaust system.
To make the 911 Sport Classic stand out in the lineup, Porsche gave it a widebody, similar to the Turbo S, but without the air intake scoops. It also wears a throwback ducktail spoiler made from plastic reinforced by carbon fiber. Plus, a set of fantastic Fuchs-style center-lock wheels that match beautifully with the car’s Sport Grey Metallic paintwork. The paintwork is inspired by the Porsche 997 and includes a Light-Sport Grey stripe and white meatball decals to allow for custom racing numbers.
The interior can be optioned in black for the unimaginative or a two-tone Black and Classic Cognac option. This two-tone interior features semi-Aniline leather and the center of the seats are upholstered with Porsche’s black-and-white Pepita cloth. Standard interior details include leather-wrapped air vent slats, steering column, and sun visors. In addition, Dark Paldao wood trim is standard on the Porsche 911 Sport Classic. There is no word as to the starting price, but the 2023 Porsche 911 Sport Classic will arrive in the U.S. by fall 2022.
In other automotive news, Mercedes has launched the Mercedes-AMG C43.
