By Otsile Kadiege

Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur revived the style of the 1960s and early 1970s with the new 911 Sport Classic which is the second of four collector’s items that Porsche has presented from its Heritage Design strategy. Like its immediate predecessor, the 997-based 911 Sport Classic presented in 2009, the appearance of this model is inspired by the original 911 (1964 – 1973) and the 1972 911 Carrera RS 2.7.

Exterior and interior design

Outside the new 911 Sport Classic is kitted with a wide body kit – otherwise reserved for 911 Turbo models. It also features a fixed rear spoiler in the style of the legendary ‘ducktail’ Carrera RS 2.7 and adouble-bubble roof. As with the first 997-generation 911 Sport Classic launched in 2009, the designers were inspired by the Fashion Grey paintwork of the early Porsche 356 when choosing the exclusive paint finish for the new limited-edition model. As an alternative to the exclusive Sport Grey Metallic finish, the new 911 Sport Classic is also available in solid Black, Agate Grey Metallic, Gentian Blue Metallic or Paint to Sample. Twin stripes painted on the bonnet, roof and rear spoiler in light Sports Grey emphasise the car’s sporty design. It’s fitted with 5-spoke 20-inch wheels upfront and 21-inch wheels at the rear.

In the interior, the iconic Pepita pattern can be found on the door panels and seat centres, while two-tone, semi-aniline leather upholstery in Black/Classic Cognac provides an elegant contrast with the exterior colour.

Performance

Powering the new 911 Sport Classic is a unique 3.7-litre, twin-turbo flat-six engine making 405 kW. Power is fed via the rear wheels only. In combination with the 7-speed manual gearbox, the new Porsche 911 Sport Classic is the most powerful manual 911 available today. The gearbox has an auto-blip function which Porsche claims compensates for engine-speed differences between the gears with a brief burst of revs when shifting down. Porsche adds that the standard sports exhaust system has been specially tailored to the model for an even more emotive sound experience.

The new 911 Sport Classic is fitted with a suspension that’s based on the 911 Turbo and 911 GTS models to meet high performance requirements: thanks to the standard Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), its shock absorbers are said to respond to dynamic changes at lightning speed. PASM is combined as standard with the sports suspension, which features a 10-millimetre-lower ride height.

Availability

Porsche South Africa is yet to confirm the local availability of the new 911 Sport Classic which will be limited to 1,250 units.