The Stuttgart, Germany-based sports car, EV, and SUV manufacturer has just signaled the return of the fabled ducktail through the second representative of its Heritage Design series. And the limited-production vintage-like model will be sold in the U.S. for the first time, setting it against powerful rivals.
With a diminished sports car market as (almost) everyone is turning their attention to crossovers, SUVs, and trucks – including of the EV variety – it will not be hard to guess who could pose a serious problem for the few lucky owners of one of the 1,250 examples of a 2023 Porsche 911 Sport Classic looking to stand out in any collector crowd around America. But, before that, let us recap the goodies.
Porsche has cooked up a new, contemporary 911 Sport Classic on the great basics of the 992 generation to hark back to the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 of the early 1970s, and claims this will be a “true driver’s car.” One that will arrive across (selected) U.S. dealerships in late 2022 (the biting pricing details will be revealed closer to the release date), packing a bespoke powertrain, a wide-body treatment like on the 911 Turbo S, an exclusive seven-speed manual transmission sending power to the rear wheels, and a flat-six engine with known credentials.
This is because the automaker opted to make quick use of the same 3.7-liter twin-turbo with 543 horsepower as seen on the regular 911 Turbo models, making it the most powerful representative of the 992-generation available, with the equally scarce manual transmission setup. Well, this sure might sound like a hodgepodge of disparate elements if people did not know in advance about Porsche’s propensity to swell each 911 generation beyond model and special series recognition. Alas, we all know and love them – even for that – so there were no surprises here.
Plus, this is going to cause a collector’s war due to its limited availability of just 1,250 examples and the inclusion as the second outing from the Heritage Design strategy – right next to the 2020 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition. And beware, we are just halfway through the series, as two more special models are scheduled for release – probably in 2024 and 2026, if Porsche keeps the same schedule. Anyway, now that it will be the first to become available in the United States, who is going to oppose it?
Photo: Porsche
Surely, not the usual triumvirate made of 760-horsepower Ford Mustang Shelby GT500s, 807-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stocks, and meager 650-horsepower Chevy Camaro ZL1s, right? After all, those are “simple” dragstrip-focused muscle cars that have barely anything in common with purist, track-ready Euro sports cars, diehard Old Continent fans would say. Well, I guess that buying at least two or even all three of them at the price of a single 911 Sport Classic will not have any influence on deciding on a cool purchase shortly.
Alas, there is one major U.S. sports car contender that might have reason to grab a skirmish with the 911 Sport Classic and no one might dare to frown about it: Chevrolet’s record-breaking, 670-horsepower 2023 Corvette Z06. Sure, some Porsche fans might comment that you really cannot try and compare a 543-hp car with a 670-hp monster. But other folks might beg to differ: it is twin-turbo oomph against traditional, naturally-aspirated prowess, so at least in theory they might be on the same playing field when going round a curvy track.
Besides, if my own two cents are allowed on the matter, they might share a very important trait: desirability. We already know the 911 Sport Classic is a limited-edition series and I feel that with all of Chevy’s C8 production woes, the same will be said about the 2023 Corvette Z06 because of its potential scarcity… One last thing of note: initial dealer markups and third-party flippers might also get them both on the same playing field in terms of pricing!
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News