2023 Porsche 911 Sport Classic: First Drive Review | Catchpole on Carfection

Henry Catchpole drove the NEW Porsche 911 Sport Classic for Carfection for a road review.
00:00 Epic Intro
00:28 What is the Porsche 911 Sport Classic?
01:03 the price
01:30 Why should you buy the Sport Classic? + Epic roads
03:12 Interior
03:52 Engine and drivetrain
04:26 Key Stats
05:00 Is this as good as a GT2?
05:20 Driving impressions
07:35 The Story of the Ducktail
09:10 Final verdict
10:55 Thanks For Watching

The Sport Classic is the most expensive new Porsche 911 you can currently buy, but is it worth its top billing? We went on a bit of a road trip to a spectacular Austrian mountain road to find out.
A big part of the SC’s appeal definitely lies in its looks and for some the duck tail spoiler, Fuchs-style wheels and heritage interior will be enough to justify the price tag on their own. It certainly garnered attention everywhere we parked and although I would delete (at no cost) the graphics, it really does stand out in a relatively subtle way.
If you think it needs a little more mechanical substance to make it seem worthwhile, then you’ll be delighted to hear that it has a unique drivetrain. Unlike the 997 Sport Classic that was really just a styling exercise this SC has had a much more thorough transformation, with the 3.7-litre engine lifted from the 911 Turbo. However, it gets more interesting because instead of delivering power to all four wheels as it does in the Turbo, in the SC the flat-six simply sends it to the rear. Its figures are 542bhp and 442lb ft of torque which are slightly down on the Turbo however this is because the Sport Classic also sets itself apart with a manual gearbox.
This might sound like a recipe for a bit of a wild child but in fact the opposite felt true on the road. This was an excellent companion for cruising on a long road trip, particularly with an interior that felt a distinctly more luxurious proposition than any other 992 I’ve been in. The down side is that it perhaps didn’t offer quite as many thrills as I would have liked on the really good bits of road at the end of our journey - a manual GTS would have been better for that.
I’m sure what will ultimately ensure that the large price tag is justified is the fact it’s only going to be produced in limited numbers, with just 1250 due to be built. Admittedly that’s five times the number of 997 SCs produced, but even so, with a level of exclusivity guaranteed, the latest Sport Classic is almost certain to be a future classic.
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1m subs after 10 years, gotta admit that is impressive for a car channel that's not backed by a 50yr old magazine... also you gotta admit that henry has played a major role in that upswing of recognition. thanks, henry for sharing the love of cars all these years, hope you stay around for the next 10.

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I think Mr. Catchpole's relaxed and pleasant style puts him at the top of the YT car reviewers pecking order.
How nice not to have a frantic, in your face kind of video but instead a calm and serene look at a fine car and sublime scenery.
Thanks for posting, Henry.

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[alexliu]

So many mr. Catchpole videos on YouTube recently. Really liked your car reviews. Been looking forward to someone like you to review this car properly. Awesome video! Literally created this channel just to leave this message.

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[endlesswindingroad]

Stunning, both the car and the Kaunertalgletscherstraße (what a word, btw.)! Henry puts the technicalities of the 911 SC in a scene of driving pleasure - outstanding! Bravo!

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11 minutes of perfection. That's Carfection!

[TheAslakVind]

Henry, I´ve been working in automotive broadcasting for over 2o years. It is so visibly pleasing, and your narration. Great job, a classic.

[wisruteb]

Superb cinematography as always and a great review too!

[MrFadjule]

This video, it's cinematography, the timing, the vistas.... Stunning!

[madarauchiha]

Very interesting car. I still feel like its pricepoint is a joke and only tolerated because its "limited" should be no more than a turbo S

[alexioflexio]

So refreshing Lee honest… So rare to hear anything except a glowing response. And incredibly well produced with beautiful metaphors… Catchpole really is a cut above the rest

[ducbox]

What a stunning video. CF is the best on YT right now. You capture the entire essence of the driving experience.

[qikqbn]

Absolutely fell in love with the 997 Sport Classic. In fact, I ordered the 997 Sport Classic ducktail, side skirts and front end for my 997 C4S. The Sport Classic got a lot of backlash for it's $200k price back in the day, considering that mechanically it was identical to a $125k 997 GTS. Only differences were exterior ducktail, bubble roof, and lots of leather and hounds tooth fabric. This New 992 Sport Classic is just as stunning to me, BUT, like Catchpole mentions at the end, the overall experience does not justify the price, when the new 992 GTS is so good and fast. If I had the money, I would get a GT3 Touring instead and figure out a way to slap that ducktail on to the rear decklid. That would be my dream car.

[Russell_and_Rosko]

Along with stelvio pass, this road is at the top of the bucket list.

Carfection vids are shot so beautifully. @ 2:35 STUNNING!

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[darkchild]

Never seen a more obvious example of a collector’s car.
Flipper’s dream.

[JiggeeAsia]

All I had eyes for was the magnificent view, the drive was spectacularly breathtaking. Definitely a bucket list road to tear up on! Amazing cinematography!