MODERN CLASSIC

Porsche's 911 Sport Classic is back, with Turbo power, rear-wheel drive and a manual gearbox - and it's every bit as good as that sounds

- STUART GALLAGHER

IT'S 2009 AND THERE IS A NEW PORSCHE 911 doing the rounds. It's based on the gen-two 997 but is wider of hip and dripping with aerodynamic appendages. Its 3.8 litres of flat-six are a harmonic ode to all Weissach has to give, revving to 9000rpm. Fire-retardant seats hug you tight, Alcantara covers the touch points, a half-cage fills the rear-view mirror. Vinyl graphics have been thrown at the bodywork, plastic replaces many of the glass windows, aircon and radio are left on the shelf. The greatest car evo will drive during its first 200 issues is born, the GT3 RS entering the history books unhindered. Sideways, too, most likely.

Also in 2009 Porsche launched two further special 911s - variants that were even rarer and more bespoke than the unbeatable RS. Neither drew much attention except from those attracted to the work of Porsche's special projects department, but both are noteworthy 911s in their own right. However, I'll offer that one is more appealing than the other. The open-top, PDK-only Speedster was handsome-ish, but it played second fiddle to the Sport Classic.