Driving the Porsche 911 SPC from Lisbon to the Festival do Caramulo

The brief was straightforward: leave Lisbon and head for the Festival do Caramulo. This year, though, I wanted the journey to the country’s biggest motoring festival to stay with me for good. So I picked a Porsche I watched come into the world. Yes, genuinely born - I explain how throughout the video.

It’s an unusual Porsche with an equally distinctive name: Porsche 911 SPC. That’s the badge chosen for this restomod “Made in Portugal”, created in the SportClasse workshops - the long-established Porsche tuner and independent specialist that, for more than 30 years, has kept a Stuttgart sanctuary right in the heart of Lisbon.

Three decades of history have led to this new 911 SPC line. The car I drove is the third in the family: a restomod that began life as a Porsche 911 G-Series, yet turned into something that’s hard to pin down with words.

Luckily, parts of this video don’t need any. In fact, it was that deafening silence that I chose to open with.

An even more special Porsche 911

The person who first pictured this Porsche 911 SPC was André Nunes, grandson of nine-time national rally champion Américo Nunes. The creation is real, it’s already on the road, and it isn’t the only one.

This is the Nunes family’s third generation with ties to Porsche - adding up to more than 60 years devoted to cars born in Stuttgart. And after all that time, these Porsche classics are now being reborn in Lisbon as well.

Working alongside his father - SportClasse founder Jorge Nunes - André Nunes has spent the last four years shaping a project that, in his words, “is not just another restomod”.

"I want to give our customers the chance to drive to work every day in a Porsche 911 that’s as visceral as the competition versions. Yet as usable in day-to-day life as the newest generations."

André Nunes, founder of the SPC project

The SPC project almost always starts with a G-Series 911. It can be a car supplied by the customer, or one selected from SportClasse’s extensive stock. From there, the possibilities are effectively limitless.

And I’m not being dramatic when I say it feels like ordering a bespoke suit. You can choose the materials, the colours for the trim, and even the stitching style.

Mechanically, that same freedom applies. Engine, chassis, suspension, braking system - choices everywhere. Remember: the sky’s the limit.

About this Porsche 911 SPC

The moment you drive this 911 SPC, it makes you question what you thought you knew. The idea of divine inspiration suddenly doesn’t seem far-fetched. A car that sounds like this must have a soul.

Even if it doesn’t, it certainly has plenty of special components. It starts with a body built using carbon-fibre panels to keep mass firmly in check (just 1100 kg). Add a 3.2-litre engine in RSR specification producing 320 cv, a mechanical limited-slip differential, bespoke suspension, a Brembo braking system, and on and on. Nothing has been left to chance.

Every ingredient was chosen so the 911 SPC can deliver a raw, analogue feel, while still providing the conveniences (and reliability) you’d expect from a modern supercar. There’s air conditioning, plus a modern sat-nav with smartphone connectivity - an official brand accessory available for classics. Heated seats? Of course.

The story continues

The car I drove is number 003. There are already other examples on Portuguese roads, with more on order for farther-flung destinations. This video was my first encounter with an SPC, but it won’t be the last. We’ll be back out on the road soon. Next time, I promise I’ll have more time… some cars need time to be properly savoured. One week wasn’t enough.

In the meantime, if you want to learn more about SportClasse’s Porsche 911s, take a look here - but keep your phone and your wallet well out of reach. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

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