The Porsche legend begun 75 years ago with the 356 Roadster.
It’s fair to say, if it wasn’t for the 356, Porsche probably wouldn’t be the brand it is today.
Porsche is now embarking on its anniversary year with the Porsche Vision 357.
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A modern, sleek representation of the 356, it’s built on the same technology platform as the 718 Cayman GT4 RS.
It answers the question, what would the dream of a sports car of Ferry Porsche might look like today.
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“We created a very special birthday present in the form of the Porsche Vision 357, one which uses the 356 as a basis to underscore the significance of our design DNA,” said Michael Mauer, Vice President Style Porsche.
“The design study is an attempt to combine the past, present and future with coherency, featuring proportions that are reminiscent of its historical archetype and details that visualize the outlook for the future,” he continued.
Just like the 356, the Porsche Vision 357 features a wrap-around windshield and adds black A-pillars, visually uniting the side window surfaces into a single unit.
The similarities don’t end there, though, as the grille pattern at the rear of the car and the round headlights at the front are clearly inspired by the 356, too.
On the subject of the headlights, they feature the modern Porsche four-point light signet of production models.
If you were wondering where the door handles are, they’re concealed by the side windows.
Then there are the 20-inch magnesium wheels it sits on, reducing weight while providing far more rigidity than the original wheels on the 356.
Underneath the hood of the Porsche Vision 357 is the same 4.0-liter six-cylinder engine found in the 718 Cayman RS.
It produces 493 hp and 331 lb-ft of torque, so it’s considerably faster than the original 356, too.
Will the Porsche Vision 357 go into production?
Over a period of 17 years, the German automaker built roughly 78,000 units of the 356, putting it firmly on the map.
Unfortunately the Porsche Vision 357 is just a design study.
Porsche has no plans to put anything like it into production – at least for now.
Shame really, as we think it looks amazing, and would likely fly off the shelf.
