Sleek Porsche Cayman-based concept car celebrates 75 years of German brand’s original sports car
Porsche is celebrating the 75th birthday of its original 356 Roadster and, to mark the occasion, the German performance car brand has revealed a new Cayman-based concept vehicle loosely previewing future generations of 911.
Dubbed the Porsche Vision 357, the show vehicle combines design elements of previous, current and future Porsche models into one heritage-honouring but futuristic package underpinned and powered by the aggressive 718 Cayman GT4 RS platform.
At first glance you’d be forgiven for mistaking the Vision 357 for a battery-electric 911 racer on account of its slippery shape, integrated virtual lights, aero wheels and digital wing mirrors, not to mention the aggressive splitter, bonnet straps and racing ‘75’ livery.
It’s only when you move down the side of the vehicle and see the more central cabin positioning you realise it’s actually a mid-engined Cayman, at which point the ties to the original 356 Roadster become more apparent.
Continue further round the back and you’ll see the huge rear haunches taper into an elegant and clean rear fascia featuring almost nothing but sheer curves and integrated tail-lights, the latter of which – along with the matching headlights – will be a key focus for Porsche designers going forward.
“If you just think about the headlamps or the tail-lamps… these elements are sewing the thoughts we have right now,” design boss Michael Mauer told carsales.
“I would love to see something like this where you basically don’t have really tail-lamps or front lamps anymore; that is more something like perforated or whatever.
“The possibilities of further developing certain design elements… that’s for sure what this is showing, say [for example] the wheel design.
“I’m deeply convinced if the company of a brand doesn’t give their creative people this freedom to explore all the possibilities, you really miss the chance to find the right balance between evolution and revolution.”
Despite the slippery and futuristic exterior, the Vision 357 is powered by the screaming 4.0-litre flat six-cylinder petrol engine of the current Cayman GT4 RS track weapon, which is good for 368kW/450Nm.
The delectable powertrain is fed only by a series of subtle intakes above the driver and passenger windows, unlike its donor vehicle which also has a trio of large intakes on the front bumper.
But whereas the GT4 RS runs on good old fashion premium unleaded, Porsche says the concept car would be run on e-fuel if it was to ever make production.
Unfortunately, there’s next to no chance of that happening, with Mauer confirming the Vision 357 is just a design exercise that would have otherwise been confined to the pages of a ‘Porsche Unseen’ edition if it wasn’t for the 356’s 75th anniversary.
“Whenever Porsche is doing something like this, there is the possibility to see this on the road, but so far it’s not planned to have this car as a limited-edition,” he said.
“But as a designer, I keep on dreaming – I would love to see this car on the road, but so far it’s just a birthday present, just a model.”
While the Vision 357 may well just be a design model for now, it still gives us a preview of what future generations of 911 could look like as the 718 line-up transitions away from internal combustion power and adopts an entirely electric identity.
“If you mention the 911, that’s our iconic car and I’m as well convinced that as I used to say whenever I give a briefing to the team for the new 911, first thing is it has to be recognisable as a 911 and the second most important thing is it has to be recognisable as the new 911,” Mauer said.
“At Porsche we have always proven that we find a good way of combining the tradition with innovation with visionary new models.”
Odds are then the next-generation 911 – or even the one following – will debut with some of the key features and design cues seen on the Vision 357, like the integrated lights, extra-wide hips and streamlined body – albeit with a squatter rear-end and e-fuel-tuned powertrains.
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Keyword: Porsche Vision 357 previews future 911s