Image: Porsche
image: Porsche
Image: Porsche
NewsBy: Ryan De Villiers
The Porsche 356, which debuted in 1968, was the firm’s first-ever sports car and until recently hasn’t seen the likes of a successor. With that said, the Porsche 357 concept is a real-world answer to the question “ what would the 356 look like today?”
Image: Porsche
The Porsche 356 started it all. In the general relay that was and is Porsche’’s evolution, the 356 stands in the brand’s timeline because it was the first car Porsche ever built. The move from Gmünd to Stuttgart in 1949 marked the beginning of the 356 sports car.
Simply a concept showcasing the skill of Porsche’s design team, this one-off ICE concept car is bred from the very best innovations and products the firm has to offer. Firstly, it’s based on the 718 Cayman GT4 RS atlas in terms of power and composition. However, its design is, unsurprisingly, heavily rooted in the design and proportions of its predecessor.
image: Porsche
The front end showcases bespoke headlight technology and a special headlight design. The flank of the 357 is home to concealed door handles and many visual nods toward the 356, such as the grille pattern found on the rear and two-tone paint scheme are all reminiscent of the Stuttgart racer of yore.
“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” —Michael Mauer, Vice President Style Porsche
Image: Porsche
Although serving as a modern conceptualization of one of Porsche’s most prolific and notable models ever, the concept is based on the GT4 RS platform which means that the Vision 357 is equipped with a 366 kW birthing 4,0-litre flat-six. Housing the skeleton and being the heat of the GT4 RS is a muscular physique showcasing broad wheel arches, surreal headlamps and a copious amount of the Porsche Design team’s personality. This 356 homage makes contact with the ground by way of its 20-inch wheels. These bespoke magnesium wheels are a visual nod to the 356’s 356 A and 356 B wheels, which featured a large bolt circle.
Keyword: The iconic 356 is reborn in modern day Porsche guise