Not bad for 75

Porsche starts its 75th birthday party with a concept-car reboot of the original 356

Porsche has made itself an excellent 75th birthday present: a concept-car reboot of its first-ever production model, the 356 — which was launched on June 8, 1948.

The company says its Vision 357 is an interpretation of what a modern sports car designed by Ferry Porsche, creator of the 356, would look like; but “liberated from the regulations that apply for implementation as a series model”.

“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,” says Michael Mauer, vice-president of Style Porsche.

It has strong bones in so many ways: built on the platform of the

368kW 718 Cayman GT4 RS, but tuned to run on e-fuel. The narrow passenger cell with a sloping flyline and broad shoulders is supposed to evoke the lines of the

356.

The A-pillars of the Porsche Vision 357 are black and visually unite the side window surfaces into a single unit; the DLO (daylight opening) graphic is designed to resemble the visor of a helmet.

Another nod to the original is the grille pattern in the rear, into which the third brake light is integrated.

The 20-inch wheels are made of magnesium and equipped with aerodynamic carbon fibre hubcaps and centre locks. They recall a famous Porsche wheel: the 356 A and 356 B, with drum brakes, had rims with a large bolt circle of 205 millimetres.

On the side sills, Porsche has used natural fibre-reinforced plastic (NFRP, made from flax). Instead of traditional exterior mirrors, the 357 is equipped with cameras on the edge of the roof. The visible tailpipe trim in the rear is made of a blueish-looking titanium, while the inside of the tailpipe is ceramic.

The 356 No. 1 Roadster was the very first car built by the Porsche brand: a two-seater with a multitubular frame and mid-engine. It went into production as a coupe with a different frame and rearmounted engine, setting the template for the 911. About 78,000 356s were built by 1965.