There’s a lot to unpack about the Porsche Vision 357 concept, but the coolest detail is an unexpected bit of whimsy: cartoon dinosaur stickers on either side of the concept car.. It’s a clever nod to the fact that, despite its all-new, futuristic look, the 357 Vision is all about celebrating Porsche’s past.
Making its debut on Wednesday, the 357 Vision is a modern interpretation of Porsche’s first sports car, 356. Relies on Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RSwhich means it uses a 4.0-liter flat-6 engine—the same one you’ll find in it Route 911 GT3 car f GT3 Cup racing car. This free-breathing gasoline engine produces 493 horsepower, and that’s where this dinosaur poster comes in.
“We said, ‘Wow, well, if in 2023 we show a car with a combustion engine, shouldn’t it be an electric car? reporters in an interview last week. “One said, ‘Oh, but that’s like a dinosaur,’ and the designer drew this little sketch.” Mauer said the dinosaur serves as a reminder that “we don’t always have to be serious” and that designers “should express The fun and passion that we worked on in this project.”
Indeed, the Vision 357 concept is full of fun little details. There are graphics of the air documentation behind the side windows because “the GT4 RS has the air intake in that area,” Mauer said, and “it would be a nice hint to the fact that we put it on the RS, that air has to go there.”
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The original 1948 Porsche 356 No. 1 was a roadster, but the Vision 357 is obviously a coupe. Mauer explained there’s no big reason for this change in body style. “We would like to do a coupe rather than an open car,” he said. “That was not really a long philosophical or strategic discussion.”
Obviously, the link to the 356 is clear, especially in the profile and rear. “This greenhouse that is tapering, the strong shoulders – it has this, let’s say, very clean surface treatment. [It’s] Mawer said. The 20-inch magnesium wheels have carbon-fiber hubcaps and center locks, and an interesting touch of bounce: Porsche 356a and 356b had 205mm bolt-circle wheels, hence the prevalent bolt pattern here.
The Vision 357 doesn’t have an interior, but Mauer said if that was the case, he wouldn’t want it to be just a modified version of the Cayman GT4 RS. “Better,” he said, “how does the exterior have this obvious connection to the 356, to do something that also has this on the inside.”
Yes, the Vision 357 is just a concept; There is absolutely no hint of some kind of future production model. Really, this car is just a way for Porsche to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the sports car manufacturer – hence the large “75” stickers on the sides. It’s also a way for the company to launch its very cool car Rendienst electric truck concept Again, you can see the 357 Vision pulled over in some Porsche photos.
“The design department is in a nice position where we get a certain amount of money to think about the future of the Porsche brand without the pressure of starting production, without the pressure of some legal issues or requirements,” said Mauer. Vision 357 is there “to foster creativity and to make sure we can evolve our design language further,” even if looking forward means focusing on the past.
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