The Porsche Vision 357 concept is a tribute to the 356. It was the first sports car made by a German company, and it came out in 1948, 75 years ago. Even though the Vision 357 is based on the modern 718 Cayman GT4 RS, it still has the classic 356 proportions and the smooth, curved body of the first Porsche sports car. The Vision 357 is full of unique details, from the headlights and taillights to the front splitter that looks like it came from a race car and the comic art on the windows and side sills. Porsche likes to celebrate anniversaries. When paying tribute to a car or event no longer known or making a limited edition to sell to people who only want an exclusive museum piece, the awards can seem forced. The Vision 357 concept, on the other hand, feels like a one-of-a-kind car and pays homage to the original Porsche sports car, the famous 356. It was released 75 years ago. It was shown at the “DRIVE” Forum by the Volkswagen Group in Berlin. The Vision 357 is not an electric car, which is rare for a concept car from 2023. Instead, the slim coupe is built on the 718 Cayman GT4 RS chassis, which has a 493-horsepower, 4.0-liter flat-six engine. The “fuel” logo on the gas cap shows that Porsche wants the mid-mounted powertrain of the Vision 357 to run on carbon-neutral synthetic fuels that Porsche has made. This is to keep the internal combustion engines that made Porsche famous. But Vision 357 shines when it comes to how it looks. The 357 has the same small cabin, low stance, and broad rear haunches as the 356, but it rides on a modern chassis. The bodywork is very smooth, and there are no hard metal wrinkles, which would have been impossible when they first made the 356 in 1948. The headlights and taillights are just groups of dots in circles and rectangles, and the door handles are hidden near the side windows. Another nod to the 356 is how the brake light is subtly built into the rear grille, which goes from the back window down to the diffuser. The “75” race number painted on the doors and hood of Vision 357 is the most apparent sign that Porsche used to race. The Mission R concept and the Cayman GT4 ePerformance prototype have side sills made of natural fiber-reinforced plastic, and the front splitter sticks out a bit. The 20-inch wheels of the concept are made of magnesium and carbon fiber. They are between the aerobics used on race cars in the 1980s and regular spoked wheels. The funny stickers on the body of the Porsche Vision 357 show how much fun its designers had making it. Just before the intake, a small cloud with the word “Air” written on it sits on the side glass. This tells the air to feed the engine naturally. The designers joked that since they made a gas-powered concept car for 2023, it would look “like a dinosaur.” This is why there is a Tyrannosaurus rex decal on the side sills. When the Vision 357 show in Berlin ends in the middle of February, it will still be shown at events worldwide. Hopefully, the new electric 718 sports cars, which will come out in 2025, will be influenced by the design of the famous vehicle.
