Porsche’s mission for this conceptis to celebrate the 30 years of Goodwood.
The car is based on the 718 GT4 e-Performance platform.
Will the future EV 718 production cars ressemble these 357 concepts?
With Goodwood’s Festival of Speed taking place in England, the unveiling of extravagant cars is increasing at breakneck speed. At Porsche, the Stuttgart-based manufacturer wants to celebrate its heritage, of course, but also the future of the brand. The presentation of the 357 Speedster concept pays tribute to the 30th anniversary of the annual meeting, but also marks the end of the brand’s anniversary festivities, which were launched one year ago with the Porsche Vision 357 concept.
The Porsche 357 Speedster is, like the prototype from a year ago, fully electric; the car is based on the 718 GT4 e-Performance platform. As for inspiration, it’s easy enough to associate the brand’s latest creation with one of its earliest, the legendary Porsche 356.
“The Porsche Vision 357 is a nod to the first line of Porsche models, Ferry Porsche’s dream sports car. And just as the 356 has established itself in the brand’s collective memory as both cabriolet and coupé, the same logic applies to the concept car: there can only be two […] Porsche Vision 357 Speedster embodies the very essence of the brand. Driving pleasure and driving dynamics combined with an extremely pure form. Like the Mission X we presented a few weeks ago, this model demonstrates that even with new design genes, the Porsche DNA shines through,” says Michael Mauer, Vice President of Porsche Style.
As is so often the case with cars tattooed with the Speedster badge, the windshield has been shortened, while the covered portion of the passenger compartment on the right-hand side is a nod to open-top sports cars. And with the Speedster’s emphasis on the cockpit – there’s only one seat and one headrest, after all – the interior is a simple affair.
There’s only the sports steering wheel, an information screen that “floats” above the carbon-fiber dashboard, while on the outside, the 75th anniversary logos compliment this very classic bodywork with its Marble Grey and Grivelo Grey metallic. Also note the Miami Blue painted elements. At the rear, the taillights are integrated into the bodywork, as is the central longitudinal grille. Finally, the wheels are the same as those bolted on the Vision 357 concept, and the retro effect is quite amazing.
It now remains to be seen whether future electrically powered Porsche 718s will adopt the design of these superb concepts.
