Porsche unveils anniversary concept car as tribute to its first model line

MANILA: The Porsche 356 No. 1 Roadster received its general operating permit on June 8, 1948, marking the beginning of the sports car manufacturer. Porsche is starting its 75th anniversary year with the Porsche Vision 357 and a nod to the Porsche 356.

The Porsche Vision 357 concept car upgrades the monolithic form for the modern day. The Style Porsche Team is unconstrained by the rules that apply to implementation as a series model, and as a result, they are able to express potential future design ideologies. One example is the consistent improvement of the light signature, which is both forward-thinking and visionary. The key concept illustrates the balance between tradition and innovation.

“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. The concept car is an attempt to combine the past, present and future with coherency, featuring proportions that are reminiscent of its historical archetype and details that visualize the outlook for the future,” Style Porsche Vice President Michael Mauer stated.

The Porsche Vision 357 features exceptional sports car performance and is based on the same technology as the 493-horsepower Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS. The “75 Years of Porsche Sports Cars” special display at the Volkswagen Group's DRIVE Forum in Berlin, which debuted with a lavish evening event on January 25, has the exterior concept study as its standout piece. The Porsche Vision 357 will be on display starting today, January 27, and it will remain there until mid-February. The design study will also be displayed at South by Southwest in Austin beginning on March 10 and more international events throughout the year.

Since the start, design has been a fundamental part of the Porsche tradition. Porsche's distinctive but innovative design is built on visionary studies and concept cars.

“Thinking out loud about the future is one of the core missions of Style Porsche. Concept studies are the pool of ideas that feed the design of tomorrow. We are perpetually on the conceptual journey into the future of mobility. Time and again, the brand's history serves as a source of inspiration. Taking a look back at our tradition with a future concept car is not as paradoxical as it might seem. Creative freedom is also important: this is where valuable ideas can emerge unfettered, ones that help us imagine our consistent design philosophy in innovative new directions,” Mauer added.

The Porsche Vision 357's proportions are monolithic, with a narrow passenger cabin, a sharply sloping flyline, and broad shoulders that resemble the 356. The A-pillars are aggressively encircled by the windscreen. Porsche is testing the limits of glass production, just like the 356, which featured a split windscreen with a bar running down the middle. In model year 1952, a one-piece windscreen with a curve down the middle replaced the split design. The Porsche Vision 357's black A-pillars optically connect the side window surfaces into a single piece. This DLO (daylight opening) graphic looks like a helmet visor.

The geometric form of the Porsche Vision 357 is supported by the integrated functional details. The tail lights, which are hidden behind a patterned array of points in the body itself, as well as the hidden door openers by the side windows are just a few examples. The rear grille pattern, which includes the third brake light, is another homage to the original. The front of the Porsche Vision 357 has a four-point light signet, just like all current Porsche models. The headlights' rounded shape is another homage to the 356's signature lighting.

The two-tone concept with Ice Grey Metallic and Grivola Grey Metallic in the lower portions of the front end pays homage to the gray tones that were already popular in the 1950s.

The wide track gives off a bold impression and improves driving stability. The 20-inch wheels are composed of magnesium and have hubcaps and center locks made of carbon fiber, which are better for aerodynamics. The 356 A and 356 B with drum brakes have rims with the noticeably large bolt circle of 205 millimeters, visually evoking an iconic Porsche wheel.

The front and doors are adorned with the “75” anniversary logo in the style of a start number.

Like the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS, the Porsche Vision 357 has process air intakes mounted high behind the driver- and passenger-side windows, which designers decorated with comic-style “Air” decals. The decals have a motorsport vibe, much like the “eFuel” logo on the tank cap on the right wing.

Photos from Porsche

Also read: Porsche 356-inspired digital art featured at Outernet in London