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Goodwood: Porsche presents Vision 357 Speedster

The new study is the sister model of the closed Porsche Vision 357, with which Porsche started its own 75th anniversary year.

Porsche followed the 357 Coupé with a "Speedster" - please build. | Photo: Porsche
Porsche followed the 357 Coupé with a "Speedster" - please build. | Photo: Porsche
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Gregor Soller

The Vision 357 Speedster also uses the technology of the 718 GT4 e-Performance. Porsche is making a big splash in the UK: It is presenting more than 15 new models and classics in West Sussex on the grounds of the Duke of Richmond. One of the highlights is the 356 "No. 1" Roadster, the very first sports car of the brand. Additionally, six Le Mans winners will be showcased to the motorsport-enthusiastic audience.

There can only be two

Porsche's chief designer Michael Mauer explains the 357 duo as follows:

"The Porsche Vision 357 references the first Porsche model series, Ferry Porsche's dream sports car. And since the 356 has etched itself into our collective brand memory as both an open and closed version, the same applies to this concept: There can only be two."

For him, the Vision 357 Speedster embodies "the essence of the brand" and he adds:

"Driving pleasure and driving dynamics meet here with an extremely puristic form. Similar to our recently unveiled Mission X, it becomes clear: Even with fresh design genes, the Porsche DNA remains intact."


The Vision 357 Speedster is based on the technology of the Porsche 718 GT4 e-Performance. The electric motors and battery technology come from the Mission R, and the chassis from the 718 GT4 Clubsport. The design study will be shown after its world premiere at the Goodwood Festival of Speed at the Rennsport Reunion in the USA at the end of September this year.

Classic: Small windshield and one-sided tonneau cover

Typical for a Speedster, the concept has a flat, shortened windshield. This emphasizes the monolithic body even more. A cover – the so-called tonneau cover, as used in earlier open sports cars – stretches over the right side of the vehicle. The driver's headrest appears to float because a technically designed roll-over element made of carbon sits behind it. Behind that lies the charging port and anchor points for a typical Speedster roof.

Wild: Porsche also relies on a two-tone concept here

The two-tone concept with the shades marble grey and grivelo grey metallic is inspired by historical motorsport models. As protection against stone chips in races, the front bumpers and front fenders are in the darker metallic tone. The front wheels are also painted in grivelo grey metallic. Contrasts in Miami blue, such as on the quick-release fasteners of the wraparound front hood, add to the look.

Instead of Stuttgart horse: A unicorn just for this concept

The anniversary logo with the large "75" and the years "1948" and "2023" is designed in grivelo grey metallic and Miami blue – a fresh alternative to the decoration elements of the closed Vision 357. Red was also used there. Above it, comic-like unicorn stickers are positioned in front of the rear wheels.

The Porsche designers have created the mythical creature specifically for this concept, and the jagged "Speedster" lettering is also drawn by them. Cameras replace the side mirrors. As with the historical predecessors, these are not mounted on the doors but on the fenders in front of them. On the open 357, they received a new, aerodynamically optimized and wing-like design.

Other exterior design details are known from the sister concept: The four-point light signature at the front is round, reminiscent of the Porsche 356. The rear lights are installed under a dot-milled pattern. The vertical grille pattern at the rear is also visually based on the first Porsche model series. The third brake light is formally flush-integrated into the grille.

The wide track creates a bullish impression and contributes to driving stability. The 20-inch wheels are made of magnesium with carbon fiber covers and central locks. Visually, they also recall a legendary Porsche wheel: The 356 A and 356 B with drum brakes had rims with the strikingly large bolt circle of 205 millimeters.

Interior Design: minimalist, reduced cockpit

The interior is limited to the essentials and entirely tailored to the driver. The seating position is sportily low. The seat shell made of CfK is integrated into the monocoque. The driver sits on pads covered with Racetex and is secured by a six-point harness with Miami blue harness straps. The combination instrument is positioned as a transparent surface on the steering column. The motorsport steering wheel embodies lightness, the impact absorber seems to be suspended. Individual control elements, in turn, pick up the Miami blue accent color from the exterior.

The entire dashboard is made of visible carbon. As an alternative to a classic glove compartment, there are Miami blue straps at the top right to secure items. Instead of the conventional door handle, there is a simple textile loop. This detail from motorsport saves weight.

Vogelwild: At the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Porsche dares to showcase tractors too!

Besides other current Porsche models, visitors in southern England can also marvel at a Porsche-Diesel tractor "Junior 108." This is because, parallel to the production of the Porsche 356, orders for customer developments were a fixed part of the company's portfolio. Between 1949 and July 1963, around 120,000 tractors were produced under license with the Porsche name.

What does this mean?

Currently, the "Festival of Speed" is becoming increasingly popular. The British newspaper Sunday Times described the legendary hill climb within the Festival of Speed as a "cross between the Monaco Grand Prix and Royal Ascot." Demanding and secured with straw bales, the 1.86-kilometer-long track is a challenge for both drivers and vehicles. The course runs through the park of Goodwood House, the estate of Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, 11th Duke of Richmond. The motorsport-enthusiast Briton founded the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 1993. Around 180,000 motorsport fans come every year to this event for historic and modern racing cars as well as supercars in West Sussex, southern England. And Porsche is heavily involved: For the brand's 75th anniversary, a sculpture by the artist Gerry Judah forms the centerpiece of the Festival of Speed on its 30th anniversary.

Translated automatically from German.
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