AUSTIN, Texas — The Porsche 356 is the car that started it all for the longstanding sports car brand nearly 75 years ago. On June 8, 1948, the Roadster 356/1, powered by an air-cooled 1.1-liter flat-four engine from volkswagenwas road-certified and became the first vehicle to carry porsche trademark. It will grow into celebration 356 super speed of the mid-1950s – with a classic design that made it one of the most sought-after collector’s cars ever – and which later made respectable popularity. Porsche 911introduced as a replacement for the 356 in 1963 and continues to be produced to this day.
To celebrate the 356’s legacy, at the recent SXSW conference in Austin, Texas, Porsche displayed 75lame pants The concept of commemoration is called vision 357. We were there when the concept’s lead designer, Ingo Scheinhütte, took a deep dive into the Vision 357’s look in a presentation called “75 Years Porsche: The Evolution of the 356” in Porsche House at SXSW.
Vision 357 pays homage to pater’s family Porsche with its bulbous yet lithe shape and through style cues such as the rounded (but hidden) headlights and rear grille mirror the 356’s design elements. The black A-pillars make up the windshield The visual link to the side windows is a plus for the original Porsche split windscreen, while the gray paintwork is a relic of the 356 from the 1950s. Even the bulky wheels are well designed. Designed to mimic the early 356s, though the concept’s unique bodywork is covered with slightly modern graphics and underneath is the brand’s completely contemporary performance platform. Cayman GT4 RS.
While it aims to celebrate the past, Scheinhütte says the Vision 357 points to Porsche’s potential future design language. “We did it for 365’s 75th birthday, we also did it as a platform to experiment, try different things and see if it really works.”
Perhaps the most radical aspect of the Vision 357 – but also the one related to the original Porsche – is the headlights hidden behind the perforations. “We thought of the 356 and its very different shaped headlights,” says Scheinhütte. “But we don’t want to cut into the fender first.”
The idea is to have a similarly shaped perforated surface that light can shine through but can be painted to blend better into the vehicle. “You have the personality and style of the 365 headlights but also the beautiful front fenders,” says Scheinhütte. “We wanted something very clean, so we came up with an idea that perhaps one day will develop.”
Scheinhütte says that 10 years ago, such a bold design statement would not have been possible at Porsche. “Because we thought the car needed this circular cut in the front fender to make it Porsche,” he added. “We now know it could be a lot like Porches without it.”
Scheinhütte says the Vision 357’s balance between past and future is symbolic of Porsche’s careful and step-by-step design approach. “If you have a brand like Porsche with such a long history, then on the one hand you don’t want to change anything, especially if you are a fan of the company and like the look of the cars and for them. that they are beautiful. “
“We always think about the near future for most of the things we do,” says Scheinhütte. But he added that Porsche style vice president Mike Mauer – who recently said on the design of Vision 357 that “brand history serves as inspiration” – with the final say, of course.
“At the end of the day, he would say, ‘I like this shape and this is the direction we should go,’” says Scheinhütte.
