New Porsche Vision 357 Concept Pays Tribute To The Original 356

As mentioned recently, famed Stuttgart-based sportcar marque Porsche marques several key anniversaries this year including the 75th anniversary of its sportscar heritage – a history that began with the Porsche 356 in 1948.

To celebrate that, Porsche has unveiled a special homage based on the manic 718 Cayman GT4 RS track-ready midship. Called the Porsche Vision 357 Concept, it is an “attempt to combine the past, present, and future with coherency," according to Michael Mauer, Style Porsche's vice president.

Evidently, the 357 adopts the original 356’s proportions and cues whilst featuring styling details that look toward the future.

At a glance, this is one very sleek concept as it has no door handles, side-mirrors, or even traditional head- and taillights. Instead, designers have replaced traditional side mirrors with cameras, whereas both the forward and rear lights have been cleverly hidden behind perforations in the body panel with the third brake light integrated into the rear grille motif.

Early 356s featured a split windshield with a bar down the middle. To replicate this, Porsche opted to play with the concept's glass by wrapping it around black A-pillars in a way that unites the three window elements into a single piece and resembles a helmet visor. The wheels, on the other hand, which are 20-inch magnesium types, sport "aerodynamically advantageous" carbon-fiber hubcaps sitting at the corners.

Porsche then completed the exterior with a striking two-tone paint scheme that sees Ice Gray Metallic covering most parts, and Grivola Gray Metallic accents in the front bumper. Massive "75" decals are present in the doors and hood, followed by subtle "357" stickers on the front fenders and rear fascia. Even the air intakes in the rear side windows are marked with "Air" decals and arrows pointing to the inlets.

Besides the design, there are a few other important things to note. Underneath the impressively disciplined body, the Vision 357 Concept underpins the 718 Cayman GT4 RS, borrowing both its chassis and its manic 4.0-litre flat-six powerplant that’s good for 493 HP. The latter is primed with bluish-looking titanium tailpipes that feature ceramic interiors as well.

Given that Porsche built 77 units of its 911 GT2 RS-based 935 Moby Dick homage back in 2019, this concept might see a similar treatment, though this remains to be seen still. Presently, the concept will be shown to the public at a special exhibit in Berlin celebrating 75 years of Porsche sports cars. Said exhibition at Volkswagen Group's Drive Forum opens this week from Jan 27 and runs until mid-February.

Beyond that, Porsche reportedly plans to showcase the Vision 357 Concept at other international events throughout the year as well.

What do you folks think of this latest retro-inspired concept by the Stuttgart-based sportscar marque, then? Should they build it? Hit the comments below with your thoughts…