Porsche pays homage to its classic 356 Speedster with the unveiling of the Vision 357 Speedster – a low-slung concept car that hints at the upcoming electric-powered successor model to today's 718 Boxster.
Also debuting at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed in England are the Polestar 3 and Polestar 5 from Volvo’s electrified-vehicle sub-brand.
Revealed at the four-day festival, the Vision 357 Speedster follows the Vision 357 Coupe that was unveiled as part of Porsche's 75th-anniversary celebrations in January.
But while the Vision 357 Coupe features the naturally aspirated 4.0L horizontally opposed gasoline 6-cyl. from the existing 718 Cayman GT4 RS with 486 hp, the new Vision 357 Speedster features an electric drivetrain – and with it more than double the power of its fixed-roof sibling.
The electric drivetrain is sourced from the Porsche Mission R, whose dual-motor setup is claimed to deliver up to 1,058 hp in qualifying mode. It’s sufficient, Porsche claims, to provide the Vision 357 Speedster with a theoretical 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time of “under 3.0 seconds.”
The Porsche concept adopts the same retro-inspired exterior styling (pictured, above) as the Vision 357 Coupe but adds a lower windshield, a tonneau cover over the passenger side of the cockpit and a carbon-fiber rollbar with an integrated charging port behind the driver's seat. It also features 20-in. center-lock wheels made of magnesium and silver-on-white 75th-anniversary livery.
Cameras mounted on wing-like elements ahead of the A-pillars are used as an alternative to traditional rear-view mirrors.
Inside, there are carbon-fiber-backed seats with Racetex microfiber upholstery and 6-point harnesses. The instrument binnacle is made up of a transparent display with digital graphics, while the steering wheel draws on that used by current Porsche models, with a rotary dial for the various driving modes.
Porsche confirms the internal-combustion-engine 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman will be replaced by new electric-powered successor models. Officials with the German automaker suggest they will be unveiled in 2025 prior to planned North American sales the following year.
The 517-hp Polestar 3 CUV and 884-hp Polestar 5 grand touring sedan will be joined by the 476-hp Polestar 2 BST edition 230, built in a limited edition of 230 units.
Each car will participate in the Hill Climb, a highlight of the Goodwood festival.
“We love showing our latest prototypes to the public at Goodwood,” Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath says. “With production now starting in the first quarter of 2024, it’s time for Polestar 3 to take its first-ever run up the famous Hill. The latest Polestar 5 verification prototype is here, too. Developed in the U.K., Goodwood is like home turf for our electric 4-door GT.”
Polestar also is displaying the updated Polestar 2 with rear-wheel drive and the Polestar electric roadster concept.
The updated Polestar 2 and the limited-production BST edition 230 are available to buy online now. Polestar 3 (pictured, below) can be ordered online and will soon appear in Polestar Spaces in all markets, with deliveries expected in Q2 2024. Polestar 5’s official launch is planned for 2024, followed in 2026 by the Polestar 6, the production version of the electric roadster concept.
