As automakers worldwide are beginning production of any number of battery-electric sedans and sport-utility vehicles, the question remains, where are the sports cars?
Consider Porsche, which was once purely a sports car company. Its first battery electric vehicle (or BEV) was the Taycan sedan, a vehicle they sell on their website as a “pure expression of a Porsche electric sports car.”
Um, really? We would say that’s hardly a sports car. A sports sedan? Perhaps. Sports car? That’s marketing pablum.
Porsche marked its 75th anniversary, as well as the 30th anniversary of the Goodwood Festival of Speed with the world premiere Thursday of the Porsche Vision 357 Speedster concept car, a topless sibling to the Porsche Vision 357.
But this concept sports car is based on Porsche’s 718 GT4 e-Performance technology, which debuted at Goodwood’s Festival of Speed last year in the GT4 e-Performance Prototype. That vehicle features an 80-kWh electric motor on each axle producing as much 800kW, that’s 1,088 for you 20th-Century types.
But that was so 2022. This year, there’s something far more delectable.
“The Porsche Vision 357 is a nod to the first Porsche model line, Ferry Porsche’s dream sports car. And since the 356 has cemented itself into the collective brand memory as both a convertible and a coupe, the same logic applies to the concept car: there can only be two,” says Michael Mauer, Vice President Style Porsche. “The Porsche Vision 357 Speedster embodies the essence of the brand.”
Certainly this concept is every bit the speedster, with a shortened windshield, a tonneau cover spanning the right side of the cabin, and a shape that channels the Porsche 356 for a new millennium. As if to signal that, fender-mounted, aerodynamically optimized cameras are used instead of exterior mirrors
“The design study 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,” said Michael Mauer, Vice President Style Porsche about the 357 upon its debut in January.
Using the Porsche 718 GT4 Clubsport’s chassis, the Porsche Vision 357 Speedster’s electric motors and battery come from the all-electric Mission R race car concept, which in that vehicle produces anywhere from 671 horsepower in “race mode” to as much as 1,073 horsepower in “qualifying mode.”
That power is put down through 20-inch magnesium wheels equipped with carbon fiber hubcaps and center locks.
As you’d expect, the interior carbon fiber reinforced plastic seat shell with Racetex-covered padding is integrated into the 357’s monocoque and includes a six-point seat belt with a Miami Blue belt strap. The instrument panel is finished in carbon fiber.
A record sales year so far
The stunning new sports car’s appearance in an anniversary year bodes well for a brand that’s firing on all cylinders, for the most part.
Earlier this week, Porsche Cars North America reported that second-quarter U.S. retail sales totaled 18,895 vehicles, helping PCNA set a record for the first half of the year with 36,335 vehicles, an increase of 12%. The record came despite a 3% drop in sales in the second quarter year-over-year as a result of model cycle adjustments and supply constraints.
“As we welcome the new Cayenne, a small decline in Q2 was expected and planned for as we prepare ourselves for the second half of the year,” said Joe Lawrence, Executive Vice President and COO of PCNA, in a statement.
During the first six months of 2023, Macan sales are up 34% year-over-year, while 718 sales jumped 31%, 911 demand rose 9%, the Panamera volume rose 6%, and the Cayenne, 4%.
The company also reported that June was its best month yet for Taycan EV, with sales of 667 units. But six-month volume declined 29% to 3,162 sedans, down from the 4,449 units sold during the same period last year. Overall sales of the Taycan have declined as new competitors vie for wealthy EV buyers’ dollars, and the Audi RS GT e-tron steals some the Taycan’s sales lightning. Nevertheless, Porsche plans to have electric motors on more than 80% of its vehicles by 2030.
But tradition endures, and srill sells. Porsche’s Certified Pre-Owned sales came in at 9,675 vehicles in the second quarter of 2023, up 23.3% from the same quarter in 2022.
Changes at the top, and on the walls
All of this comes as Dr. Kjell Gruner, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America (PCNA) since 2020, stepped down from his position on July 6th. The automaker did not state a reason for his departure, nor did the company name a successor, saying that Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Joe Lawrence and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Thierry Kartochian will Porsche’s North American business in the interim until Gruner’s replacement is named.
The company also announced a new line of house paint last week in collaboration with premium paint brand Backdrop as part of Porsche’s 75th anniversary. That’s right, house paint.
“Whether it’s a custom-built Taycan or your home office, we want to inspire all to dream in full color,” said Ayesha Coker, Vice President of Marketing of PCNA. “Together with Backdrop, we’ve curated a series of bright, saturated colors that have significance to us and are sure to bring the beloved Porsche aesthetic to your home interior design.”
To that end, the company is introducing four paint colors to brighten your world. The hues include Irish Green, a dark hunter green first seen in 1964 on a 356C sports car; Speed Yellow, a vibrant yellow that debuted on the 1991 Porsche 911; Ruby Star, a deep magenta that dates from the same year’s 911, 928 and 944; and Riviera Blue, an electric bright blue that appeared in 1994.
Color us amused.