Exotic cars are for sure expensive deals and not everyone can buy them, but replica kit cars are cool and of course a lot more affordable. Porsche 356 Speedster was one of the most expensive and desirable collector models from the German luxury carmaker.
Facts To Know
For people not in the know, the company produced just 3,676 units of the 356 Speedster from its launch to the end of its production in 1958. The figure shows how rare possession it was. It was popular as “T1” among enthusiasts and known for its excellent driving dynamics and open-top driving experience.
How pricey was it?
So, how much did an original Porsche 356 Speedster cost? It was around $3,750 for the coupe and an extra $500 for the cabriolet. While it may not sound so much considering how the world economy has changed over the years + inflation. But it was surely super expensive for its time. Today, you’ll have to shell crores of rupees to buy an original Porsche 356 (restored).
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Honda City Type-2 based Replica
Well, what’s interesting here is the Rusty Cashew Garage in Goa has made a replica kit car of the 356 Speedster using a Honda City Type-2 as its base. The model has the engine bay in the mid rear, just like the original Porsche. The motor, however, is the City Type-2’s 1.5L naturally aspirated unit with an automatic transmission.
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The replica kit car has been equipped with double wishbone suspension with pushrod because of the lack of space in the shell. In the front, it gets the pushrod suspension and the shock absorbers sourced from the Bajaj Pulsar. The Rusty Cashew Garage has completely redesigned its subframe to equip the radiator and engine at an angle to get the most amount of air. It has a fuel cap in the front as we have seen in the real 356 Speedster.
With the fiberglass body panels, the replica Porsche 356 Speedster (based on the Honda City Type-2) is quite lightweight. Just like the original one, it has three-spoke steering and your knees will touch the unit while sitting on the driver’s seat. The replica kit car is closer to legal (we are not sure of that though), but the Rusty Cashew say that they don’t drive it on highways.
