Porsche 356 Speedster

For Porsche 356 before,I wrote an article that I tried on the coupebutThis time I got the opportunity to ride the 356 SpeedsterSo, I would like to give a review of it.

The test drive this time is the 1958 Porsche 356A Speedster. According to a survey, the 356 has three types of open top models: cabriolet, speedster, and roadster.

This time it is a Speedster, and the grade called "Speedster", which is still inherited in the 991 type, starts from here. In 1954, Porsche introduced the Speedster as a lightweight and inexpensive model to expand sales in North America.

The interior and exterior are made as simple as possible to reduce weight, and the basic model is $2995, which was handed over to New York, and was sold at the lowest price for Porsche at that time.

Speaking of modern "Speedster", there is a strong impression of an expensive model that will be released as a limited edition car in the latter half of the model.However, at that time, it was a model that could be called a low-priced version.

I personally knew this car from the movie "Top Gun" starring Tom Cruise, which has a strong impression that a female instructor was riding it. When I saw the movie for the first time, I did not know that it was Porsche, "What is that cool classic convertible?I remember thinking that.

After that, it turned out to be a Porsche 356 Speedster car, and since then I haven't run out of interest.

Painted in a genuine color called Speedster Blue, this individual has a very bright blue color, which, combined with a short windscreen, further accentuates the sporty impression.Known as "bathtub".This car has a nickname like this because the inside of the car looks like a bathtub when it rains.

first impression

Start the engine, engage the clutch and start running. At first, the engine idling wasn't stable, so it seemed like it was going to stall, but when I started running, I wasn't nervous at all.

The first impression is "There is a solid feeling of rigidityWas the first thing I thought. It's an open car more than 50 years ago, so I thought that Porsche would be more unreliable, but it was completely betrayed in a good way.

Even if I turn a few curves, it is very solid and I feel the ground contact properly. It seems that the engine power is originally 75ps,It seems that this individual has been replaced with a 90ps engine, and I do not feel any power shortage.With a Japanese mini sports car, even in situations where it seems a little tough, it accelerates normally, so I hardly felt any tingling.

Even though it is an RR car, it does not have a ride like the 911, as I wrote in the coupe test drive. It doesn't feel like carrying a heavy object behind it, and although it's not a midship, it has a natural ride that is close to that, and it's very easy to drive.

The owner said that it was frivolous and dangerous, but at a speed that allowed it to flow comfortably, I felt even more reassured.

The handle is large and very thin, and it requires a lot of force to operate. Driving is not easy at all, but on the other hand, because there is abundant feedback from the car, it is easy to understand the movement of the car with respect to the driver's operation, and it is easy for the car to interact with the driver.

Therefore, the absolute performance may be low, but I think that I could feel the confidence in the car, which led to a sense of security.

Porsche bike

The pulsating feeling and sound of the engine when running at a constant speed in 2nd or 3rd speed is wonderful.There is no barrier right behind, and the engine sound that can be heard directly is the best sound. Moreover, because it is an open car, the sound pours down from above, and the sound echoing around it changes subtly according to the speed. From the short windscreen, the wind mercilessly strokes overhead and you can feel the sprinting feeling.

This is a motorcycle anymore.

I have previously published an article titled "Boxster is a Porsche bike], But this Speedster is the origin of it, and the feeling of a motorcycle is even stronger.

The undercarriage is relatively stable, but the flatness of the tires is high, so it feels squeaky when a load is applied in some places, so it feels strange if you are accustomed to modern cars, but it has been 50 years. It runs so well that I can't think of it as a previous car.

And, as I'm always surprised to ride a classic Porsche, the high-speed stability is better than I imagined. Sometimes modern domestic compact cars are honestly "Are you really making it with the current technology?There are cars that are not stable at high speeds as much as I think, but Porsche more than 50 years ago is far more stable than that.

The owner also said that he had toured about 400km with this the other day, but it was said that it was all right. After all, I am sick of making German cars that are made on the assumption that they will run long distances from around this time.

The other thing that I thought was a big difference from the classic 911 is that the brakes are quite different. The 911 seems to work as it is even with old models,The 356 seems to be a drum brake, so it's not very effective.The operation feeling of the brake is also heavy, and sufficient deceleration cannot be obtained unless you step on it firmly.

However, such a performance story doesn't matter in front of this car.

I jumped on the driver's seat, closed the door a little rough, and the warm air started running moderately.
Feeling the wind, the light, the scenery and the soundJust keep running and this car will give the driver the best performance.The first is the "I" in "I".

It's a rare ultra-luxury car, but the original Speedster is a car that you can enjoy driving casually, unpretentiously, like a motorcycle you ride on a daily basis.
It was this test drive that I felt so strongly.