Check Out This Stunning 1957 Porsche Speedster

The Porsche Speedster, in particular this “356-A” generation as it’s known internally, is one of the marque’s most historic and iconic cars. The Speedster was a small roadster with classic hot rod proportions featuring the finest German engineering available at the time. However, what we are looking at is no ordinary Speedster, as Jay Leno explains:

In typical hot rod form, very little of this “Porsche Speedster” is actually Porsche Speedster. This particular car is a replica, and in the great tradition of classic Porsche and Volkswagen cars, uses a Beetle floor plan that’s been cut, welded, shortened and then welded again to a steel frame to fit the fiberglass 356 Speedster body shell atop it, courtesy of JPS Motorsports out of Hollywood, CA.

The look may be period, but that’s where it ends, because underneath that pretty body is a naturally-aspirated 2.5L Subaru flat four making about 200 horsepower. Despite the Speedster being a lightweight at around 1800lbs, that is still triple the horsepower it left the factory with. Fortunately for the driver as well as any bystanders, this Speedster features Wilwood disc brakes front and rear.

As far as the driver is concerned, again, this Speedster swings to the modern side of things, making for a very comfortable street car. How many ’57 Speedster’s have heated leather seats, air-conditioning and a sound system (besides the engine)?

With the Subaru flat four warbling away in the back of this Speedster, Leno is surprised with the civility and accessibility of the car as well as the pulling power of said engine, especially compared to a standard Speedster. This sort of resto-mod (emphasis on the mod since it’s a replica from the get-go) is exactly how I would do it as well: less compromise and ultimately more enjoyable the “investment” of a real Speedster, most of which sit unused in garages while their owners plot their way to financial greatness via the Porsche bubble and classic car value appreciation. With this Speedster, it can be driven hard, exactly as it was meant to be.

Jake Stumph

Jake Stumph is a lifelong car enthusiast and racer, and former content editor for Internet Brands Automotive which he joined in 2015. His work has been featured by several other prominent automotive outlets, including Jalopnik and Autobytel.

He obtained a bachelor's degree in Political Science at the Ohio State University in 2013, then pivoted from covering politics and policy to writing about his automotive adventures, something that, he says, is a lot more fun. Since that time, he has established connections with most of the world's major automakers, as well as other key brands in the automotive industry.

He enjoys track days, drifting, and autocross, at least, when his cars are running right, which is uncommon.

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