Porsche 356 by Electrogenic review: electric soul
The Porsche Taycan has already proved that electric cars can be deeply desirable and enjoyable to drive. However, not even Porsche has attempted a proper electric sports car yet. And there are reasons for that.
Electric power, you see, is calm, linear and near-silent: qualities well suited to a family SUV or luxury saloon, but suboptimal for a sports car. EVs also tend to be heavy (up to 500kg more than a petrol car) and most feel rather remote and one-dimensional. The electric Porsche Boxster and Cayman, due in 2025, have a mountain to climb.
In the meantime, I’ve just driven an electric Porsche that is compact, light and good old-fashioned fun. It even has a manual gearbox for an extra layer of driver interaction. Strangely, by looking to the past, it offers hope for the electric sports car’s future.
Electro shock
The 356 was the first production Porsche – and the evolutionary link between the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911. Around 76,000 were built between 1948 and 1965, including racing Carreras and the super-cool Speedster.
At first glance, this 356C coupe looks beautifully original – even the twin tailpipes are still fitted. However, an air-cooled electric motor has supplanted the 1.6-litre engine, while the front boot is full of batteries.
The conversion is by Oxford-based Electrogenic, which has developed modular kits to transform almost any pre-1990 car into an EV. Previous projects include a Triumph Stag, Jaguar E-Type and a fleet of electric Land Rover Defenders for Worthy Farm (home of the Glastonbury festival). Some use high-power Tesla components, but the 356’s more modest Hyper 9 motor allows it to retain the factory four-speed manual ’box.
With 120hp and 173lb ft of torque, this oh-so-pretty Porsche will sprint to 62mph in 7.0 seconds and reach a top speed of 120mph. Plenty quick enough for a car with 1964-spec brakes, then. Its 36kW battery can be replenished in three hours using a 15kW charger and provides a realistic range of 140 miles. Best of all, the new drivetrain adds just 35kg, so this sub-1,000kg EV weighs less than half as much as a Taycan.
Getting into gear
Step inside the 356 and, again, there are few clues to its new identity. The fuel gauge now displays the battery charge, but the rest looks as Stuttgart intended.
Visibility is panoramic, thanks to the spindly roof pillars, the steering wheel is large and the red leather seats offer no side-support. This isn’t a restomod with air conditioning, cupholders and cleverly concealed infotainment. By modern standards, it’s tiny and almost brutally basic.
You soon forget about that when you drive it, though. I start in second gear, as the electric motor’s plentiful torque means first is only needed for maximum-attack getaways. You don’t use the clutch to pull away or stop, only for swapping ratios on the move, and the car is impossible to stall.
Gear changes need to be quite steady and deliberate, or you risk the motor whirring up to its 10,000rpm limiter, but the 356 certainly keeps you busy. And that’s half the fun of a sports car, right?
A question of sport
Lapping the airfield circuit at Bicester Heritage, I quickly find a flow – using second gear for the corners, then shifting up to third on the straights.
It isn’t shockingly accelerative like some EVs, but it feels precise and light on its feet, with a definite rearward bias. Like a proper Porsche, in other words. And while the muted hum of an electric motor isn’t as charming as the throb of a petrol flat-four, it’s certainly preferable on a long journey.
The cost of this conversion is around £45,000, on top of a donor 356 (from £50,000). It won’t be for everyone, but it does show that sports cars and electric power aren’t incompatible. Over to you now, Porsche.
Tim Pitt writes for Motoring Research
PRICE: From £104,000
POWER: 120hp
0-62MPH: 7.0sec
TOP SPEED: 120mph
RANGE: 140 miles
CHARGE TIME: 3 hours