Emory Motorsports’ 356 RSR is Nothing Like You’ve Ever Seen
It’s got 1,950 pounds, 400 HP, and a 964 chassis all in a little 356 Porsche. This is automotive excellence.
The 356 is the the lifeblood of Porsche as a brand. It is the first production vehicle ever made by Porsche and it contains elements of design which until today hold true in modern 911’s. The swooping roof line and general body shape are instantly recognizable, regardless of the time period. If there a classic car from the brand that you don’t see often it would be the 356. While they may not be the rarest of Porsches ever built and their production numbers are still well within the tens of thousands, their age just makes them hard to come by.
What happens when you’re raised in a family of Porsche die-hards and custom car builders? Well, its safe to say that the influence on you is substantial. This brings us to Rod Emory, owner and founder of Emory Motorsports, who decided to embark on the adventure of building one of these classic 356s. However, having the brand’s heritage in his blood, he wasn’t going to take the easy road. The result is truly a masterpiece and its called the 356 RSR. Thanks to Petrolicious on YouTube, we get to see what this custom classic is all about.
When Emory was 14, his father helped him his first project car. The result was a rusted-out late 1950’s 356 with no engine. Years went by as Emory began tinkering and playing with the chassis, doing his best to get it in a functional running state. Decades later, Emory built his career and life around that very vehicle. The culmination of his life’s work is the 356 RSR. As of now, Emory has built over 170 different 356’s for customers of his company.
The RSR from first glance may resemble a 356, but taken to the utmost extreme. His idea with the build was to imagine what Porsche would have done with the 356 if they had developed the 356 for motorsport across many years. After thinking heavily about the project, he decided to collaborate with MOMO, famed steering wheel and racing accessories company, on the project. The result is combining a 400 HP 2.4L flat-four with twin-turbos and a chassis swap with a 964. You didn’t really think they would leave a car that looks like this with a 60 HP engine from the post-war era?
