Bow Before the World’s First All-Wheel Drive Porsche 356

Emory Motorsports combined the classic with a Porsche 911

February 22, 2019 9:00 am

Emory Motorsports is known for crafting best-in-class Porsche 356 “Outlaws,” modified versions of the marque’s inaugural automobile. Today, after a painstaking four-year build, they’ve unveiled their most ambitious car to date: the world’s first all-wheel drive 356.

Meet the Emory 356 C4S, or as the new owner has cringingly dubbed it, the “AllRad 356.” Admittedly, to someone outside the sphere of Porsche mania, changing a car from rear-to-AWD doesn’t sound particularly groundbreaking. But it’s what’s on the inside that counts.

What you’re really looking at is only half 356— the other half is a 911. Specifically, the body is taken from a 1964 Porsche 356C and the chassis from a 1990 Porsche 964 Carrera 4. Wedding these two was no simple task, as the multi-year build time makes clear, with the wheelbase and rear track differences requiring meticulous reshaping.

Emory AWD Porsche 356 (10 images)

Porsche purists may be wondering, why do this in the first place? According to Emory, the car was commissioned by a “discerning client” who wanted to be able to drive it to “East Coast ski areas in the winter.” Ah, now the roof rack makes sense. As for the “discerning” qualifier, I do not think it means what you think it means.

Some of the other modifications are plain to see, including the yellowed headlights and additional rally lights, but power comes by way of the company’s proprietary Emory-Rothsport 2.4-liter, 200-HP Outlaw-4 engine. The five-speed manual gear box, however, comes via the 911.

As this was a commission, pricing wasn’t released. But if you’re looking for an AWD 356 for yourself, Emory would be glad to oblige. And since they’ve done it once, hopefully it won’t take four years the second time.

All photos courtesy of Emory Motorsports

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