India’s only Porsche Speedster is actually a Honda City, and is home-made [Video]

We’ve seen numerous replicas in the past, including Lamborghinis and Ferraris. But this replica of the Porsche 356 Speedster is something special that only a few enthusiasts will know and remember. Not a single unit of the car exists in India and possibly in the neighboring countries. The rare car sells for at least Rs 4 crore in Western countries, making this good-looking replica a piece of art.

The Rusty Cashew Garage in Goa built the replica using a Honda City Type-2 as the base. The engine is mounted at the rear of the car, just like the original Porsche 356. It is powered by a 1.5-liter naturally-aspirated engine that was used in the City Type 2 and has an automatic gearbox.

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The car has double wishbone suspension with pushrod due to the cramped space. The subframe is redesigned to fit the radiator and engine at an angle, feeding in as much air as possible. The replica has taken a lot of work and detailing from the real Porsche 356, with the fuel filler in the front and the front and rear of the car opening like a clamshell.

The front also gets pushrod suspension, and the shock absorbers are from Bajaj Pulsar. Since it is a kit car, certain bits and pieces are still work-in-progress, such as fiddling with the inside of the door to open it. However, the ergonomics are sorted and are as close to the original car as possible. They took the car for a drive, and you can hear the squeaks from the vehicle.

Rusty, who made the car, said that he used 3D models to make the panels as close to the original as possible. The body panels are made up of fibreglass and the car is very lightweight.

It is street-legal?

While certain changes to your vehicle, such as changing its color, adding minor accessories like rain visors and bumper corner protectors, upsizing tires and wheels, or even swapping the engine, can be made as long as they do not violate the original manufacturer’s specifications within the limits prescribed by the carmaker and with prior permission from the RTO in the case of engine swaps, structural changes to your vehicle are not legal in India.

The Supreme Court of India and the Motor Vehicle Act prohibit such modifications from being used on public roads. These modified vehicles can be used as project cars on private properties, such as a racing track or at a farmhouse, but they may be seized by the police if found on public roads

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