Recognized for building iconic 356 Outlaws for the last three decades, the Emory family’s automotive legacy began in 1948 when Rod Emory’s grandfather, Neil Emory, founded Valley Custom Shop in Burbank, CA. Located just a few miles from where Emory Motorsports currently creates its stunning Porsche creations, Neil earned a reputation for sleek, stately, European-esque channeled and sectioned coachwork on the American cars of the day. It’s in that same refined spirit that Emory Motorsports presents the effortlessly cool 356 C4S, a stout AWD build with a novel mix of 356 and 911 technology. The result is a truly one-of-a-kind ride, pairing 911 performance with the quintessential 356 Emory Motorsports aesthetic.
“Our build philosophy has always been to bring the best of certain eras together in our cars,” comments Emory Motorsports Co-Founder Rod Emory. “The Emory 356 C4S is really the first ‘RS’ that we’ve built, while being the world’s first AWD 356. Our goal was to create a special Porsche that never existed but should have. The end result is that the 356 C4S really presents the highest performance level possible in a 356. The car’s owner was so pleased with the car he calls it his ‘AllRad 356.’”
Commissioned by a discerning client who wanted to drive the Emory 356 C4S to East Coast ski areas in the winter, the decision was made to artfully combine a 1964 Porsche 356C body with an all-wheel-drive 1990 911 (964) C4 chassis. The meticulous four-year build began by laser-scanning the 1964 body and the 1990 chassis. Points of intersection were analyzed in the CAD environment with decisions about how to marry the two made in the virtual and real-world spaces.
Emory Motorsports’ goal was to retain all of the original suspension pick-up points from the 911, but two challenges existed: the differences in wheelbase and rear track from the two Porsche platforms separated by 26 years. The decision was made to retain the 356’s wheelbase, which required shortening the 911’s center tunnel. The 356’s steel body was then subtly widened to match the 911’s rear track. Adjustable KW coil-over shocks mate perfectly to the 911’s architecture and provide optimal ride quality and control.
For the powertrain, Emory Motorsports retained the C4’s G64 5-speed AWD manual gearbox. The driveline now incorporates a rally-style differential bias with independent front-to-rear and side-to-side manual torque control.
The disc brakes are standard 964-issue with plenty of stopping power. The custom 16×7 black powder-coated wheels are pure Emory Motorsports ingenuity, inspired by wheel designs from different eras. 205/60R16 Pirelli Ice Zeros give superior all-weather grip.
The 356 C4S is powered by the proprietary Emory-Rothsport “Outlaw-4” engine. Rod Emory and renowned engine builder Jeff Gamroth of Rothsport Racing collaborated over the better part of a decade to create an original four-cylinder cast-aluminum block, based on a dry-sump engine design. The new engine incorporates the best features of three distinct iterations of the 911 powerplant. Custom billet cam housings, camshafts, and crankshafts are designed to work with OE Porsche engine components.
Dual Weber 48 IDA carburetors feed this twin-plug engine, rated at 200 horsepower. This 2.4-liter Outlaw-4 employs a crank-fire ignition, and full-flow lubrication with remote filter and cooler. Exhaust flows through custom headers and a stainless-steel muffler.
The carefully tailored bodywork includes a widened rear section, a flattened hood with its handle deleted, a louvered deck lid, and body-colored rally lights. A competition fuel filler leads to an 18-gallon GT FuelSafe fuel cell. Yellow headlight lenses and a Ray Dot mirror round out the distinctive exterior features of this build. Body color is Graphite Blue Metallic (an OE 2016 Porsche color).
Careful observers will note the car’s titanium roof rack. Per the client’s request, the rack was conceived in CAD to accommodate carrying bikes, skis, or other gear on road trips. The one-off drip-rail clamps were 3-D printed in chemically pure titanium, then welded to the custom-fabricated rack by the car’s owner.
On the inside, Emory Motorsports injected Porsche racing inspiration. The RS-style driver’s seat provides functional contrast to the Speedster-style passenger seat. The interior is elegantly rendered in green leather, and occupants are held fast by 4-point competition harnesses. A removable roll cage provides additional safety for spirited driving conditions.
Other interior details include green square-weave carpet with rubber floor mats. Tactile interfaces include a MOMO Heritage steering wheel, a 911 shifter with Outlaw shift knob, and a Tilton pedal assembly. Total curb weight for this rally-inspired package is 2,150 pounds.
