Emory Motorsports Review: The Original Porsche Outlaw 356 Builder

Ask most people who invented the Porsche “outlaw” look and, if they know the answer at all, they’ll say Rod Emory. Emory Motorsports is the shop that turned a specific kind of hot-rodded 356 — narrower bumpers, lowered stance, a punchier flat-four, none of the chrome-heavy concours fussiness — into its own recognized sub-genre of the Porsche world, decades before “restomod” was a marketing term anyone used.

What makes Emory different from nearly every other builder in this space is depth rather than breadth. The company has restored and modified more than 180 Porsche 356s (plus a smaller number of 911s and genuine competition cars) since the mid-1990s, and Rod Emory is the third generation of his family working in Southern California’s custom-car scene. This isn’t a startup chasing a trend; it’s a lineage.

I’ve gone through Emory’s current build programs, the engineering behind the Emory-Rothsport engine partnership, and how the company compares to the other big names doing Porsche restomods at a similar level. Here’s my full breakdown of what Emory Motorsports builds in 2026, the story behind the outlaw movement, and where it sits against the competition.

The Story Behind Emory Motorsports

Rod Emory grew up around cars in a way almost nobody else in this industry can claim. His grandfather, Neil Emory, was part of Southern California’s founding hot-rod scene through the Valley Custom Shop, dating back to 1948. His father ran Porsche Parts Obsolete, a vintage-Porsche parts business, and Rod was building cars before he’d finished high school. He later relocated the family operation near Burbank, close to where his grandfather’s original shop once stood — a direct throughline from 1940s hot-rodding to modern Porsche restomodding.

The “outlaw” name comes from Rod’s own early 356 build, a car finished outside the rules of concours-correct restoration — hence “outlaw.” That single build in the 1990s effectively created a movement: an entire subculture of 356 and early-911 owners who wanted their cars faster, lighter, and more personal rather than frozen in factory-original spec. Emory Motorsports is now the most established name doing that work at a professional level, operating out of McMinnville, Oregon with a design studio in North Hollywood, California.

Rod Emory describes the company’s approach simply: preserve as much of a car’s original DNA, metal, and character as possible while modernizing what makes it usable. Every build is treated, in his words, as if the shop were keeping the car itself.

What Emory Motorsports Actually Builds

Unlike restomod houses that offer a fixed model lineup, Emory builds are custom to order, starting from a genuine donor 356 or 911 that the client supplies or that Emory sources. Three general programs define most of the shop’s output.

Outlaw 356 — The Original Program

The build that started it all: original steel-bodied Porsche 356s modified with the Emory-Rothsport “Outlaw-4” engine, upgraded suspension, close-ratio gearboxes, and four-wheel disc brakes, while retaining concours-quality bodywork and metalwork. Power typically lands around 200 hp — roughly triple what these cars made from the factory — in a car that still weighs close to 2,000 lbs. Builds take 12 to 18 months and start around $175,000, climbing toward $250,000 depending on specification.

Emory Special — The Personalization Program

A step beyond the standard Outlaw formula, the Special program leans further into client-specific styling and mechanical requests — different body treatments, unique color and trim combinations, and engine specifications tailored to how the owner actually plans to drive the car, whether that’s spirited street use or vintage rally events.

Emory RSR — The Hybrid Halo Car

The most ambitious build in Emory’s catalog combines a 356 body with a 911-derived platform underneath, powered by a twin-turbocharged 2.4-liter Emory-Rothsport Outlaw-4 producing 393 hp in a car weighing around 1,950 lbs. It’s not a replica — it’s built from genuine donor Porsches — and starting prices run around $600,000, putting it in direct competition with the priciest builds from Porsche’s best-known restomod names.

Emory 356 C4S — The All-Wheel-Drive Outlaw

Perhaps the clearest proof that Emory is still innovating after 30 years: a 356 fitted with a Porsche 964-derived all-wheel-drive G64 five-speed manual gearbox and rally-style manually adjustable center and rear differentials, making it the world’s first AWD 356. Rod Emory has called it the shop’s first genuine “RS” — a special Porsche, in his words, that “never existed, but should have.”

Program Specifications at a Glance

Engineering Details Worth Knowing

Emory’s reputation isn’t built on horsepower numbers alone — it rests on an engine partnership and a metalworking standard that few other 356 specialists can match.

The Emory-Rothsport Outlaw-4

Emory’s signature engine is developed jointly with Rothsport Racing: a cast-aluminum, dry-sump flat-four with custom billet cam housings, camshafts, and crankshafts, twin-plug cylinder heads, and individual throttle bodies or dual Weber carburetors depending on the build. It’s a purpose-built modern interpretation of the 356’s original air-cooled four rather than a lightly massaged donor engine, which is a big part of why Emory’s cars can climb to 200-plus hp reliably.

Concours-Level Metalwork on a Driver’s Car

Because Rod Emory’s background is in bodywork and metal fabrication as much as mechanicals, Emory builds are known for panel gaps and bodywork quality that hold up against actual concours restorations — unusual for cars that are simultaneously being built to be driven hard rather than trailered to shows.

Genuine Donor Cars, Not Replicas

Every Emory build, including the 911-chassis RSR, starts from a real numbers-matching Porsche rather than a reproduction shell. That matters to the vintage-Porsche collector community specifically, where provenance and originality carry real weight even on a heavily modified car.

Emory Motorsports vs Singer Vehicle Design vs Gunther Werks

The most obvious comparisons for Emory are the other names collectors mention in the same breath: Singer Vehicle Design, the California company that popularized ultra-high-end 911 restomodding, and Gunther Werks, which I’ve already reviewed and which takes the last air-cooled 911 to 1,000 hp.

My honest read: Singer and Gunther Werks both work exclusively on later air-cooled 911s and price accordingly — Singer builds routinely run past $500,000 and its DLS Turbo halo car has sold for $3 million. Emory is the only one of the three with deep roots in the earlier, smaller 356, and it’s also the only one offering a genuine entry point under $200,000. If you want the absolute highest horsepower or the most polished modern 911 restomod, Singer or Gunther Werks are the better answers. If you want the car that arguably started the entire outlaw-restomod movement, built by the family that invented the look, Emory is doing something the newer companies can’t claim.

The Ownership Experience

Every Emory build is commissioned individually — there’s no fixed model configurator, and pricing depends heavily on the donor car’s condition and the client’s specification. Builds run 12 to 18 months, with the shop handling everything from metalwork to the final engine tune. Because Emory has been doing this since the 1990s, there’s also a mature secondary market: original Emory Outlaws regularly appear at auction, with rare or historically significant examples — like the AWD-converted, later Cabriolet-bodied 356 that headed to Broad Arrow Auctions — selling for $550,000 to $700,000, multiples of their original commission price.

Why the 356 Specifically

Most restomod houses gravitate toward the 911 because it’s the more famous, more powerful, more widely recognized Porsche. Emory’s focus on the 356 is almost the opposite bet: build deep expertise in the car most other shops consider too small, too underpowered, and too fragile to modify seriously, and become the definitive name in that niche instead of a smaller player in a crowded 911 market. It’s worked — Emory is now synonymous with 356 outlaws in a way no other builder is.

2026 Status

Emory Motorsports remains in active production across all its build programs, continuing to accept commissions for Outlaw 356s, Specials, and the RSR and C4S hybrid platforms. Recent builds — including the AWD 356 C4S and a rare Cabriolet-converted Outlaw currently heading to auction — show the company still pushing into genuinely new engineering territory rather than repeating a fixed formula, more than 30 years after the first Emory Outlaw appeared.

Verdict

Emory Motorsports is what happens when a restomod company isn’t chasing a trend but originated one. The build quality, the Emory-Rothsport engine program, and Rod Emory’s own family history in Southern California hot-rodding give this shop a credibility that newer, better-funded competitors can’t manufacture. It’s not the fastest or most powerful name in Porsche restomodding — Singer and Gunther Werks both build more outright horsepower — but for a 356 specifically, there’s no more authoritative choice.

If you’re shopping for an early Porsche restomod and haven’t looked past the 911-focused builders, Emory is worth serious consideration — especially at a starting price meaningfully below what Singer or Gunther Werks charge for their 911 builds.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Emory Motorsports?

Emory Motorsports is a Porsche restomod company founded by Rod Emory, best known for creating the “outlaw” 356 movement — modifying classic Porsche 356s with upgraded engines, suspension, and brakes while preserving their original bodywork and character. The company operates out of McMinnville, Oregon.

How much does an Emory Motorsports car cost?

A standard Outlaw 356 build starts around $175,000 and can reach $250,000 depending on specification. The flagship Emory RSR, which combines a 356 body with a 911-derived platform, starts around $600,000.

Who founded Emory Motorsports?

Rod Emory founded the company, representing the third generation of his family in Southern California’s custom-car industry, following his grandfather Neil Emory’s Valley Custom Shop and his father’s vintage-Porsche parts business.

What engine does Emory use in its builds?

Most Emory builds use the Emory-Rothsport “Outlaw-4,” a purpose-built cast-aluminum, dry-sump flat-four developed jointly with Rothsport Racing, typically producing around 200 hp in naturally aspirated form and up to 393 hp in the twin-turbocharged RSR.

How does Emory Motorsports compare to Singer Vehicle Design?

Both are premium Porsche restomod houses, but Singer works exclusively on later air-cooled 911s (964-based) starting around $500,000, while Emory specializes in the earlier 356 with a starting price closer to $175,000. Emory also predates Singer, having built its first outlaw 356 in the 1990s versus Singer’s 2009 founding.

Where is Emory Motorsports based?

Emory Motorsports is based in McMinnville, Oregon, with a design studio in North Hollywood, California.

More from Car Builder Spotlight

Emory Motorsports isn’t the only boutique builder worth knowing about. Our Car Builder Spotlight series digs into the niche manufacturers, restomod specialists, and independent builders that mainstream media ignores.

• Gunther Werks Review — The California restomod house taking the last air-cooled Porsche 911 to 1,000 hp.
• Theon Design Review — The British restomod that builds a better 911 than Porsche.
• Kimera Automobili Review — The Italian restomod brand reimagining legendary rally cars.
• Totem Automobili Review — The Italian restomod house reviving the Alfa Romeo Giulia GT for the electric age.