Throughout B-series production from 1959 until 1963, Porsche introduced arguably the most significant developments ever made to the 356. Improvements were focused on handling, ride comfort and refinement whilst already sparkling performance and world-beating reliability were further enhanced. B's were built in two basic guises, the T-5 bodied version having been current between September 1959 and August 1961, the T-6, being built between September 1961 and July '63. Initially available in either Coupe or Cabriolet configurations, the B also marked the arrival of a new body style, the Roadster replacing Porsche's much-loved Speedster (and subsequent Convertible D).

Furthermore, a curious short-lived variant, the Karmann Hardtop, was also produced between 1960 and ’62, this mimicking the lines of a Cabriolet with a Hardtop fixed in place. In addition to these four alternative body styles, customers could choose from a myriad of alternative engines including 60, 75 and 90bhp pushrod motors whilst for wealthier buyers, four camshaft Carrera engines were suitable for road or track (outputs of which varied between 115 and 155bhp). The Carrera-badged cars are covered seperately in Part's 3 and 4 which leaves us with the three single camshaft 1.6-litre cars to discuss here. On their introduction, pushrod B's were offered in 1600 (60bhp), 1600 S (75bhp) and 1600 Super 90 (90bhp) trim although the last and most powerful of these wasn't actually available until early in 1960. The two motors available from September 1959 were practically unchanged from those used on 356 A's, the same Typ 161/1 and 161/2 engines being used in the 1600 and 1600 S respectively. However, an initial switch from cast-iron to alloy rocker arms was rightly judged to have been a retrograde step and thus soon after production began, Porsche reverted back to their original configuration.

In its transition to B-spec, the 356 also underwent several mild developments aimed at curing the occasionally dramatic oversteer that could be encountered at the limit (although the new model still retained the same hydraulic drums, wheels and tyres as before). Cars built between September 1959 and August 1961 are generally referred to as T-5 variants on account of their subtly revised bodywork. Bigger bumpers were repositioned slightly higher to provide better impact protection, the headlights also being moved up the front wings. Those triple-louvred horn grilles of the outgoing A were replaced with a pair of simplified alloy slats alongside which were pointy new indicator lenses. Air intakes were carved out from the front valance to increase brake cooling, the only other notable difference having been a more heavily contoured front lid. Interestingly, Roadster's had bodywork fabricated by Belgian importer, Anciens Etablissement d’Iteren Freres SA. Inside it was a case of evolution rather than revolution, the cockpit getting a new dash-mounted clock, black plastic-rimmed three-spoke steering wheel and black plastic switches for the dash. The rear seats were split folding and also lowered to optimise headroom.

By March 1960, the Super 90 pushrod engine announced at Frankfurt the previous September was ready for public consumption. Designated Typ 616/7, the Super 90 was Porsche's flagship series production motor and featured more substantial rods, larger main bearing journals, bigger inlet valves and re-worked light alloy cylinder heads. Displacement remained unchanged at 1582cc but with a 9.0:1 compression and two Solex 40 PII-4 carburettors from the Carrera, Super 90 engines developed an impressive 90bhp at 5500rpm, only a little less than the substantially more expensive four-cam. Top speed was 120mph whilst 0-60 took less than 13 seconds. Identifiable by its silver fan housing (as opposed to black), the Super 90 featured a thicker Haussermann clutch in order to cope with the additional power whilst a few important set up alterations were made to further improve handling. There was a compensating rear spring to keep the back wheels as flat as possible (optional on the 1600 and 1600 S) plus new adjustable Koni springs. A few months after the Super 90 had gone into production, an additional B derivative joined the line up in August 1960. The curious Karmann Hardtop Coupe (sometimes known as the Notchback) featured a standard Cabriolet bodyshell with a hard top permanently welded in place. Why a customer would have wanted one of these instead of either a regualr Coupe or Cabriolet was overlooked and needless to say, sales were painfully slow.