Porsche Spyder 550 scale car

2004. A motorized scale replica of Porsche's ledgendary and infamous 550 Spyder. The automobile that changed Porsche from an obscure brand into a household name.

Porsche's 550 Spyder dominated racing in its day, besting larger and more powerful Italian and British machines. Contemporaries proclaimed the superbly balanced and agile Spyder "The greatest long distance racing car ever."

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Porsche Spyder 550, zoospeed is building a limited run of five hundred and fifty replica 550 Spyders.

Construction History.
2000. During the winter, the development of the Spyder Scale 1:2.3 begins in our design studio near Hanover, Germany, with preliminary sketches, drawings and construction plans. Photos and construction drawings of original vehicles as well as existing models between 1:87 and 1:18 scale are used as templates.

2001. By the summer, the body is built of high-resistance foam. The conversion of the typical Spyder proportions to those suitable for a small electric car prove to be the greatest challenge to the designer. Simple reduction of the original to a scale between 1:2 and 1:3; results in a vehicle which is much too flat, with an entrance opening in which no person would fit. However, our design of a Jaguar XK 120 pedal car in 1999 provided us with enough experience to give the small Porsche the typical appearance and still implement the planned function. In Fall and Winter, the chassis, drive, and all necessary parts and fittings are constructed.

2002. In the Spring, almost 50 years after Porsche began to develop the original Spyder, the first test drives of the electric Spyder take place. Serial production, limited to 550 vehicles, begins.