How Hedley Studios reinterpreted the Porsche 550 at 80% scale and 100% electric
The story behind Hedley Studios’ 80 per cent-scale Porsche 550 J, created with passion and built to be driven
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Hedley Studios spent years studying the Porsche 550 to understand what made it special. Founder Ben Hedley explains how the team recreated its design, engineering and driving character at 80 per cent scale
Porsche 550 J: fast factsWhat is the Porsche 550 J? An officially licensed, 80 per cent-scale reinterpretation of the Porsche 550 Spyder, developed by Hedley Studios in collaboration with PorscheHow fast is the Porsche 550 J? Its 48-V electric powertrain produces around 8 kW (11 hp) as standard or 16 kW (21 hp) with the RS pack, with a top speed of up to 80.5 km/h (50 mph)How big is the Porsche 550 J? It measures 2.9 m long and 1.2 m wide at 80 per cent scale and has space for two occupantsHow is the Porsche 550 J built? It uses a carbon fibre body over a steel spaceframe chassis, with Brembo brake callipers and disc brakes all roundHow many Porsche 550 J cars will be made? Production is limited to 250 cars worldwide, with customisation options including Paint to Sample from PorscheIs the Porsche 550 J road legal? No. It’s designed for collection and driving on private roads or private premises only.
?si=eklGhxwfw-IyMmj2For Ben Hedley, getting the Porsche 550 J right was personal.“I’ve always felt that you only get one chance to build a car for Porsche,” says the founder of Hedley Studios, a UK company who builds hand-made, scaled electric-powered replicas of classic and vintage sports cars and race cars. “This is my dream come true to be able to develop our own car for Porsche.”For Ben, there was another connection. His interest in Porsche started when his uncle gave him a die-cast 911 model when he was five years old. “I didn’t even know what it was, but it was my favourite toy,” he says. “As a child, I always dreamed of having a 911.”He eventually bought a Porsche 911 (type 964) at the age of 30 and still owns it today. It has covered 170,000 miles and spent a decade as his daily driver in London. “It’s mechanically perfect, but it’s rusty on top with a beautiful patina,” he adds. “It was my first love, that car.”The goal for the Hedley Studios 550 J was clear: create a car that looks and feels as close as possible to the original 1950s Porsche race car Photo: PorscheWhy Hedley Studios chose the Porsche 550The 911 and 356 were both considered for the project, but the racing history of the 550 ultimately made it the perfect choice.“We knew that our clients like racing cars. They love the racing heritage. With a racing car, there’s more stories you can tell.”And from the start, Ben says, the aim wasn’t to create a replica. “This is a reinterpretation,” he explains. “We are taking the original car as the base, the shape, the elements of it, but then we’ll repurpose it. We’ll have a little bit of fun with it as well.”The goal wasn’t just to make something which looks like a 550. “We wanted to make something which feels and drives like a 550,” says Ben. “We’re not making a go-kart and putting a body on top of it.”Taking a car down to 80 per cent of its original size requires a lot of ingenuity and creativity Photo: PorscheHow do you recreate a Porsche 550 at 80 per cent scale?Making a car 80 per cent of its original size sounds relatively straightforward but, in practice, it’s a much bigger engineering challenge. “When you’re talking about an 80 per cent scale car, that’s linear scale,” explains Ben. “You’ve only got 50 per cent of the volume to play with.”The car – which measures 2.9 m long (9.5 ft) and 1.2 m wide (4 ft) – is designed to accommodate two adults while still leaving space for its chassis, batteries and other components. The electric powertrain helps with packaging. The batteries have been positioned where the engine would have sat in the original car, helping Hedley Studios achieve a similar weight distribution and retain the mid-engined balance of the 550.But many of the parts simply didn’t exist at the size required for a recreation at this scale, so the company had to create them from scratch. The steering wheel, gauges, bodywork, chassis and wheels were all developed specifically for the car. The banjo-style steering wheel alone took months to recreate at 80 per cent scale.Hedley Studios also turned to highly-regarded suppliers such as Brembo for the brakes, Bilstein for the dampers and Eibach for the springs. “It feels like a proper racing car underneath,” says Ben.Hedley Studios was granted significant access to the Porsche Museum and its experts and archives in order to recreate the 550 J Photo: PorscheWorking with the Porsche MuseumUnderstanding the original 550 was just as important as engineering the new car. Ben says the project involved months of research and repeated visits to the Porsche Museum before the design work began. Porsche remained closely involved throughout development.“We work together as two teams, meeting on a weekly basis to define the product,” Ben adds. Discussions even went as far as deciding the appropriate angle for the windscreen.The team were given access to original drawings, brochures, photographs and other archive material. Hedley Studios also turned to the expertise of Porsche Museum expert Jörg Thilow, who became an important reference point during development. “If Jörg thinks it’s appropriate, then we do it,” Ben says. “If Jörg thinks it’s not appropriate, we won’t touch it.”The research process also revealed how much each individual 550 differed. Windscreens and body details changed between cars and races, while the 550 and later 550A used different chassis designs. Hedley Studios ultimately drew on elements of both when developing its own chassis.There were surprises in the archives too. Hedley Studios had assumed most original 550 models left the factory in silver but period photographs also showed cars in colours including yellow and blue.Hedley Studios’ collaboration with Porsche extends to Paint to Sample, where owners can choose from a wide range of colours and liveries for the company’s production models Photo: PorschePorsche 550 J colours and personalisationThose discoveries helped shape the personalisation available on the Hedley Studios’ car. Alongside silver, customers will be able to choose colours based on original factory shades and select contemporary colours. Porsche has also allowed Hedley Studios to offer Paint to Sample, allowing a car to be matched to colours available to customers of the full-size Porsche model range.An RS Pack – inspired by the Porsche Rennsport philosophy – will be available as an option, adding more power, a higher top speed and upgraded braking. Ben has already decided that his own car will have it.Only 250 examples are planned, and although Ben expects many to find their way into collections, he’s clear about what he would prefer owners to do with them.“We really want them to be driven.”The Hedley Studios’ 550 J is designed and engineered to drive like a full-scale racing car Photo: PorscheWhat is the 80 per cent-scale Porsche 550 J like to drive?Ben has already spent plenty of time behind the wheel of the prototypes on the company’s test track at Bicester Motion in Oxfordshire, England.The suspension geometry follows the original car, while the battery position gives it the mid-engined balance he wanted. The car is light, responsive and, according to Ben, capable of catching its driver out.“The 550 J is really playful – it’s got character, it feels like it wants to have fun with you,” he adds. “It dances, it’s got really beautiful, light steering, and it’s so responsive and quick.”
The Hedley Studios' 550 J
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