The S-Klub out of southern California have created what is possibly the most in-your-face 550 Spyder clone ever. With a JDM-sourced Subaru EJ207 turbocharged flat-four engine, this mad machine makes well over 300 horsepower. One look and it’s pretty obvious that this isn’t a ‘real’ Porsche 550 Spyder, but it has its own modernized style juxtaposed against a 1950s Porsche canvas that looks pretty neat. I definitely don’t stand behind all of the aesthetic choices that have been made, but luckily it isn’t my car. I do appreciate how much this car gets down and boogies, however. Could you imagine over 300 turbocharged horsepower in a sub-2000 pound chassis? That sounds delightful.
The original Porsche 550 Spyder, at its peak, only made about 108 horsepower from a Fuhrmann 4-cam engine. And that car was a giant killer in its own right, taking on much more powerful competition. Imagine such a car today with modern brakes and modern tires with three times the horsepower. No matter the track battle, I’d take this car heads up against anything currently on sale at a Porsche dealership. Small, nimble, and light weight wins every time.
I know I’ll never be able to afford the three million dollar price tags that real-deal 550 Spyders command at auction, but the idea of a big-turbo WRX-swapped fiberglass replica certainly has my heart all atwitter.
If this were mine, I’d forego the quilted leather, 17″ wheels, and electrically actuated engine cover in favor of a more vintage period-correct look. I’d certainly keep all of the modern mechanicals intact, and just have a 550 Spyder that looks old but still goes like hell. Nobody would ever expect something that looks straight out of the 1950s to accelerate like a modern hypercar. If you can’t find the car you really want to buy, build your own! That’s what Mr. Porsche would do.