Following a rather cryptic teaser campaign, that retro-inspired Porsche is finally out. As we suspected, the Vision Spyder is a modern-day interpretation of a classic model, namely the 550-1500 RS Spyder from 1954. That “Little Rebel” license plate is a nod to James Dean’s 550 Spyder aka the “Little Bastard” to further bridge a connection with the classic sports car and its solid racing pedigree.
It stays true to Porsche’s latest design language while adopting retro-inspired cues from the 550, specifically the tiny windshield and the vented engine lid in the back. The two-seater interior has been stripped down to the bare essentials and there’s an “ultra-modern roll bar” developed specifically for the Vision Spyder. Mind you, this isn’t technically a real car as we’re dealing with a 1:1 scale model as part of the company’s series of designs created between 2005 and 2019.
10 Photos
This is one of the more recent previously unseen designs as it was completed last year. While there are no plans to put it into production, Porsche does say the Vision Spyder served as a way to come up with new ideas that could eventually be implemented in cars customers will be able to buy at some point in the future.
The round headlights of its forebear have been swapped out to make room for a rectangular set of lights arranged vertically. Overall, the design is substantially more aggressive than the 550 Spyder’s clean and smooth appearance. We’re noticing a wide front air intake along with vented fenders, while those bronze/copper center-lock wheels are a bespoke feature of the Vision Spyder.
Porsche isn’t saying anything about the car’s dimensions or what powers it, but it looks quite compact and likely has a small engine bay with enough space for maybe the 718’s four-cylinder mill. Of course, the company might have envisioned the modern 550 Spyder with an all-electric powertrain to keep up with the times.
As with the other secret designs, the Vision Spyder won’t be going into production. It will be exhibited at the Porsche Museum next year and you’ll be able to learn more about it in the “Porsche Unseen” book coming out today. There are actually 15 different cars designed in the last 15 years, so it should be a good read.