The Porsche Spyder in a web of secrecy
A top-secret Porsche Spyder concept car from 2008 has just come to light after its designer revealed photos on Instagram.
Former VW Group design boss Walter de Silva published photos of the Porsche 55 One concept car, which was a potential successor to the 550 Spyder of James Dean infamy.
According to a report by Italy’s Quattroruote the car was actually the first of a trio of concepts created by de Silva’s team. The VW Bluesport Roadster was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in 2009 and was powered by a 2.0-liter turbodiesel reflecting the popularity of heavy-oil fueled cars at the time. The Audi E-tron, revealed in Frankfurt the same year featured four electric motors offering a total of 313 hp and enabling it to scorch to 62 mph from rest in 4.8 seconds. Range was a claimed 154 miles.
Although the 55 One was first off the drawing board, it was never seen by the public until de Silva let slip. Unfortunately the ace designer hasn’t revealed any details of the car’s running gear, although it’s easy to imagine it being built around the classic flat-six. A gated manual gearbox is clearly shown, suggesting the 55 One was to be a focused driver’s car.
None of the trio made it to production, with Porsche (wisely, it would seem) favoring the development of the Macan SUV instead. However, the sports car maker didn’t give up completely and, as revealed in its recent Porsche Unseen book, developed a Vision Spyder concept as recently as 2019. Could that be the Spyder that finally gets to stretch its legs in the real world? We hope so.
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