Hedley Studios, formerly known as The Little Car Company, has built its brand around making classic icons available for a fraction of the price and a fraction of the size – usually 75% scale. We’ve already sampled the Bentley Blower Jr. and the Ferrari Testa Rossa J, now it’s the turn of another classic brand.
Hedley Studios x Porsche 550 J
After three years of development, the company has announced its first collaboration with Porsche, the 550 J. Powered by an 8kW (11bhp) 48V motor, it’ll hit 40mph (if you’re brave enough) and go for 30 miles before it needs recharging. As a nod to Porsche’s contemporary motorsport-focused models, an RS pack doubles the power, ups the top speed to 50mph, increases the range to 50 miles, as well as adding drilled brakes and adjustable dampers.
Hedley Studios commands a unique position between child-like fun and grown-up art, so picking the right Porsche model to shrink was crucial. Ben Hedley, founder and CEO of Hedley Studios says, ‘With Porsche, you’ve got a few options. The 911 is an obvious one, but so far we've strayed away from more modern cars. The 356 was another great candidate from the early days, but I love the shape of the 550. It's a work of art, it's a beautiful, elegant shape.’
Old and new: the Hedley Studios Porsche 550 J alongside the original
Old and new: the Hedley Studios Porsche 550 J alongside the original
Since it was so small in the first place, the 550 was scaled down to 80% to make the ergonomics work, so there’s still room for two adults to sit next to each other. While Porsche provided access to an original 550 (one of just 90 examples ever made) and archive materials, the goal wasn’t to make an exact replica.
Hedley says, ‘We're not slaves to everything that was done before. We can act like the naughty little brother of the brand, which is a real tribute, actually, a real honour and privilege.’ This shows up in tasteful little quirks like custom switchgear to select the drive modes you’d find in a Porsche Taycan.
Under the skin: the Porsche 550 J's battery set-up
The attention to detail continues under the carbon fibre body where Hedley Studios prides itself on maintaining the same handling characteristics as its original inspiration. Trailing arm suspension, famously the same setup you'd find on a classic Volkswagen Beetle, was shrunk down to fit the new car with a few modern tweaks like Bilstein coilover dampers, Eibach springs and Brembo brakes.
Proper racing springs make this a true track machine
Weight placement was also finessed to give the 550 J a mid-engined feel with the batteries tightly packaged behind the seats. ‘Back in the day when it was racing, the 550 had a tiny engine compared to the people they were racing against, but it was so light and so nimble,’ says Hedley, ‘It truly was a Giant Slayer and we wanted to reinterpret that as part of our commission.’
Hedley Studios x Porsche 550 J dashboard
It’s certainly a lively machine. ‘I took this thing out on track for the first time, obviously not being a responsible car company CEO, instead hammering around the track as quick as possible,’ Hedley continues, ‘It was brilliant. You could feel the trailing arm suspension, which is a very different feel to modern double wishbone suspension. I am embarrassed to say I spun it twice because I was driving too fast. It’s really fun and playful, I was just laughing through my helmet.’
Whether the 550 J ends up as a track weapon, art piece or garage queen, Hedley hopes it will resonate with Porsche lovers and automotive enthusiasts alike. He adds, ‘We have a theme where we take these very special cars that have their place in history and respectfully reinterpret them and bring them to a new audience because most of these cars we will never get the chance to drive. They're too rare, they're too expensive and we are trying to open that up.’
Hedley Studios x Porsche 550 J
The 550 J will be limited to just 250 examples. Pricing starts from £69,500 and deliveries are expected to begin in Spring 2027. HedleyStudios.com, @Hedley.Studios