Hedley Studios Porsche 550 J review: 80 per cent scale, 100 per cent joy

Good lord, how tall is that man!?

Ah yes, that might have been one for the Guinness World Record books if this were a real Porsche 550 Spyder, but what you’re actually looking at here is a regular-sized motoring journalist and Hedley Studios’ 80 per cent scale Porsche 550 J. And isn’t it excellent?

Hedley what now?

Remember The Little Car Company? Well, it was rebranded as Hedley Studios back in 2024 and then had a rough couple of years financially. But it has now been reacquired by its original founder Ben Hedley alongside some new and returning private investors. We’re told that deal secured the future of the business, and this is now its sixth collab with an OEM to make a miniaturised classic.

Wait, remind me what the 550 was again…

Thought you’d never ask. The mid-engined 550 Spyder was Porsche’s first ever purpose-built race car. Unveiled back in 1953, it quickly became a bit of a giant-killer, securing class and overall race wins wherever it went despite its relatively modest 1.5-litre flat-four engine.

Around 90 examples of the original car were built between 1953 and 1956, and Porsche then went on to make a further 40 550As with a lighter, stiffer tubular spaceframe chassis. The latter handed Porsche its first major sports car racing win, with victory at the 1956 Targa Florio. It’s no wonder originals now sell for many millions of pounds.

So, what has Hedley Studios done to make the J?

As you might have guessed, the J stands for Junior, and Hedley’s little creation measures 2.9m long and 1.2m wide. Porsche gave the Brits full access to its archives to create the 550 J, so after studying the original technical drawings and 3D scanning a full-sized 550, Hedley came up with a spaceframe construction similar to that of the 550A’s.

It also mirrored Porsche’s twin trailing-arm front suspension and swing-axle rear configuration, but added modern Brembo disc brakes, Eibach springs and Bilstein dampers. Fancy.

The shrunken body panels are now all made from carbon fibre, but you’ll see all of the classic 550 details in there like the sculpted fenders front and rear, the single mirror and the louvres above the engine bay. Although on that note, there is a distinct lack of an air-cooled engine. Well, any engine at all in fact, because like all of The Little Car Company’s creations, this thing is powered by electricity.

Hit me with some stats, then…

The 550 J uses a 48-volt powertrain that pairs an 11bhp electric motor with two dinky 1.8kWh lithium-ion batteries. It weighs just 330kg though, so you’re still looking at a 40mph top speed and around 30 miles of range.

Plus, if you want a bit more grunt for the Back Garden Grand Prix, there’s an optional RS Pack that ups the power output to 21bhp, the top speed to 50mph and the range to 50 miles. That’s thanks to two further battery packs.

Is it comfortable squeezed in there?

Hedley reckons that the cockpit actually has more leg room than the original, and we’re told that two adults can fit side by side in the Junior. We didn’t test that theory, but can confirm that there’s plenty of room for a big 6ft1 kid to fit behind the wheel.

The interior itself is rather lovely, with leather-trimmed seats, a Nardi wooden steering wheel and dials that look exactly like the originals but are repurposed to display all the data needed for a mini EV. We’re told that Hedley Studios’ creations are “not meant to be slavish replicas” though, so there’s a hat tip to modern Porsches with beautiful, milled versions of the drive selector and mode dial.

And what is it like to drive?

Of course, we immediately switch that dial to Sport+ as we head out onto the Handling Circuit at the Porsche Experience Centre at Silverstone. That unlocks the full 40mph top speed of the standard car, but it certainly doesn’t have the rapid EV acceleration you might be expecting. Probably for the best given you’re not strapped in.

The 550 J is super sweet through bends though, and with its battery packs behind the driver but shoved up against the bulkhead it really does feel like a little mid-engined sports car as you chuck it around. The 13in steel wheels are actually clad in eco tyres from a Renault Twizy, and there’s plenty of sideways action on a damp circuit. There’s even a hydraulic handbrake.

You want the RS Pack though, surely?

After a couple of laps, we switch into the more powerful car, and yes, you’d probably shell out the extra £9,500 just to double the output. It’s immediately more playful, and if you so wished you could drive it cleanly and quickly, but it’s much more fun to stamp on the brakes, boot the power and saw away at the wheel while pretending you’re an oversized 1950s racer. When the car is so small, there’s more room to play on a fully-sized road and we intend to use it.

With its battery packs behind the driver but shoved up against the bulkhead it really does feel like a little mid-engined sports car

The RS Pack also adds drilled brake discs that are super strong with excellent pedal feel, and there’s an upgrade to fancy adjustable dampers. The latter are probably useful if your mega-driveway is currently a little pothole ridden, but we’re not really given a chance to test the ride on the smooth surface of Porsche’s own little circuit.

Can I drive it on the road?

Sadly, unlike the Bentley Blower Jnr, the compact Porsche won’t come with a road legal option, although we are told that it’s “broadly aligned with L7e regulations”. Perhaps if you ask really nicely?

I’m sold either way. How much will it cost me?

Ah, well the car may be pint-sized, but the price isn’t. Just 250 examples of the 550 J will be built, with prices starting at £69,500.

But this is a Porsche remember, so there are many options available to add to that. In fact, Hedley has also been granted access to the full range of Paint to Sample colours, so you could spec your mini 550 to match your modern 911. You can even have an Alcantara interior and exposed carbon panels.

Or you could go full retro with a recreation of James Dean’s Little Bastard, or slap on a historic racing livery, a mini version of Porsche’s banjo steering wheel and Pepita fabric on the seats. You can then choose to then add an aero cowl, a racing-inspired tonneau cover for the passenger seat and an aero-spec windscreen. For a price, of course.

In fact, Hedley reckons that the average spend on options will be around £14,000, but if you did get a bit trigger-happy and ticked every box, you’d nearly double the asking price.