Porsche thinks about an ultralight sports car
An unusual model can mimic the 550 Spyder (also known as the 1500 RS) from 1953-1957.
Porsche chief designer Michael Mauer told reporters that he would like to make a very light sports car stripped to the max, similar to the 550 Spyder. "Let's see. There are many discussions here. I think it's possible, especially with new materials." Of course, no one will build a car with a table like the lightest Porsche ever, the BergSpyder 909 (the car is designed for climbing). at a steep dry weight of 375kg and a loaded 430). And even the mass of the aforementioned Porsche 550 (from 530 to 590 kg in different versions) is hardly achievable now. But if the Germans did something similar, it would be a very attractive offer.
The fancy Porsche can mimic the 550 Spyder (also known as the 1500 RS) from 1953-1957, created for racing. Of course, adapted to modern security measures.
The 550 Spyder can be fitted with a fairing behind the driver, a low full-width windshield, or a small clear shield directly in front of the driver. In earlier versions, the lights were in a vertical position, in later versions with a slight tilt back. Engine: 1,5 air-cooled boxer, produces 110 hp in its original form. and 117 Nm, and in the modification of 550 A - 135 hp. and 145 Nm. The gearbox is a four-speed or five-speed manual, respectively.
Porsche was thinking of a production car that would be lighter, simpler and more compact (compared to the Boxster) nine years ago, predicting a four-cylinder engine. As a result, Boxer and Cayman themselves became four cylinders in their earlier versions. In addition, it is worth recalling the experiment with the extremely light prototype 981 Bergspyder 2015 (it weighed only 1099 kg). Now the company has every chance to return to the topic of cars.
The lightest road models in the current range are the two-liter (300 hp, 380 Nm) Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman with manual transmission and basic equipment: both models weigh 1335 kg according to the DIN standard (without driver) Their dynamics are identical - acceleration of 100 km/h in 5,3 seconds and a top speed of 275 km/h.
According to unofficial data, the new generation of the Boxster / Cayman pair (factory code 983), created from scratch, will be completely electric and only electric. And this means that it is not lighter than modern sports gasoline cars. The rest, except for the chassis of the 718 and the four-cylinder 2.0-cylinder turbocharged engine, could serve as the basis for the spiritual successor to the spider 550. -1976). Such preservation of the life of original sports cars with internal combustion engines would be a great step in the era of a gradual transition to electric traction.
