•Martin & Walker Technic 550 Spyder
•2366cc Porsche engine producing 140bhp
•Porsche 901 five-speed gearbox
•Featured in Volks World magazine

With an enlarged Porsche 914 engine producing in the region of 140bhp, and an overall weight of about 650kg, this superbly built 550 Spyder replica is an exciting and exhilarating little sports car.

Built during the mid-1990s using one of the highly regarded kits offered by Hampshire-based Martin & Walker, this Technic 550 Spyder features an impressive specification that combinesa lightweight GRP bodyshell, a tubular spaceframe chassis, and a mid-mounted Porsche 914 engine.

The Volkswagen Beetle-based front suspension features double wishbones and adjustable coilovers, and there’s a de Dion rear axle. The Porsche braking system, meanwhile, uses discs at the front and drums at the rear.

The engine was originally a 2-litre flat-four from a Porsche 914, and was running on fuel injection. It’s subsequently been taken out to 2366cc with different barrels and cylinder heads, and has larger valves and a lightened flywheel. It’s now fitted with twin Dellorto 45 DRLA carburettors and drives through a Porsche 901 five-speed gearbox.

In 2007, the 550 Spyder was bought by a British Porsche enthusiast who’d previously owned a 928 and a 911 SC. He was living in Spain at the time and revelled in its performance on the rural roads of the Costa Brava, and during his ownership the car was featured in Volks Worldmagazine.

Having subsequently returned to the UK, it was treated to a carburettor rebuild in 2020 and now features a stainless-steel exhaust system. The simple, spartan interior features leather-trimmed bucket seats and Sabelt harnesses, and from behind the wheel it feels every inch the period 1950s road-racer, evoking a golden era in Porsche’s illustrious competition history.