"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today."--James Dean
No other personality defines the American ideal of individuality and nonconformity quite like James Dean. Quotations like the above only serve to feed the image. Similarly, no other automobile embodies his spirit like the Porsche 550 Spyder. It was and forever will be Dean's car. Of all the Porsche dreams inspired in the years since that fateful October evening in 1955, most of them probably featured a Spyder in the starring role.
Last year, Porsche unveiled a special Boxster S to commemorate 50 years of the 550 Spyder. It was given a marginally more powerful engine (up about 6 hp), 18-inch wheels and limited-edition paint, but to many it wasn't much more than a tuned Boxster paying thin stylistic homage to the 550 Spyder. Businessman Dean Trindle and sheet metal artisan Mark Schlachter formed Dean's Dream Ltd. for purists who could appreciate the Boxster's mid-engine layout and open-air driving experience, but who found it utterly lacking the important 550 Spyder design cues. The company has designed a conversion scheme to cosmetically transform the Boxster into something that more accurately reflects the image of the 550, and to a lesser extent, perhaps a bit of James Dean's singular mystique.
The idea came about after Schlachter, owner of Metalkraft Coachwerkes in Evanston, Ohio, restored a couple of Trindle's cars for white glove concours events. In German, Schlachter's last name translates roughly to "butcher." Naturally there's a running joke concerning this fact, but by all accounts his skill in shaping metal panels is without common equal. If he could be trusted to restore an award-winning 1959 Rolls-Royce H.J. Mulliner Silver Cloud I Drophead, Trindle reasoned he could be trusted to take the knife to an ordinary daily-driven Porsche. The prototype was built from Trindle's own car, a 1997 986. That much is still fairly clear, but its resemblance to the original 550 Spyder is now unmistakable--and strangely haunting as a striking modern rendering of the 550's classic shape.
"I'm also an art collector, and this is rolling art," Trindle said of the finished product. "This is our impressionistic view of the Spyder."
The changes are subtle but far reaching, and the process was anything but simple. It reportedly took Schlachter and two assistants nearly a year to complete the project. The front fenders, the most labor-intensive portions of the transformation, went through no less than thirteen stages to attain their final shape.
Ultimately they were extended 23 inches and shaped to house new headlights, self-contained Mercedes E Class lamps. It's important to note these panels are still all metal. Schlachter fashioned a new front bumper with abbreviated intake ports, and a brushed aluminum skid plate located underneath which provides a unique and functional Spyder-inspired look. The back bumper is also new, with the license plate gap smoothed over and a central plate lamp added in its place. The hood and decklid were adorned with period badges, and a new fuel aperture was punched through the center of the hood to accommodate an exposed, race-style billet gas cap (this new aperture is fully functional, too). In the rear, the third brake light was removed and the trunk lid now hinges on Spyderesque leather straps. Final additions to the body include taillight covers and a wing attachment for the speed-deployed Boxster airfoil, as well as a few non-Dean's Dream treatments like the TechArt rockers and intake diffusers and factory Porsche Speedster humps placed over the dropped top.
Inside, the original seats were taken out to make room for a pair of GT3 buckets, skinned in red leather by RUF to match the cockpit's Boxster Red color scheme. The various black plastic trim bits were all removed and painted to match the leather, while areas like the center dash and console between the seats were color-matched to the body. Details include new lighted door sill plates and a reproduction Spyder grab handle identical to that used on the original roadster. Trindle said it fit the Boxster dash contours eerily well, with no mods made to the piece to allow it to do so.
The 18-inch five-spoke wheels were also sourced from RUF, and Bridgestone S03 tires were stretched over their perimeters. Additionally, the chassis has been dropped a full inch over the new wheels using H&R lowering springs. Cross-drilled rotors were bolted to the hubs behind the five-spokes, and the O.E. 986 calipers were painted red to provide an additional racing accent, complete with a white-stenciled logo.
When it was finished Trindle and Schlachter campaigned their creation at shows around North America and Europe, and gained coverage in the pages of several European magazines. Eventually the two made a trip to Germany to try and market the 550 conversion, now planned as a mass-produced, bolt-on kit, directly to the original manufacturer. Predictably, Stuttgart was not amused. Porsche executives sent the two packing back to the States and later even attempted imposing a cease-and-desist order to squash the project altogether.
The trip wasn't for nothing, however. During their time in Deutschland the pair made contacts at both RUF and TechArt, which may help with distribution in the future, as well as taking a side trip to the Nurburgring. Astute readers will note the Nurburgring badge attached to the driver's side fender--just like on James Dean's 550 Spyder. To make it official, they drove the circuit in the midst of insane Sunday-afternoon track traffic. Though it's an experience he won't forget, Trindle said he's now sure he doesn't want to be a racecar driver.
Currently all of the planned kit pieces, including many of the treatments used on this car, have received patents and Trindle and Schlachter are now in the midst of planning the production phase. Talks are also underway with representatives of James Dean's estate about possibly licensing products under the famous name. In any case, the prototype car's trademark, The Dean, refers to Trindle himself and not the actor. Products should be available to the public near the end of this year.
For his part, Trindle gives all the credit to his partner, the butcher. "Mark's the true genius," he said. "I'm just the guy that's lucky enough to drive it."
Drivetrain
Longitudinal mid-engine,rear-wheel drive
Engine
2.7-liter inline six, dual overhead cams,four valves per cylinder
Transmission
Five-speed manual
Suspension
Mods: H&R sport springs
Wheels and TiresRUF five-spoke, 8.5x18 (f), 10x18 (r)Bridgestone S03, 215/40-18 (f)265/35-18 (r)
Exterior
Dean's Dream front fenders, front bumper, aluminum front skidplate, race-style fuel aperture, rear bumper with central plate lamp, wing fin, taillight covers,lighted sill plates