Spyker may have dropped out of Formula One, but they haven't lost that competitive spirit. Even before selling its F1 team to Kingfisher's Vijay Mallya, who rechristened the squad as Force India, Spyker was fielding the race-prepped sports cars in the GT2 category, The C8 Laviolette GT2-R (pictured above) has been their weapon of choice, in turn yielding the road-worthy LM85 which debuted at last year's Los Angeles show. But the niche Dutch automaker is reportedly preparing to step into the big leagues.

According to the latest reports from across the pond, Spyker's new GT1 racer will be based on the latest C8 Aileron, complete with aluminum body and chassis and powered by a race-tuned Audi V8. Fielding the GT2 car will fall to privateer teams while the Spyker Squadron focuses on GT1. Of course the Dutch team will have to step up its game if it's going to dice it with the big boys next season, and we'll enjoy watching them go at it.




[Source: motorsportblog.it]

Boutique Dutch carmaker Spyker unveiled its elongated and streamlined C8 Aileron back in March in Geneva, and we saw its North American debut in New York a month later. Those were show car versions of the upcoming production model based on the concept car we had seen in Geneva and Pebble Beach the year before. We've seen the imposing coupes from every possible angle, inside and out. They are finely crafted, uniquely engineered, rolling works of art, like a plutocrat's timepiece on wheels. What we haven't seen is a production-spec Aileron in red.

A new batch of photos has just begun circulating out onto the 'net, showing a stunning red Aileron driving around Europe. A reliable source tells us this is the first pre-production car to hit the streets, so it is only a matter of time before we see one of these 400 horsepower, Audi 4.2-liter V8-powered rocketships in private hands. Click below to see our full gallery.



[Source: Spyker]

Spyker is -- once again -- talking about a new line of vehicles that will take on four-door sports sedans like the Maserati Quattroporte and Porsche Panamera. Two years ago Spyker mentioned an E-line with eight- and twelve-cylinder engines would join the C-line sports cars and D-line SUVs. With the trouble the company had simply surviving, those plans were left outside to die. Now with the D8 Paris-to-Peking SUV back in progress and cars like the LM85 to crow about, Spyker CEO Victor Muller believes now could be the time to resurrect the saloon. It's taken four years for the D8 to appear in close-to-production form so we wouldn't line up for the Spyker E yet. But as Adam Ant said, there's always room at the top, and the Dutch company is always good for an interesting variation on familiar themes.

[Source: Quotenet (translated) via Autoblog.nl (translated)]

You might question whether the time is right for Spyker to unleash its $300,000 Peking-Paris SSUV on the global motoring public, but, as recent spy shots indicated, a recent influx of development money from Russia means the project is apparently very much still in the works. According to reports, plans for a V12 engine have officially been shelved in favor of a V8.

We're not certain who will supply the engine for the Spyker D8. Currently, the Dutch automaker gets its powerplants from Audi, including the 400-horsepower 4.2L V8 powering the C8, but past rumors have suggested that Spyker might instead use a good 'ol American V8 in the production SUV. If Cars UK is right about the D8 getting a supercharged 8-cylinder poweplant with at least 550 horsepower, we can think of a few excellent choices for Spyker to consider. We should find out soon enough – Spyker is reportedly prepping the D8 for a debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Thanks for the tip, John!




[Source: Cars UK]

Dutch car manufacturer Spyker unveiled its updated version of the C8, the Aileron, last month in Geneva, but the U.S. is getting its first look at the quirky supercar in New York. While the car doesn't look like that much different than its predecessor, Spyker claims to have made some fairly significant changes including an all-new, lengthier space-frame chassis and more interior space. Power is once again sourced from Audi, coming in the form of a naturally aspirated 4.2-liter V8 producing 400 horsepower and 354 lb-ft torque. Hit the jump for more details in the press release from Spyker, and check out the new high-res photos (both exterior and interior) in the gallery below.



Photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc

Things are finally starting to turn around for Dutch boutique supercar manufacturer Spyker. Sales nearly doubled last year (from a paltry 26 to just 43, but still) and new models like the LM85 and C8 Aileron are getting a lot of attention. It seems things are so good that the company is finally starting to work on the production version of its Peking-to-Paris SSUV, if this spy shot courtesy of Autogespot is any indication. Although the mule is little more than a stretched Land Rover with a Lotus suspension, the production D12 or D8 will look more like the Michiel van den Brink-penned superguppy we've seen at auto shows over the past couple of years. It might seem like bad timing to launch a high-powered luxury SUV in this global economy, but it didn't stop Aston Martin from showing off the new Lagonda either. Nulla tenaci invia est via, indeed.

This $300k super-sport-utility-vehicle could be powered by either a 500-hp W12 engine in D12 guise, or an American V8 as the D8. The heavy use of aluminum means it will be lighter than it looks, and suspension tuning from Lotus should keep it well-planted, even in the twisties. Not that anyone aside from Spyker historians remember, or even care, but the Peking-to-Paris model is meant to commemorate Spyker's participation in the 1907 cross-country race of the same name. If it ever does reach showrooms, expect the vast majority to be sold in the Middle East, Russia and China, although a couple might make it Stateside. We think it would be a fun stablemate for someone's Lamborghini LM002.




[Source: Autogespot]

Click above for live a high-res gallery from Symbolic Motors Annual Spring Event

Symbolic Motors just held their Annual Spring Event to showcase all the new models from the high-end manufacturers they represent in their San Diego dealerships. The latest and greatest from Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, Lotus and Spyker were on display, along with some of the restoration projects the firm is carrying out in their Sorrento Valley facilities. Just for good measure, they also invited a few of their friends to bring along their own favorite wheels.

That meant there was a Ferrari Enzo, a Pratt & Miller C6RS Corvette, a couple of Miuras, a McLaren F1 GTR, a Porsche 962, an ex-Mario Andretti racer, two Bugatti Veyrons, a Koenigsegg CCX, a Lamborghini Reventon, a Blastolene special, and the sixth and final Ferrari Daytona prototype, to name but a few outstanding examples. In addition to the incredible cars on display, Symbolic threw open the doors to their shop and made staff available to answer questions. If that wasn't enough, there was free food and live music, as well as raffles throughout the day. Check out the gallery to see what you might have missed, and check out Symbolic if you happen to find yourself in the San Diego area with a few hours on your hands.



Live photos copyright ©2009 Frank Filipponio / Weblogs, Inc.

Reuters is reporting that Alexander Antonov, the owner of flamboyant Dutch supercar company Spyker, has been seriously wounded in an apparent assassination attempt while leaving his Moscow residence. The Russian billionaire, who is also the chairman of the board of the Konvers Group (a banking concern), was shot along with a bodyguard.

According to the news agency, Antonov has survived the attack and his injuries have been identified as non life-threatening, although he remains in intensive care after being shot five times in the stomach and losing a finger to another bullet. The security guard, shot in the leg, is also in intensive care but is expected to survive.

Moscow police are now investigating the crime, and though they have yet to make any arrests, they apparently suspect that the shooting is related to Antonov's business dealings.

Sources: Reuters; Autocar]

Stylish. Unique. Quirky. "Practical" isn't one of the words typically associated with Spykers, but apparently customers in the Dutch automaker's niche clientele found the C8's cabin, deliciously steampunk as it is, a tad cramped. Spyker has responded by stretching the supercar's wheelbase to offer a bit more interior space for all that retro switchgear and diamond-quilted leather to create the C8 Aileron, unveiled in concept form here last year and in the final production version this time 'round at the Geneva Motor Show.

Although the Aileron would ostensibly seem a simple stretch job, Spyker claims to have completely re-engineered the car from scratch, starting with the aluminum space-frame chassis. However you look at it, the Aileron is 155mm (5.9 inches) longer than the C8 Laviolette it replaces. A lengthened C8 Spyder is also in the works, and the more commodious version promises to help the troubled niche automaker branch into the lucrative North American market. Full details, including the Audi-sourced 400-hp V8, are enumerated in the press release after the jump, and you can view the new Aileron in all its machined aluminum, aircraft-inspired glory in the gallery below.

Photos Copyright ©2009 Noah Joseph / Weblogs, Inc.

After Dutch designer Maarten de Bruijn bought the rights to Spyker name, the first prototype design he attached it to was the Spyker Silvestris. A couple of years later, he and partner Victor Mol had Spyker making cars again, but in 2005 de Bruijn left the company for other pursuits. That same year, he and two other partners founded Silvestris Haute Motive Concepts, with the first product being the 23-foot Silvestris Sports Cabriolet speedboat.

Using automotive build techniques - hence the name "Aquamotive" - aluminum panels are bonded and riveted to a tubular aluminum spaceframe. The cockpit features a tilt steering wheel and heaps of seawater-proof leather. The remotely-controlled rear hatch hides two more leather-shrouded thrones, and even the front compartment comes with a hatch (making for a markedly sleeker-looking craft when closed). There are six engines available, the uppermost being a 560 horsepower, 8.1-liter V8 good for 55 knots and more than a few envious looks. Check the Silvestris out in the gallery of high-res photos below.


[Source: Classic Driver]