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Spyker

spyker c8 aileron

Spyker C8 Aileron Spotted Testing Upgraded Body, "Dutchiness"

We first saw the concept of the Spyker C8 Aileron at Geneva this year, but that version was hard-topped and had a funky green paint job. Autogespot (which has a creepy name in our opinion) has dug up a nice set of spy photos on the Audi-engined, supposedly 400-500 HP (big range huh?) mule version of the supercar undergoing testing somewhere in Europe. The Spyker C8 Aileron, a slightly stretched, aero- and handling-upgraded version of the regular octane C8.

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industry news

Spyker, Lotus Join Forces

Future Spyker models will be built on Lotus platforms and share many of their parts thanks to a deal made earlier today. The Parts and Platform Commonality agreement should be good news for the troubled Dutch sportscar maker, meaning much of their development cost will be carried by troubled English sportscar maker, Lotus. The timing is especially good for Spyker, as it means they'll be able to take advantage of the forthcoming Eagle and Esprit models. More »

geneva motor show

Spyker C8 Aileron Lifts Flaps In Geneva

Considering Spyker nearly flushed itself into the abyss by way of a cash-draining F1 team (Now Force India), it's good to see the Dutch company brimming with optimism here in Geneva. Just a year ago the company arrived in Switzerland high on Saudi cash and ready to launch a spectacle supercar designed by Zagato. These days, it's a more sober Spyker that showed the C8 Aileron, a Grand Tourer powered by an Audi-sourced 4.2-liter V8 producing 400 horsepower. Set to be priced from around $350,000 less than the C12 Zagato's $650,000 tag, the C8 Aileron is a symbol of the company's new focus and two-thirds less batshit audacity. Still, the company says it will run two Laviolette GT2R's in the 2008 Le Mans Series, and a yet-to-be disclosed entrant in the 24 hours of Le Mans. No word on whether those cars' quick-change hubs will have "Do" and "Undo" directions on them like the C8 Aileron. Press release after the jump.

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industry news

Spyker Considers American Power

Motor Authority reports that troubled Dutch supercar manufacturer Spyker could be considering a switch to American powerplants. The company currently sources its V8 from Audi and was planning to use VW's 6.0 W12 for its forthcoming D12 super SUV. Due to the weak dollar, the LS7 V8 and new 600bhp Viper engine must look incredibly attractive. The company's new CEO, Victor Muller is also reportedly dissatisfied with the Audi V8's relatively low power output.



la auto show

LA Auto Show: Spykers

You know what's hard? Having just one favorite supercar maker. Go ahead, say Ferrari and I'll park my Murcielago next to your 599 GTB, making the latter look like nothing but a shiny red Corvette with yellow horse stickers pasted all over it. Luckily we write about cars for a living, guaranteeing that not only will we soon be able to afford all the hot Italian metal we want, but our yacht will totally be able to handle a helicopter. Wow. We just went insane for a full minute. Well, a little mental slippage is to be expected. Seriously, you try hanging around this many Spykers and not getting your mind blown just a teensy bit. Surprisingly, we liked the relatively sorta sane C8 Spyder more than the howlin' at the moon C12 Zagato. But again, making rational decisions in this lofty realm is the stuff rich people have to worry about. We will say that the Aston Martins parked next door to Spykerland were absolutely invisible by comparison. A curiosity follows should you choose to jump.

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spyker shakeup

Chaos at Spyker: CEO Resigns, F1 Team Could Be for Sale

With dutch media reporting Spyker Cars is about to circle the drain, rumors had swirled the supercar concern is considering a sale of its Formula One team. Now, according to news reports, current CEO Michiel Mol has resigned under speculation he's planning to buy the struggling F1 division. Mol will be replaced by vice board chairman, Hans Hugenholtz, who denies the company's in peril. Can no one save these brilliant nutjobs? [Auto123]

not spiked, just held

Spyker C12 Zagato Delayed

Things aren't sounding so rosy in the house that Victor Muller built. Spyker's putting the hyper-spendy C12 Zagato on hold for the moment to focus on building the slightly-less-hyper-spendy models already in production. Customers who have already pre-ordered examples of the 24-unit run will shortly be notified by mail. [Motor Authority via Autoblog]


what's in a name?

Spyker Sells Its... Name?

Yes, apparently so. Davey G. reported earlier that Spyker just got a hot 12.5-million Euro injection from Trafalgar capital and some other banks. But, according to the boyz under da hood at Mo-to Au-thor-o, to secure one of those loans, Spyker Cars sold their ever-lovin' name to Friesland Bank. Spyker (of course) is claiming that this is just a normal part of doing business. However, shadowy European stock market types are saying it's not so normal. At all. And that even though the Dutch supercar maker turned a profit in 2006, all is far from well. You will no doubt remember last week when Victor Mullen stepped down as CEO. Spyker shares have slid 17% since then. Our two cents: We finally saw a Spyker in the flesh and on the road a few days back and we have to admit that it was breathtaking. As such, we wish them luck because completely mad, fully extroverted rocket sleds make the world a better place. Though, "Friesland Bank C12 Zagato" sounds pretty whack. More »

spyker slawson

Spyker Borrows Some Euros

Truth be told, we're not exactly sure how Spyker's financed. We know there're a lot of Middle Eastern bux involved and company co-founder Victor Muller is obviously a rather well-off individual. He'd told us less than a year ago that the company was a year from profitability, bought an F1 team and then announced profitability at the LA Auto Show. Now, of course, Muller has stepped down as CEO and Michiel Mol, the man in charge of Spyker's F1 outfit is holding the temporary reins. And Spyker has just secured 12.5 million more euros in financing "to satisfy its short-term liquidity position," according to a bit at Forbes' site and is bringing in consulting behemoth Booz Allen Hamiltion, the firm that royally screwed up the upgrade of the Muni trains back in '98, to review the company's product line and brainstorm future directions. More »

gov't muller

Victor Muller Steps Down as Spyker CEO

We've made no bones about the fact that we genuinely like Spyker Cars re-founder Victor Muller. He's a friendly, humble guy who comes across as a no-shitter in a sea of egotists and pipe-dreamers, even if he himself is a dreamer. But he's a dreamer in the best possible way. He got the company off the ground and before he announced that he's stepping down as CEO on May 21st to focus on design and branding, he managed to spearhead a number of projects, getting a pack of attention-grabbing exotics off the ground on the back of a brand nobody'd thought of in years, had cars run at events like Le Mans and Sebring, and last year, acquired a Formula 1 team. Not bad for a seven-year run. What's more the company's even turning a profit. We're not sure what the internal goings-on are at Spyker so we have no real comment to offer, other than that we wish Victor the best in his new endeavor. Spyker F1 head Michiel Mol will hold the CEO spot in the interim while the search for a new CEO takes place. Press release after the jump. More »


news

The Good Kind of Consolidation: Spyker Angling to Buy Lotus?

Flush with Saudi bux (investor Mubadala Development Company also owns 5% of Ferrari), Spyker appears to be going after the lost, lonely Lotus, which has been struggling under the stewardship of Malaysia's Proton. Rumors, unconfirmed by the company and denied by Spyker CEO Victor Muller, had indicated the deal was far along, with Lotus slated to assume production of the new D12 Peking-to-Paris SUV in the UK. Nonetheless, according to Autoblog.nl Dutch TV reports Muller did confirm conversations between the two companies have been taking place, but didn't give up any specifics. Imagine a Spyker C12 that cornered as well as an Elise, and you just know some manner of amusement could be ahead. More »

news

Geneva Showcase: Spyker C12 Zagato

Mad supercar genius Victor Muller introduced the latest from the newly minted F1 constructor Spyker Cars. It's a Zagato-designed rear-drive sportster, powered by VW's 6.0-liter W12 engine, producing 500 hp. Like other of Spyker's vehicles, this one combines supercar with 1930s robber-baron airplane, to create a gestalt from speed, fine leather, Chronoswiss instruments and aeronautics. The C12 gets from zero to 60 in 3.8 seconds and has a top speed that knocks fairly hard on the threshold of 200 mph (193). Nearly $650,000 will buy one, if all of the above is your thing. More »

news: racing

Constructorial Angst: Spyker Weighs in on Independently-Sourced F1 Cars

The men in orange have joined the chorus against Super Aguri and Toro Rosso scoring constructors' points for using chassis sourced from Honda and Red Bull. In some ways, from a small team like Spyker, the point of view is understandable. Why should other teams be able to buy derivative chassis when they've committed to building their own? From the POV of a company like Honda, it spreads development costs. And from other small teams' perspective, why should they bother developing a chassis when they can buy one? Ze wicket. It ees sticky, bro-hams, but the Dutch certainly prefer it with odd combinations of vowels. More »

media

Jalopnik On Sirius: Spyker!

This week on Spinelli and Wilde's Maxim Radio show, we've got Victor Muller, CEO of Spyker Cars. Maybe we can get him to talk about the hotted up C12 La Turbie the company did with Italian design firm Zagato. We'll also ask him about the expanding company's F1 hopes, and its outrageous approach to design. Sirius subscribers can live stream via the online. Post your questions for Mr. Muller in the comments. More »

news

Zagato-Tuned Spyker C12 La Turbie to Show in Geneva

Spyker always shakes up the Geneva auto show with some extreme craziness that leads to wild murmuring among assembled journos. Last year it was the Peking-to-Paris SUV, which looked like a Porsche Cayenne that fell in with a crowd of feral Jaguar XKEs. This year, however, the company's back to mother earth, with a special edition of its C12 La Turbie, created with Italian design house Zagato. Company CEO Victor Muller says that car will take its cues from the company's new F1 racers. Every one of the 25 cars to be built have been sold, each for $345,625, so displaying it is more for teasing's sake. (Note: standard C12 La Turbie pictured.) More »

news

Spyker C8 Spyder Gets Spiked In Belgium!

After yesterday's bird-on-Porsche incident and the falling ice ball we thought we were done with our weekly fill of hoontastic epic car smashes. Then Jalopnik reader Sacha brought to our attention the demise of one of only three Spyker Spyder's in Belgium last week. Here's what happened:
"On the highway near Wilrijk (belgium), a Spyker C8 Spyder run of the highway. The driver of the car was an employee of garage Beerens in Antwerp (Belgium) that was instructed to deliver the car in Brussels for the upcoming car show. He reacted saturday in The Last New as follows: "Probably I turned too brusquely at my steering wheel."
Umm, yeah — we'd have to agree that you probably turned to "brusquely" on the steering wheel. Other "appropriate" comments to explain what happened would have been "probably I may have been drunk while driving" or "probably I'm not the smartest person on earth" or finally, "probably I can't handle 4.2 second 0-60 400 hp Audi V8 engine." Full gallery below of what may be the first reported Spyker C8 Spyder crash. [Hat tip to Sacha!] More »

commentary

Autoextremist Does LA, We Offer Our Own Take

Sweet Peet D. came down from his perch in the frigid wilds of Detwa to visit those of us who are too cheap to change our tires twice yearly. And what did he see? Well, he called the Honda Step Bus the "Short Bus" and neglected to note the puppies. He panned the Remix. He gave GM's hybrid efforts props and figures that the Tundra could eat a big hole in Ram sales. He called the Audi TT reveal a "yawner," obviously not recognizing that the best three-word phrase of the entire show was uttered during the runup to the unveiling — "ALUMINUM UND SHTEEL!" Oh, and he likey the Aston V8 Vantage droptop. As for one other reporter's opinion? Click through. More »