The Spyker C8 is a sports car that the Dutch maker Spyker Cars has produced since 2000. Its styling takes cues from the 1999 Spyker Silvestris V8 prototype, and every version has used an Audi 4.2-litre V8 mounted behind the seats, driving through a six-speed manual or, later, an automatic gearbox.
Spyker C8 at a glance
| Maker | Spyker Cars, Netherlands |
|---|---|
| Production | 2000–2018 |
| Model lines | Spyder, Laviolette, Double 12S, Spyder T, Aileron |
| Engine | Audi 4.2-litre V8, 400 PS; 525 PS in the Spyder T |
| Top speed | 300 km/h (186 mph) |
| Layout | mid-engine, rear-wheel drive |
| First shown | Birmingham Motor Show, 2000 |
| Body style | two-seat coupé or roadster |
| Long wheelbase | 2,675 mm from 2008, against 2,575 mm originally |
| Wheelbase extension | Aileron: 2.72 m |
| Successor | C8 Preliator |
History of the Spyker C8
Spyder and Laviolette
The original C8, the Spyder, made its debut at the 2000 Birmingham Motor Show. It used an Audi 4.2-litre V8 producing 400 PS (294 kW) and reached 300 km/h, and it could be had with a soft top in early or late form, or with a hardtop. For safety reasons the original propeller-shaped steering wheel was replaced by a wheel from Lotus or from the Lamborghini Gallardo.
The Laviolette followed in 2001, unveiled at AutoRAI. It kept the same engine but swapped the Spyder’s retractable soft top for a fixed glass canopy with an integrated roof air intake, making it the first C8 coupé. Fifty-five were built. The name honours the Belgian engineer Joseph Valentin Laviolette, who helped develop several Spyker racing cars in the early 1900s.
Double 12S and Spyder T
On 21 March 2002 Spyker marked the opening of a new factory with the Double 12S, a road-legal version of the Double 12R racer and therefore powered by the Mader-BMW 4.0-litre V8, offered in five stages of tune. The name refers to the 24-hour world speed record set in 1922 by Selwyn Edge in a Spyker C4. The long-wheelbase chassis was meant for a W12 engine, the C12, but only two were made: a concept and one with C12 Zagato bodywork.
In February 2003, at the Amsterdam Motor Show, Spyker announced the Spyder T, a modified Spyder with a twin-turbocharged version of the 4.2-litre V8 rated at 525 PS (386 kW). It had a wider track and wider tyres, plus uprated suspension and aerodynamics.
Long wheelbase and LM85
At the 2008 Geneva Motor Show Spyker added a long-wheelbase Laviolette, stretching the wheelbase from 2,575 mm to 2,675 mm to answer calls for more interior space; it kept the 400 PS V8. The Laviolette LM85 of 2009 was the road-going counterpart of the Laviolette GT2-R racer, finished in two-tone Burnt Orange and Gun Metal and limited to 24 cars in homage to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. LM stands for Le Mans and 85 was Spyker Squadron’s racing number.
Aileron
The second-generation C8 Aileron appeared at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, replacing the Laviolette. It was longer and wider, kept the 4.2-litre Audi V8 and offered a ZF automatic for the first time in a C8. Its wheel design was inspired by jet turbine blades, a motif repeated in the aluminium construction and the cabin. A convertible Aileron Spyder was unveiled later in 2009 at Pebble Beach, with the same dimensions and powertrain, and it took over from the original C8 Spyder.
Design and features
- Audi V8 power: a 4.2-litre unit of 400 PS giving 300 km/h, with a 525 PS twin-turbo version in the Spyder T.
- Aviation theme: a cockpit-style interior, turbine-blade wheels on the Aileron and a body shaped by aircraft motifs.
- Scissor doors and glass canopy: the Laviolette’s fixed glass roof with an air intake made it the first C8 coupé.
- Two wheelbases: the short original chassis and the 2,675 mm long-wheelbase version introduced in 2008.
Spyker C8 versions
- Spyder (2000–2009): the original roadster with soft or hard top.
- Laviolette (2001–2009): coupé with a fixed glass canopy; 55 built.
- Double 12S (2002–2007): long-wheelbase road car with a Mader-BMW V8.
- Spyder T (2003–2007): twin-turbocharged Spyder with 525 PS.
- Laviolette LWB (2008–2012) and LM85 (2009–2012): long-wheelbase and Le Mans-themed editions.
- Aileron and Aileron Spyder (2009–2016): the second-generation coupé and convertible.
The C8’s long-wheelbase chassis fathered the W12-engined Spyker C12, and the same aviation styling carried over to the D12 Peking-to-Paris crossover concept. Spyker also went racing with the F8-VII Formula One car. More cars are in the Spyker collection.
Sources
- Spyker C8, English Wikipedia: models, engines, production dates, Aileron
- Spyker C8, Dutch Wikipedia: variants, top speed, prices
- Spyker C8, German Wikipedia: model list, engine output
