First Impression: Spyker C8 Spyder

The original Spyker brand was a Dutch company that built cars, carriages, airplanes, and coaches. It was founded in 1880 and went out of business in 1926. In 1999, Victor Muller and Maarten de Bruijin founded Spyker Cars, a Dutch sports car marque. Spyker Cars is a different company than the Spyker brand that was around from 1880 to 1926. In 2000, Spyker started production on its first car, the Spyker C8 Spyder, rear-mid enginer, rear-wheel drive two-door convertible supercar.

I recently saw the C8 at the 2012 edition of Houston Cars and Coffee. It got some attention, but other people did not know what the car was and ignored it. It is a beautiful sports car. The owner added a supercharged to the 4.2L V8 found in an Audi R8. This is a beautiful car, and a beautiful interior. There was no other car like the C8 at the event, but more people focused on the Ferraris and Lamborghinis that were parked near the C8.

The Spyker C8 Spyder is powered by an Audi 4.2L V8, paired with a either a six-speed manual transmission, that produces 400 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and reaches a top speed of 187 mph. Prices for the C8 start at $288,000. The C8 is a unique car. It is a beautiful and fast. It is also expensive for what it is.

The Spyker C8 Spyder has been featured on World's Most Expensive Rides, War, Knight Rider, Mischief: Joyride, Bullrun: Cops, Cars, and Superstars III. Jeremy Clarkson reviewed the C8 Spyder during Top Gear Series 4, Episode 7. The C8 Spyder is playable in Test Drive Unlimited, Race Driver: Grid, Race Pro, and GTR Evolution.

Final Thoughts: This is a very beautiful sports car. There is nothing like a C8 Spyder when it comes to exterior and interior design. The car is fast at 187 mph, but there are cars that can hit 200+ mph and cost under $250,000. Spyker has been having financial trouble as of late. It bought SAAB from GM in 2010, after months of negotiation. Spyker Cas N.V. then changed it name to Swedish Automobile. The Spyker brand was sold to North Street Capital, L.P. in September 2011. Spyker currently makes the C8 Aileron and C8 Aileron Spyder. I look forward to more cars from Spyker, no matter who the parent company is. The C8 is a decent alternative if you do not want a Ferrari 458, Porsche 911, an Audi R8, or a Lamborghini Gallardo. C8 is just not as quick or fast as the other cars and costs a little bit more. One thing the C8 offers is rear storage space. You will not get that in a Ferrari, Lamborghini, or Porsche.


CarJunkie
Photo taken from a digital camera.

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