Where to even start? Oh right – that interior! With the possible exception of a couple of British-ish cars (BMW-owned Rolls-Royce Phantom, Volkswagen-owned Bentley Mulsanne, Tata-owned Jaguar XJ), no interior even comes close. And frankly, being honest, those luxo-barges just pale in comparison to the blinged out old-world splendor of a Spyker cockpit. And the C8 Aileron Spyder ups that already pricey ante. And get this – all C8s are now built in Coventry, England, shaving about $9,000 off the asking price, which is somewhere south north of $200,000 depending on baubles options.

Normally, photographing cars at auto shows feels like a strange, exotic form of torture, at least for us writerly types. The bright lights, the bumrush, the awkward positions (you try crawling on your hands and knees between a posing CEO’s knees to get a shot of a wheel) – it’s not fun. But when photographing this car, we were overcome with a rush of (let’s just say) endorphins. We could imagine ourselves winding up the California coast, fondling that leather-wrapped aluminum gear shifter for hundreds of breezy, dreamy miles. And get this – it’s an automatic… and we don’t care!

For you number junkies who choose to hastily look past the incredible innards, the C8 drop top is powered by a 4.2-liter Audi V8 good for 400 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque. That medium-amount of gumption is routed to the rear-wheels via a 6-speed slushbox. Top speed is 187 mph and 0-60 happens in 4.5 seconds. Spyker claims that the car’s strength is in the frame (stouter than a Ferrari F430, so they say) and therefor chopping off the roof has limited negative structural impact. Want more tech details? See our post from Monterey.

Let’s get back to that interior. If you’re into fancy cars (hi mom!) you’ve no doubt heard of special leather coming from “free range” cows raised without barbwire so as to ensure the leather is flawless. Well get this, the leather in the Aileron Spyder comes from a Dutch tannery that works with free range cold weather cows. Why cold weather? No mosquito bites. No, really. And you can get that interior in any of fourteen colors, most of which are (hopefully) equally eye-searing. Finally, anyone else as in love with the tonneau cover-mounted quilted leather briefcase as we are?

Source Autoblog

Along came a Spyder, and we sat down beside her to snap some photos for your viewing enjoyment from Pebble Beach, where Spyker unveiled the convertible version of its new C8 Aileron. And to go with them, we’ve now got a series of studio shots along with official details on the new roadster from Holland’s niche automaker.

The handcrafted Aileron features aircraft-inspired styling in a way its northern neighbor Saab can only dream of, with turbine-styled air scoops, Rotorblade wheels and little propellor emblems abound, all in a nod to Spyker’s roots in early aviation. LEDs serve in the tail-lamps, front turning indicators and side repeaters, but it’s inside where the attention to detail really shines. Upholstered in Royal Dutch Tannery Hulshof’s quilted Litano leather available in 14 standard colors to compliment the 16 exterior tints and 8 soft-top choices, the cabin features a Chronoswiss dashboard and industry-first Kharma sound system, while an optional five-piece Louis Vuitton luggage set can be had for the trunk.

What separates the Spyder from its fixed-roof counterpart unveiled in Geneva this past March is the electric-hydraulic roof that saves weight with a manually-operated single central latch mechanism. The twin buttresses on the decklid are emblazoned with what has to be an industry first: the company’s motto, in Latin: “Nulla Tenaci Invia Est Via” (for the tenacious, no road is impassable). A luggage rack milled from solid billet aluminum is mounted right behind, while underneath rests an all-aluminum, Audi-sourced, 4.2-liter V8 producing 400 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque. Mated to either a Getrag manual or ZF automatic, both with 6 ratios, that’s enough to propel the Dutch roadster to 60 in 4.5 seconds en route to a claimed top speed of 300 km/h (187 mph). Lotus fine-tuned the suspension and AP Racing provides the stopping power with optional carbon-ceramic brakes.

The Aileron Spyder is scheduled to go into production in the first half of next year, but you can follow the jump now to read the full press release and check out the gallery of studio shots below and the live shots from Monterey below that.

Source Autoblog

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.

Source Autoblog

The new 2009 Spyker C8 revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show is a mid-engine, 2-seater powered by a 400 bhp 4.2-liter Audi V-8 on a manual 6-speed transmission.

On the West Coast, being exclusive is a big deal, so perhaps there’s no bigger deal at the Los Angeles Auto Show than the 2009 Spyker C8 Laviolette LM85. Only 24 of these supercars will be built and each of the buyers will be Spyker’s guest during the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans.

As the LM85 designation implies, this new C8 road car is inspired by the Spyker Squadron GT2 entry at Le Mans. The LM85 is a mid-engine, 2-seater with lightweight aluminum body construction. Power comes from a 400-bhp 4.2-liter Audi V-8 mated to a manual 6-speed Getrag gearbox. Spyker says the car has of a top speed of 187 mph and can accelerate from 0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.5 seconds.

The Spyker C8 Laviolette LM85 rides on a 101-in. wheelbase and measures just 165 in. in overall. Thanks to its lightweight construction, it tips the scales at only 2805 lb. The LM85 is equipped with AP racing brakes that feature 6-piston front and 4-piston rear calipers clamping on 14-in. front and 13-in. rear discs. The 19-in. alloy wheels are shod with 235/35R-19 front and 265/30R-19 rear rubber.

The car is finished in a burnt almond orange paint scheme offset by gun metal gray accents and a black carbon fiber rear spoiler. The interior is finished in black leather and Alcantara with contrasting orange stitching.

Buyers can opt for Chronoswiss dials and switches, which are similar to the Chronoswiss 24 Hours Pilot Watch that each LM85 buyers receives with the car.

Source Road & Track

Going into production next year, the Spyker D12 Peking to Paris is a luxury SUV that made its debut at the 2006 Geneva Show. Clearly deciding that now is the time, Spyker will now launch an expensive SUV.

Spyker reckons demand for the D12 has been unaffected by the economic downturn, despite the asking price of £186K and a fuel economy lower than a rocket. 100 orders were received after the D12’s appearance at Geneva three years ago.

The D12 uses a massive Audi W12 engine, enabling a 0-60mph time of five seconds and top speed of 185mph. Those figures would make it the fastest SUV in the world, easily eclipsing the Porsche Cayenne, though a different engine seems likely for the production model.

Source Motortorque.com