Spyker

2021 was supposed to be the year when Spyker finally introduced the production version of the B6 Venator, a concept that it first unveiled in 2013. The Dutch were also supposed to launch the D8 Peking-to-Paris SUV. Sadly, none of that will happen as Spyker filed for bankruptcy. Again. It’s been almost six years since the Dutch company resumed operations following its first bankruptcy and Spyker no longer has the financial power to continue. But it might not be the end for the brand.

After repeated brushes with the auto world’s equivalent of the grim reaper, Spyker has once again been brought back to life courtesy of new partnerships forged with a bevy of Russia-owned motorsport companies.

The collaboration between Spyker and BR Engineering, SMP Racing, and the Milan Morady marketing company will allow Spyker to finally resume operations and bring to life its intended goal of launching three new models, starting from 2021. Among the models that are in the pipeline include the C8 Preliator, D8 Peking-to-Paris, and the B6 Venator. No specific timetable has been set for each model’s release, but with the finances now in place, the long wait for these models is close to being over.

Originally founded in the Netherlands in 1880 as a producer of carriages, Spyker pivoted to create fighter planes at the outset of the World War I but eventually went under in 1925. However, the name was revived in 2000, and now Spyker produces boutique high-end sports cars, the latest of which is dubbed the C8 Preliator. The coupe iteration was introduced in 2016, while the drop-top Spyder was introduced a year later at the 2017 Geneva International Motor Show rocking a fresh powerplant courtesy of the power-hungry folks at Koenigsegg Automotive.

Continue reading to learn more about the Spyker C8 Preliator Spyder.

The C8 Aileron has been around for about seven years now, first making the scene at the 2010 Salon International de l’Automobile in Geneva. As the automaker points out, the debut “marked a significant milestone in Spyker Cars’ history,” but with the production cycle soon ending and a third-generation vehicle on its way, Spyker is giving the C8 Aileron a proper send-off with this – the LM85 special edition. Inspired by Spyker’s racing and aviation history, the C8 Aileron LM85 will be limited to just three examples, and come with new enhancements for the exterior and interior, plus a solid supercharged wallop from the mid-mounted 4.2-liter V-8 engine.

Continue reading to learn more about what makes the Spyker C8 Aileron LM85 special.

It’s been rough going for Spyker over the past few years, but better days appear to be ahead for the Swedish maker of supercars thanks in part to a partnership it has entered with Koenigsegg. As per the agreement, Koenigsegg will now be the official engine supplier of both coupe and spyder versions of Spyker’s C8 Preliator, replacing Audi in that role and ushering a new era of supercar collaborations that could change the landscape of the segment in the coming years.

Yes, you read that right. Koenigsegg, the makers of all-conquering machines like the Regera and the One:1, will now be tasked to power Spyker’s future lineup of models, beginning with the two Preliator variants. The news comes as Spyker is set to present the C8 Preliator Spyder, the topless version of the coupe variant it unveiled in Geneva this time last year.

Remember, the C8 Preliator that was shown last year came with an Audi-sourced 4.2-liter supercharged V-8 engine that put out 517 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. Impressive, right? But when compared to the new digs Spyker’s getting from Koenigsegg – a 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V-8 engine that produces 600 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque – well, we’re going to let the numbers paint the picture.

With the new V-8 bolted up, the C8 Preliator Spyder will be able to sprint to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and hit a top speed of 201 mph. Sure, it’s not on the level of Koenigsegg’s four-wheel guided missiles, but it still comes as a slight improvement over the supercharged Audi V-8. It covered the same 60-mph time in 3.7 seconds before peaking at a similar 201-mph top speed.

But the Spyker-Koenigsegg partnership isn’t just about bigger engines, more power, and improved performance. It also points to something even more important, not only for both brands, but for the whole supercar segment entirely. Whereas competition remains the driving force of this market, this collaboration could open up a world of new possibilities for future supercar brands moving forward. It may be Spyker and Koenigsegg now, but imagine if, say, Koenigsegg and Bugatti joined forces to create the ultimate supercar? Impossible? Perhaps. But there was a time when the kind of partnership we’re seeing between Spyker and Koenigsegg would’ve been scoffed at as well.

Continue reading for the full story.

The reinvention of Spyker under the guidance of the American electric aircraft startup Volta Volaré is beginning to take shape after the Swedish automaker announced plans to begin offering a slate of new models beginning in 2017. One of the first models to be unveiled is an updated version of the D12 Peking-to-Paris SUV and while the model will come with a standard V-12 engine, the big news is that it will also feature an electric powertrain as an option.

The full spec of details surrounding the electric SUV have yet to be announced, but according to Volta Volaré CEO Paul Peterson, the electric motor itself will be developed by the American firm with the goal of keeping at just 32 pounds while still packing enough punch to produce as much as 680 pound-feet of torque. That kind of output would fit right in with the standard V-12-powered version and create a clean structure within the model’s range.

Spyker has penciled in the SUV’s debut for the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show this coming November. The objective is to have it make its debut within the year to prepare it for sale in 2017. Once the SUV is released, the Swedish brand plans to surround it with performance models like the B6 Venator, C8 Preliator, and the flagship C12 supercar. Each of these models will also feature an electric variant to give Spyker a full lineup of electric cars.

In addition to Spyker’s reinvention, the automaker’s partnership with Volta Volaré will also give rise to SpykerAero, Spyker’s sister company that will be tasked to build aircraft that will utilize extended-range electric powertrains. In a roundabout way, this new setup essentially brings Spyker back to its roots when it first started as a company that sold both cars and aircraft.

Continue after the jump to read the full story.

Spyker has had its fair share of trouble in the past. There was that issue with GM, and then Spyker eventually filed for bankruptcy. That bankruptcy was declared null and void, but it was still a troubling time for the company. That’s ok, though, because Spyker is back and has even debuted a new C8 this year at the Geneva International Motor Show. Dubbed the Preliator, it’s the third generation C8, and it’s said to be the “ultimate translation” of Spyker’s aviation heritage to a “road jet” or “plane without wings.”

The name “Preliator” means fighter or warrior in Latin, so it’s no surprise Spyker chose that name for its new C8. At the unveiling in Geneva, Victor R. Muller, Spyker’s Founder and CEO, said, “The greatest man in our industry, Enzo Ferrari, once said: ‘What’s behind you, doesn’t matter.’ What does matter is the fact that we have returned to Geneva today to unveil the worthy successor to the Spyker C8 Aileron, launched right here in 2009, of which the last five units are being assembled in our new production facilities in Coventry, the United Kingdom.”

So, Spyker hasn’t even finished producing the previous generation and has already debuted the next. The question is – does the C8 Preliator differ enough from the previous generation to suffice as a new model? Well, it’s still hand built, and from a glance, it looks to be an interesting car, so let’s dive on into this review and see what is going on with Spyker’s new C8 Preliator.

Updated 03/30/2016: Spyker announced U.S. prices for its new C8 Preliator at the 2016 New York Auto Show where the sports car made its North American debut. The car will be limited to only 50 units worldwide and will be offered with both manual and automatic transmission. Check the "Prices" section for more details.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2016 Spyker C8 Preliator.

Dutch automaker Spyker has largely stayed off the grid for the better part of a few years now. The only thing we’ve heard about the company in that time was when it was restructuring its company to accommodate its new business partner, American electric plane manufacturer, Volta Volare. The time away from the spotlight seems to have done Spyker some good because the company is reportedly headed to the 2016 Geneva Motor Show with an electric sports car in tow.

Dutch news site Autovisie broke the story after discovering that Spyker was included among the list of exhibitors that will be in attendance at the auto show in Geneva. The site also noted the possibility that Spyder would introduce an electric sports car, something that would make some sense considering that its new business partner knows a thing or two about electric modes of transportation.

Adding more weight to this speculation is Spyker CEO Victor Muller going on record in the past of his intention to pursue vehicle electrification once the company’s business is in stable condition. While there’s still no official announcement on the kind of cars Spyker plans to being to the show, it makes sense to bring an electric sports car and showcase it on one of the biggest auto shows of the year. If there was ever a time to return to the auto scene with a bang, there’s no better place to do it than the Geneva Motor Show.

Continue after the jump to read the full story.

Spyker’s entire business model was always a bit of an iffy prospect. The Dutch automaker built expensive and desperately weird sports cars in a way that assured permanent niche status. But it was big on charm, and it would take a cold-hearted person not to wish it success. Still, it didn’t come as a huge surprise when the company declared bankruptcy. Plans were announced for a merger with an American electric plane manufacturer, but as always, this is the sort of thing you believe only once you’ve seen it. Well, the wait seems to be over, and Spyker has now officially come out of moratorium and will be building cars again soon.

Spyker actually fought against bankruptcy in court and won, back in January, but getting out of moratorium (essentially the Dutch version of Chapter 11) wasn’t so easy. Agreements with creditors have now been reached, and Spyker will be going ahead with the merger with Volta Volare, the electric plane maker from Portland, Oregon that had previously been unnamed. All of which is very good news for anyone that wants to buy a car that’s more than a little bit different from those his neighbors have.

Continue reading for the full story.

Remember the rather depressing story in mid-December 2014, when Spyker announced that it was officially bankrupt? Well, as it happens, it was all pretty much a bad dream, as the Dutch sports car maker announced today that it has won an appeal in which the bankruptcy was not only overturned but declared null and void. In other words, by law Spyker was never bankrupt in the first place, as odd as that may seem, and has now returned to moratorium of payment status.

As a matter of fact, the company was in a similar protection status since December 2nd, 2014, in the the Dutch equivalent of the American Chapter 11 procedure. While expected bridge funding didn’t arrive in time to keep Spyker out of the bankruptcy it entered just weeks after the moratorium of payment status commenced, it did eventually come in to provide a better foundation for lodging an appeal with the Appeals Court, which Spyker actually did at the end of December 2014.

"On December 18th, last, perhaps the blackest day in our 15 year history, I announced that as far as I was concerned, this was not the end and we would live up to our commitment to relentlessly endeavour to resurrect Spyker as soon as practically possible. But even I could not foresee at the time how quickly and unscathed Spyker would emerge from a situation which usually heralds the end of an era. The Appeals Court’s ruling has eradicated the bankruptcy and put Spyker back in "Chapter 11". Since we spent the time between lodging the appeal and today’s ruling to reach an agreement with the majority of our creditors, we should see Spyker exit moratorium of payment in a matter of weeks." said Victor R. Muller, Spyker’s Founder and CEO.

Click past the jump to read more about Spyker’s bankruptcy.

The not-so-good Spyker news from a couple of weeks ago have taken a turn for the worse, with the Dutch sports car maker officially going bankrupt as of December 18. After initially filing a voluntary petition for financial restructuring in an effort to raise some much-needed cash to continue its operation (something similar to a Chapter 11 reorganization in the U.S.), that moratorium of payment was converted to bankruptcy.

This news comes after Spyker hadn’t built a car in years. The B6 Venator was supposed to enter production as a part of the company’s rebirth in 2015, but it seems that that will no longer happen, as there were too many promises and not enough moolah to back them all up.

According to Spyker CEO Victor Muller, the main reason for today’s bankruptcy is because a "committed bridge funding" didn’t reach the company in due time, essentially forcing it to request the District Court of Midden-Nederland (the Netherlands) to convert the aforementioned moratorium of payment into bankruptcy a little over two weeks after its inception.

Click past the jump to read more about Spyker’s financial problems.

If you were hoping to see the 2015 Spyker B6 Venator Spyder hit the streets in 2015, then we have some bad news. The Dutch automaker has just announced it has filed a petition for temporary moratorium of payment, which is the equivalent of the U.S. Chapter 11 proceedings for bankruptcy protection. In short, the company is facing operational and liquidity challenges and is in desperate need of a cash infusion in order to pay its employees and maintain its key operations.

While waiting for the Court to grant the temporary moratorium — Spyker claims it is facing short-term issues — the company is also in the process of securing a loan from independent sources as to finance the daily operation of its business during the restructuring process.

Spyker has been struggling financially since 2011, one year after buying Saab from General Motors. As the Swedish automaker went bankrupt, Spyker tried to regroup in the Netherlands by launching plans to build the B6 Venator sports car. Apparently the Dutch company failed to raise the necessary capital to start production of the vehicle and merge with "a U.S.-based manufacturer of high performance electric aircraft," which left it no alternative but to file for bankruptcy protection.

Spyker still hopes to restructure and launch the B6 Venator, but the fate of the company now lies with the local District Court and the ability to secure independent financing.

Click past the jump to read more about Spyker’s financial problems.

Rumors of Lotus’ involvement with Spyker’s production plans for the B6 Venator took a shot in the arm recently.

Recent reports indicate that Spyker CEO Victor Muller sent a letter to potential customers confirming that Spyker is indeed collaborating with Lotus.

According Autoweek.nl, the upcoming B6 Venator will use a Lotus-built engine that it will build from a Toyota-sourced engine block. Although nothing has been made official, rumors seem to point to a supercharged 3.5-liter V-6 engine that’s currently sitting under the hood of the Exige S. In the event that the B6 Venator will carry that powertrain, expect the output to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 345 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque.

In yet another surprising reveal from Muller, it appears that Spyker will also commemorate the impending launch of the B6 Venator with its own "Launch Edition" model, comprising of 100 models that will be given to the first 100 customers of the model. A host of special edition features will be added to the B6 Venator Launch Edition, including a Chronoswiss clock and a watch engraved with the car’s production number.

Spyker is expected to begin production of the B6 Venator in November 2014 but as early as now, the company is already accepting pre-orders for a €20,000 ($27,170) deposit.

Of course, for those wondering about the tie-up between these two fledgling companies, more details are likely to be revealed in the coming weeks.

Objectively, a Spyker with a Camry engine is not the most appealing idea. Nor is the idea of putting down a deposit on a vehicle that has not yet had any engine testing or fitting trials.

Click past the jump to read about the Spyker B6 Venator.

At the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, Spyker announced its global resurgence with the unveiling of the B6 Venator - a concept car that previews a future Porsche 911 competitor set to be unveiled in early 2014. The concept we saw in Switzerland was shown only as a coupe, but it looks like a roadster version will also be offered.

The announcement was made by Spyker in an official document revealing the company’s financial situation. Talking about the new B6 Venator, Spyker said: "The response has been very positive and we are confident that we will be able to build a strong order book for the B6 Venator. We intend to launch the Spyder (open) version of the B6 Venator later this year."

We expect the Spyder version to look nearly identical to the coupe version, except of course its soft top.

Updated 08/08/2013: Today, Spyker dropped the first teaser image and the confirmation that the B6 Venator Spyder will make its world debut on August 16th, 2013 at Pebble Beach.

Updated 8/16/2013: Spyker unveiled the B5 Venator Spyder Concept today at The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering. You can see all the details after the jump.

Click past the jump to read more about the B6 Venator Concept.

Spyker announced that its new B6 Venator Concept, which was unveiled at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, is just the first step the company has made into its global resurgence. The company has plans to unveil a concept crossover model next year, with a production version to arrive later in 2016.

The new crossover will be based on the D8 Paris-to-Peking crossover, which was unveiled at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show, but it will be less extravagant, while still retaining Spyker’s reputation for exclusivity.

The same Spyker officials also confirmed that a production version of the B6 Venator Concept will be put on sale on the U.S. market in the spring of 2014 at a price somewhere from $125,000 to $150,000.

Once these changes are made, the company’s lineup will include three different models: the current C8 Aileron, the upcoming B6 Venator and the upcoming crossover. Once all three models are put on sale, the company hopes to sell around 2,500 units a year - up from the current 350 units.