All the usual supercar suspects too common? Try a Spyker…
By Matt Bird / Monday, May 3, 2021 / Loading comments
You need not look far, be that in the classifieds or on social media, to see how important a truly bespoke spec is to a lot of supercar buyers. Which makes sense: if you were in the position to purchase a Ferrari or a Lamborghini brand new, you’d most likely be inclined to configure exactly to your taste. Because everyone has a red Ferrari or a yellow Lamborghini, and you’re not everyone.
But, ultimately, even with a special colour or contrast stitching or jazzy wheels, it remains the same supercar underneath. A very good one, most likely, if not all that different to the hundreds of others out there. Those that really, properly want to stand out from the crowd don’t just need a rare and extraordinary spec, they need a rare and extraordinary car…
It’s more than 20 years ago now since Spyker showed the first C8 to the world. Now in its third generation, it’s perhaps the most recognisable Dutch car in history – helped by its appearances in Gran Turismo, Project Gotham Racing, Forza and so on. (Well, it’s the Spyker or the Donkervoort, put it that way.) Not many cars tend to come out of that part of the world, but the few that do tend to be fairly incredible.
This one is an original Spyder, a car so popular it endured from 2000-2009. Back then the C8s were powered by a normally aspirated version of Audi’s 4.2 V8, albeit with Spyker’s own modifications to boost power from 360hp to 400hp. And in a lightweight (1,200kg) mid-engined supercar, that was more than enough for brisk performance; remember, when Audi’s own R8 came along with a little more power, it was carrying another third of a tonne.
That said, the Spyker could have been powered by a three-cylinder diesel and still grabbed the attention like nothing else. Partly that was due to the exterior styling, helped in the drama stakes by scissor doors and a chunky rear deck, but mostly because of the C8’s interior. Playing to Spyker’s aircraft heritage, it was a feast of milled aluminium, exposed mechanisms, and plane-inspired details. There wasn’t anything quite like a Spyker cabin – maybe this is one we could call a cockpit – before the C8, and we’ve certainly seen nothing like it since. Certainly, it’s more dramatic than a logo-embossed headrest…
Furthermore, if this interior looks particularly special, it’s because this is a particularly special Spyker, even by the exalted standards of the brand. Built in 2006, this C8 is a one-off, the only one in world with Black Olive Green paint, saddle leather and matching luggage. Unsurprisingly, it looks sensational, but perhaps the bigger shock is that nobody else felt inclined to opt for this combination on their Spyder. The options list for this build makes for good reading, too, the first USA-based buyer going for the limited-slip diff, sports exhaust, AP Racing brake upgrade and the propellor steering wheel – nice.
Seemingly so content with what they had created, that owner was happy to admire their Spyker and barely drive it – 15 years after it was built, just 500 miles have been recorded. As such, it presents as basically new, exterior beyond reproach and interior fit for the concourse lawn. And just look at those briefcases!
The C8 Spyder is for sale at £295,000; it says something about the current state of the supercar market that that figure doesn’t seem improbable. There are all manner of newer supercars with similar mileages on offer at that sort money, clearly. They’ll have more power, more technology, more ability than the old Spyker, too. But if the job of a supercar is to be special, to leave passers-by slack-jawed in astonishment and make its driver feel like a million dollars, the C8 Spyder is surely hard to beat.
- 2020 Ferrari F8 Spider | PH Review
- 2020 Lamborghini Huracan Evo RWD | PH Review
Source: Read Full Article