Spyker F1's wealthy new owner injecting India into F1

Dutch supercar manufacturer Spyker has staved off bankruptcy by offloading its F1 team for a cool 80 million Euros ($110 million USD). That's the kind of pocket change that new owner Vijay Mallya loses in his car seats every year. Mallya, currently ranked the world's 664th richest man by Forbes, owns Kingfisher Airlines and the popular Indian beer of the same name, but is most famous in F1 circles for hosting lavish parties aboard his 311' yacht "Indian Empress" over the Monaco Grand Prix weekend.This marks the first time an Indian individual or company has taken such a prominent role in international motorsport, though rumored Jaguar and Land Rover buyer Tata has sponsored Spyker's predecessor Jordan in the past, and currently backs Williams F1. Both the Tata and Mallya families will now be lobbying Bernie Ecclestone hard to get a race around the streets of New Delhi on the F1 calendar within the next few years.

[ Via: Autoblog (Spyker) ]
[ Tag: f1,kingfisher,mallya,spyker ]

Pebble Beach Week 2007: Spyker Zagato makes California appearance

The Concept Lawn at Pebble Beach always manages to host a few surprises. Last year we saw the Glickenhaus one-off P4/5, a Ferrari Enzo rebodied by Pininfarina as an homage to the legendary P3/4 racecars of the '60s. This year we saw the unveiling of the new Callaway Speedster and the official showing of the new Aston Martin DBS, but there were some other cool cars there as well -- cars that may be somewhat familiar from other shows but that many folks haven't seen in person. This year's visitors were treated to up-close glimpses of the new Maserati GranTurismo, Lincoln MKR, Chrysler Nassau, Lexus LF-A and IS-F, Mercedes-Benz Ocean Drive, Dodge Demon, Giugiaro Mustang, Bentley Brooklands, Jeep Trailhawk, Cadillac Cien and CTS-V.

But few save the first two drew as much attention as the Spyker Zagato. That's the limited edition run of 24 special closed coupes we first saw in Geneva. It's at once more contemporary than other Spykers and simultaneously more retro. Kind of made us think of the Flash Gordon show -- A retro look at the future. It taks some classic auto styling cues and adds a fair bit of SLR and Zonda in for good measure. It's quite a looker, and a mover too by the sound of it. A derivative of Spyker's flagship C12 model, the Zagato uses a version of VAG's 6.0L W12 putting out 500 hp, or 650 with the optional supercharger. Because of its light weight (3,086 lbs.), the C12 Zagato should be good for a 0-60 mph sprint of 3.8 seconds on its way to a top speed of 193 mph.

[ Via: Autoblog (Spyker) ]
[ Tag: PebbleBeach,spyker,Spyker Zagato,SpykerZagato,zagato ]

Spyker C12 Zagato delayed

The Spyker C12 Zagato, introduced during the same burst of fanfare that followed Spyker's acquisition of an F1 team, has been put on hold. Only 24 are slated to be made, and only for existing Spyker customers, but Spyker simply doesn't have the production capacity at the moment. Right now, the company has enough to deal with getting its backlog of current and coming models made, at the same time working to shore up its finances. According to the Auto Telegraaf, the company will be posting a large loss this year, the F1 team is having trouble with sponsors, and company shareholders are bickering. Not that we would necessarily spend $700K on one, but we would think it a shame if the C12 Zagato was crushed by market forces.
[ Via: Autoblog (Spyker) ]
[ Tag: c12,production,spyker,zagato ]

Spyker loses 72.075 million euros in 2007

For such a small manufacturer of specialty vehicles, Spyker hemorrhaged a huge amount of money last year; 72.075 million euros ($113.07 million at current exchange rates), to be exact. Part of this loss was due to the sale of its Formula 1 operations, but their car-selling business managed to cost them a few million more. Money was so tight that the Dutch supercar company only managed to assemble 26 cars last year -- only two in the final quarter, despite the waiting list for their wares.

Good news is on the horizon, though, as Spyker has received a cash-infusion from Snoras Group, a Lithuanian bank (and now the largest shareholder in the company), and is again up-to-speed on automobile production. The long-wheelbase C8 Aileron, along with its new automatic transmission, is scheduled to go on sale in the third quarter of this year, while their D8 Peking-to-Paris will follow in 2009. Additionally, their racing team, Spyker Squadron, will continue its GT aspirations, though Formula 1 has obviously been abandoned. So, Spyker fans, look forward to a less-tumultuous year in 2008... we're pretty sure that it couldn't be any worse than the last.
[ Via: Autoblog (Spyker) ]
[ Tag: spyker,spyker c8,spyker c8 aileron,spyker cars,spyker d12,spyker d12 peking,spyker d12 peking-to...,spyker d12 ssuv,spyker d12 suv,spyker d8,spyker d8 peking to paris,spyker squadron,spyker-cars,spyker-d8-peking-to-paris,spyker-f1,spyker-squadron,spykerc8,SpykerC8Aileron,SpykerCars,SpykerD12,SpykerD12Peking,SpykerD12Peking-to...,SpykerD12Ssuv,SpykerD12Suv,SpykerD8,SpykerD8PekingToParis,SpykerSquadron ]

Spyker bankruptcy rumors abound

Could it be that running a Formula 1 program might be more expensive than Spyker thought? Or perhaps the F1 team is the more profitable part of the equation? The little Dutch sports car maker that has been fielding an F1 team this season is rumored to be on the brink of bankruptcy. We've heard these rumors before but gave the company the benefit of the doubt because we have also reported increased sales counts to counteract them, but so many outlets are reporting about their troubles that we felt it irresponsible not to report them this time.

For its part, Spyker took the bold step of asking financial services watchdog AFM to investigate because its stock price plummeted 12-percent after the latest round of newspaper reports, and the whole day of trading ended up being reversed. So maybe these are just rumors after all, but sometimes it's hard to fight against bad publicity. GP Update had reported about the companies initially asking Spyker to file bankruptcy. Dutch News reported about the bankruptcy reports, stock drop and ensuing investigation and reversal. Forbes reported about the reversal as well. GrandPrix.com is focusing on the fact that the F1 team seems to be caught in the middle of the whole thing, with conflicting reports that the production car division is tapping into the F1 budget. We'll keep an eye out for more info as it becomes available.

Thanks for all the tips, folks!

[Sources: GP Update, Dutch News, Forbes, GrandPrix.com]

[ Via: Autoblog (Spyker) ]
[ Tag: Spyker bankruptcy, SpykerBankruptcy ]

Spyker slaps name on consumer electronics

If Ferrari can lend its name to an outrageously expensive phone, why can't Spyker rent out its logo to a line of consumer electronics? And that's what they've done, with not just one mobile phone, but three. And three MP3 players, two mobile video players and two USB memory sticks.

You'd be right to expect Spyker-like prices, and the company doesn't disappoint. But we also associate unique design with Spyker and, well, except for those cool looking brushed-metal memory devices, this line of badge-engineered electronica screams cheap, not charismatic.

The video player above costs €249 (about $352), while the phone at right will set you back €299 (about $422). On the other hand, those two memory sticks each hold 2gb apiece and only cost €49 (about $70).

Click on either image to go to Spyker's Web site where you can download a PDF with complete stats on this new line of gadgets.



[ Via: Autoblog (Spyker) ]
[ Tag: spyker consumer electronics,spyker gadgets,spyker mp3 player,spyker phone,SpykerConsumerElectronics,SpykerGadgets,SpykerMp3Player,SpykerPhone ]

Officially Official: Spyker F1 team sold

After losing 13m euros in the first half on 2007 and making limited progress in this season's championship bout, Spyker has finally decided to offload its F1 team to a consortium of Indian investors. Orange India Holdings, headed by Vijay Mallya, chairman of the UB Group, purchased the company for 88m euro -- 14m euros more than Spyker initially paid for the team last year.

Rumor has it that with Mallya heading up the team, Narain Karthikeyan, an Indian test driver for Williams, may take the helm of the newly founded F1 team next season. Something that would really draw out the crowds if India hosts a race in 2009.



[ Via: Autoblog (Spyker) ]
[ Tag: f1,formula 1,formula one,Formula1,FormulaOne,narain karthikeyan,NarainKarthikeyan,orange india holdings,OrangeIndiaHoldings,spyker,spyker f1 team sold,spyker formula one team sold,SpykerF1TeamSold,SpykerFormulaOneTeamSold,vjiay mallya,VjiayMallya ]

Spyker dropping C12, developing new SSUV and C8

It was simply a matter of time before the financial stresses ailing Spyker would filter their way down to product. The result is the unceremonious execution of the stillborn C12 LaTurbie and the Zagato edition. Killing off those two models enables Spyker to put more of its limited resources into two remaining models, the C8 and the upcoming Super Sport Utility Vehicle D12.

According to Spyker head Hans Hugenholtz, the C8 will remain as it's cheaper to produce and stands as the cornerstone of the ultra-niche automaker's turnaround efforts. That, and the introduction of the D12 SSUV, now delayed until the end of 2008, will hopefully return the firm to profitability.

The death of the C12 was a huge financial hit, as Spyker spent a considerable amount of cash and resources toying around with the VW-sourced 450 HP 6.0-liter W12 that now may find a home within the D12 SSUV.
[ Via: Autoblog (Spyker) ]
[ Tag: c12 laturbie,C12Laturbie,c8,d12 SSUV,D12Ssuv,spyker,zagato ]

Class Project: Spyker C69 design study

Spyker was looking like a bright young protege for a while. It had some great ideas, a beautiful vision for the future and unstoppable ambition. Then it finished school and stepped out in the real world, ran out of money, had to cancel some of its more expensive plans, take some less glamorous jobs, sell off some of its assets, take a new direction, and hunker down to the realities of running a small operation with limited resources. Fortunately for the Dutch niche automaker, a group of students has seen eye-to-eye with its situation and have offered a helping hand in the form of this intriguing concept.The C69 design study is (theoretically) equipped with two hybrid V6 engines (front and back) and bodywork straight out of Michael Bay's mind: one door scissors forward, the other rearward, and the front and rear shells tilt outwards. It's a slick little package, but we doubt Skyker would build it...at least not before paying off its student loans.Check out the dramatic video after the jump for extra credits, and have your student ID number ready.

[ Via: Autoblog (Spyker) ]
[ Tag: c69,concept,design,spyker,study ]

Spyker Cars signs letter of intent with ACI

Some of Spyker's financial woes may be in the process of being resolved, with the news that several investment firms are currently in talks with the ailing Dutch supercar manufacturer. A group of private investors known as ACI Ltd. have already signed a letter of intent with Spyker, causing stock prices to increase by almost 60-percent. Although rumors are swirling that another firm might buy up a majority stake in the automaker, Hans Hugenholtz, the interim CEO of Spyker, said that ACI's stake "won't exceed 30-percent."

More to follow as it develops.



[ Via: Autoblog (Spyker) ]
[ Tag: aci,spyker,spyker aci,SpykerAci ]

Enter the Rumormill: Spyker D12 to get American muscle

Good news all you power-hungry Spyker fans. Rumors are flying that the newly revived Dutch company is re-thinking the powerplants in its new C12 Zagato and D12 SUV. Instead of using VW's 6.0-liter W12, Spyker may be looking to U.S. manufacturers for its engines.

Three reasons could be driving the company to go American. One is purely financial. With the Euro worth about $1.50 right now, U.S. engines would be much cheaper than German ones. The second reason is output. VW is expected to end production of their W12 soon, and Spyker doesn't want to get caught with nothing under their hoods. The third reason is, again, output. Spyker's CEO Victor Muller has said the Audi V8 his company had once planned for use in the D12 SUV just isn't powerful enough with "only" 400 hp.

So what engines would be appropriate for Spyker? "Beleggers Belangen" quotes Muller as saying, "Look at the block in the General Motors Corvette: thick 500 hp. And from the V10 Dodge Viper: over 600 hp."

Dear Santa: We've been really good this year, but if you bring us a Viper-powered, Dutch-designed supercar with 600 hp we can't make any promises for next year.

[Sources: Autoblog.nl via Motor Authority]



[ Via: Autoblog (Spyker) ]
[ Tag: spyker,spyker american engines,spyker supercars,spyker suv,SpykerAmericanEngines,SpykerSupercars,SpykerSuv ]

Spyker courts European investors

If you're a regular reader here on Autoblog, it should come as no surprise that Spyker is in deep financial trouble. The exotic Dutch carmaker was forced to sell off its F1 team, cancel the production of the C12 Zagato supercar and even mortgage its own name.Never content to go quietly into the night, however, Spyker is on a campaign to raise funds. The latest endeavor has been to court European investors, but negotiations with Lichtenstein-based ACI recently fell through after an initial agreement was signed. According to reports, Spyker is now in negotiations with Snoras Group, a Lithuanian bank, to fund and potentially acquire stake in the Dutch automaker. Spyker says it has a few other possibilities on tap, and hopefully one of them will come through to rescue the company and its beautifully quirky automobiles.

[ Via: Autoblog (Spyker) ]
[ Tag: bank,dutch,financial,lithuanian,snoras group,SnorasGroup,spyker ]

Geneva '08 Preview: Spyker to unveil long-wheelbase C8

The current standard-wheelbase Spyker C8 LavioletteSpyker may be down, but it's not out. The Dutch exotic automaker has fallen on some hard times, but that's not going to stop it from moving forward with at least some of its plans. The C12 Zagato has been postponed indefinitely, but at the upcoming Geneva auto show in March, Spyker is expected to unveil an improved version of its existing C8 Laviolette.As wonderfully quirky as the current C8 is, owners complain of constricted space. In response Spyker has stretched the wheelbase, giving more space in the cabin while improving the vehicles proportions. The C8 Laviolette LWB will feature an elongated version of the current model's glass roofline. A long wheelbase Spyder version is expected to follow sometime thereafter, benefiting from a proper motorized convertible roof instead of the largely useless folding rag on the current short-wheelbase model. It's a small step forward for the ailing company, but a step forward nonetheless. Follow the jump for a video rendering of the upcoming C8 Spyder LWB doin' the turntable thing.

[ Via: Autoblog (Spyker) ]
[ Tag: auto show,AutoShow,c8,geneva,laviolette,long wheelbase,LongWheelbase,lwb,motor show,MotorShow,new,spyder,spyker ]

Geneva 2008: Spyker C8 Aileron

Making any car longer, particularly a sportscar, comes with penalties and concessions. But Spyker managed to circumvent them with the new C8 Aileron, which the eccentric Dutch automaker unveiled here in Geneva. Despite a ten-centimeter stretch in wheelbase, torsional rigidity has improved by a whopping 40-percent without adding extra weight to the C8's aluminum space frame. The same Audi V8 continues to deliver 400 horsepower as in the shorter C8 Laviolette, but is now offered for the first time mated to an automatic transmission, which Spyker hopes will help improve its sales and extract the company from its financial woes.The longer wheelbase of the C8 Aileron also means that Spyker will be able to produce a more functional convertible than the spyder it's offered in the past. In the meantime, a slew of new visual details are added to the already busy design along with the stretch, including some new vents and scoops drawn from the forestalled C12 Zagato. If you want more details, we've got the full press release for you after the jump, and a whole gallery of high-resolution images of the C8 Aileron from the floor of the Geneva Motor Show.

[ Via: Autoblog (Spyker) ]
[ Tag: geneva,geneva 2008,Geneva2008,long-wheelbase spyker c8,Long-wheelbaseSpykerC8,spyker c8,spyker c8 aileron,spyker geneva,SpykerC8,SpykerC8Aileron,SpykerGeneva ]

Spyker D12 SSUV to begin production in 2009

Like one of their exotics sitting impatiently on your driveway, Spyker isn't content sitting still, so the bean-counters will just have to keep up. Despite deep financial woes troubling the company, Spyker is forging ahead with new models. Following the announcement that the new long-wheelbase version of the C8 Laviolette would be hitting the show stand at Geneva, Spyker has reportedly confirmed that the radical D12 Peking-to-Paris SSUV, possibly with American muscle, will in fact begin production next year. This confirmation, however, has only been reported by one website that doesn't cite its source and claims the news comes from an investors conference at which Victor Muller, the President of Spyker's management board, made the announcement. Unfortunately, we could find no other evidence that Spyker itself has confirmed the D12 is headed into production.
The production of the exotic sport-ute would be part of Spyker's plan to expand into emerging markets in Eastern Europe where performance SUVs are valued most among the growing upper class. Meanwhile, because half of its sales are in the United States, Spyker is also forced to cave in to demand for an automatic transmission in the C8, which is also reportedly confirmed for the fall.

[ Via: Autoblog (Spyker) ]
[ Tag: automatic,d12,peking to paris,PekingToParis,production,spyker,ssuv ]

Spyker iPhone clone spotted

In case you didn't know, Spyker lends its name to a number of consumer electronics, including mobile phones, digital audio players and pocket video devices. You can visit www.connect4spyker.com to view the entire product line, where Spyker reminds you in tongue-in-cheek fashion that a matching car is available for each one.

The gadget guys over at CNET, however, were excited to find what looks like an Apple iPhone clone badged with Spyker's name at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain this week. It looks exactly like an iPhone, but has a numerical keypad squished at the bottom of its face around what would be the Home button. According to CNET, the editors of which didn't get a chance to try out the phone since it was locked inside a glass case, tell us that Spyker's clone appears to be a solid attempt at capturing the magic and pixie dust that went into the design of the original. One thing's for sure, though, we know someone at Apple reads Autoblog, so Spyker should be checking its mailbox for a letter from Steve's lawyers.



[ Via: Gizmodo ]
[ Tag: spyker iphone,spyker iphone clone,spyker phone,SpykerIphone,SpykerIphoneClone,SpykerPhone ]

Spyker and Lotus sign cooperative agreement

Lotus and Spyker have worked together on a variety of projects over the past four years, but today, they've announced a new partnership that will further solidify both automaker's technical and design prowess. As its name would imply, the "Parts and Platform Commonality Agreement" involves Lotus supplying both elements to Spyker, helping to build the Dutch supercar producer's new C8 Aileron and possible the D12 Peking-to-Paris SSUV. According to AutoCar, that could mean that future Spyker's could be based of the Lotus Esprit and that Lotus will increase its stake in the development of Spyker's cars.

[ Via: Autoblog (Spyker) ]
[ Tag: c8 aileron,C8Aileron,d8 peking-to-paris ssuv,d8 ssuv,D8Peking-to-parisSsuv,D8Ssuv,lotus,lotus spyker,LotusSpyker,spyker ]