Spyker officially reveals Le Mans-inspired C8 Laviolette LM85

It's been a winning formula for Ferrari: build a road car, then build a race version of that road car, and finally build a road version of the race car. Spyker has decided to try out the formula for itself and officially announced it will be building a road car inspired by its GT2R race car that is in turn based off the C8 Laviolette production car. Named the C8 Laviolette LM85, the Le Mans-inspired Dutch supercar features Audi's 4.2-liter V8 producing 400 horsepower, a 6-speed manual transmission, paint scheme from the GT2R race car, and an interior covered in black leather and alcantara. Other features include a carbon fiber rear spoiler, black powder coated alloy wheels and 6-piston brakes from AP Racing. The car will be on display at the LA Auto Show in November, so we will be sure to bring you additional photos. For now, check out the small gallery below, as well as a gallery of the GT2R race car. More information on the C8 Laviolette LM85 can be found in the press release after the jump.

[ Via: Autoblog (Spyker) ]
[ Tag: LA Auto Show, LaAutoShow, Spyker, Spyker C8 Laviolette, Spyker C8 Laviolette LM85, SpykerC8Laviolette, SpykerC8LavioletteLm85 ]

VIDEO: Spkyer's Adrian Sutil goes airborne

When practice for the Canadian GP wrapped up yesterday, Fernando Alonso had set the pace for the rest of the competitors, and after today's runs, it looks like Lewis Hamilton has secured his first pole. What caught our attention, though, was a video posted over at the Axis of Oversteer, showing Adrian Sutil, pilot of the Spyker F1 car, paying tribute to the marque's heritage of flight during Friday qualifying.
We're not going to make any comments about talent; we'll just let the video after the jump speak for itself. The Canadian GP begins tomorrow at 1 PM EST.


[ Via: Autoblog (Spyker) ]
[ Tag: adrian sutil,AdrianSutil,f1,formula 1,formula one,Formula1,FormulaOne,spyker ]

Spyker CEO steps down, F1 team could be on the block

Well, that was short-lived. Spyker announced yesterday that after the negative publicity surrounding the exotic automaker's credit worthiness, combined with its aim of staying afloat in the future, it may consider selling a portion, and possibly all, of its Formula One team.
Spyker's CEO, Michiel Mol, is currently contemplating buying the team, and as such, will be stepping down in order to avoid a conflict of interest. The company's vice-chairman, Hans Hugenholtz, will be taking the reigns as the acting CEO until a replacement for Mol is found.
The move comes as Spyker works to refinance its operational expenses, and although the automaker isn't keen on releasing all the details of the restructuring, you can find more information at their website, here.

[ Via: Autoblog (Spyker) ]
[ Tag: f1,formula 1,formula one,Formula1,FormulaOne,hans hugenholtz,HansHugenholtz,michiel mol,MichielMol,spyker ]

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 ]

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 ]

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 ]