LA 2008: Our Orange Crush is the Spyker C8 Laviolette LM85

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Spyker C8 Laviolette LM85The Spyker C8 Laviolette LM85, which we'll call "Tiger," is officially out and about. Spyker has released more images of the Audi-engined, 400-hp, 6-speed manual Le Mans-inspired road car, and to our eyes it could be the best looking Spyker we've seen. The blacked-out mirrors do it a lot of favors and don't remind us any more of carry handles, and it has even retained 19-inch wheels secured with one lug nut and will apparently get you a combined 15 mpg on the EPA cycle. Not bad for a leathered up race car. Check out the press release after the jump and the galleries of high-res shots in our galleries below.

[ Via: Autoblog (Spyker) ]
[ Tag: c8, c8 laviolette, c8 laviolette lm85, C8Laviolette, C8LavioletteLm85, coupes, la 2008, la auto show, la auto show 2008, La2008, LaAutoShow, LaAutoShow2008, sports cars, SportsCars, spyker, spyker c8 laviolette, spyker c8 laviolette lm85, SpykerC8Laviolette, SpykerC8LavioletteLm85 ]

Spyker D12 finally gets green light for production

You would think that with the economy in shambles and public opinion mounting against high-powered SUVs, the idea of creating a $300k exotic super-sport-utility would be a non-starter. You would think, but you'd be wrong, as the latest reports indicate that troubled Dutch niche automaker Spyker has finally given the green for its D12 Peking-to-Paris SSUV.The concept, which was designed by Michiel van den Brink (the same guy behind the 599 GTO project, among others), initially made its debut at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show, with a pre-production version bowing the following year. Power was initially tipped to come from a VW Group-sourced 500-hp W12 engine, but later reports suggested a switch to American V8 muscle (likely from GM or Ford). Development, meanwhile, may benefit from Lotus engineering input. Previous reports also suggested the D12 would hit production sometime next year, and indicated pricing now pegs the sticker at £186k, approximately $295,000 at today's rates. In order to remain viable, Spyker will need to bring the model to the American market, but the price is sure to be adjusted closer to $200k, still making it the most expensive and most exotic production SUV known to man.

[ Via: Autocar ]
[ Tag: exotic suv, ExoticSuv, spyker, spyker d12, spyker d12 peking to paris, spyker d12 ssuv, spyker suv, SpykerD12, SpykerD12PekingToParis, SpykerD12Ssuv, SpykerSuv ]

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 to build lightweight race-derived C8 LM 85

Take your exotic sports car and put it in a room with its racing counterpart. Put on some R&B, dim the lights and wait nine months. It's a winning formula that has worked for some of the world's best automakers and resulted in such stunning performance vehicles as the Ferrari 430 Scuderia, Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, Aston Martin DBS and Porsche 911 GT3 RS, to name just a few. Now Spyker is getting ready to cue up the Barry White with the upcoming LM 85.Named for the starting position of the Spyker C8 GTR2 racer at Le Mans, the LM 85 will be the latest race-derived, hardcore exotic sportscar. It will be based on the short-wheelbase C8 Laviolette, but lightened and tightened. Power could be as high as 450 horses, while the suspension is expected to be stiffened and weight removed to get a 0-100 km/h (0-60 mph) figure near 3.8 seconds and top speed bumping the 300 km/h (186 mph) mark. Only a highly symbolic 24 examples are expected to be built in an effort to bring the niche Dutch automaker back from the brink.

[ Via: Motor Authority ]
[ Tag: lm 85,Lm85,spyker,spyker c8,spyker c8 laviolette,spyker c8 lm 85,SpykerC8,SpykerC8Laviolette,SpykerC8Lm85 ]

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 ]