Dutch automaker Spyker chose Monterey Car Week — which wraps up Sunday with the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance — to stage its comeback. The brand, known for its aviation-inspired design language, pulled the wraps off the C8 Preliator XXV, an 800-horsepower supercar that hands the driver three pedals and a shift lever instead of paddles.
The Spyker C8 Preliator XXV makes 800 horsepower from a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8
Just 25 units will be built, each requiring roughly 2,100 hours to assemble
Top speed clears 349 km/h
Pure Driving, No Compromises
This isn’t a warmed-over version of an existing model — it rides on an entirely new platform. Spyker engineered a new aluminum structure from the ground up while holding onto the aviation styling cues and obsessive craftsmanship that have defined its cars since the early 2000s.
At the heart of the machine sits a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 that makes 800 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. But what really sets the Preliator XXV apart is that the driver has to row through the gears themselves — no paddles, no automated assist of any kind.
Driving in its purest form. It’s hard not to love that.
“You decide when to shift. You feel every gear change in your hand. And if you make a mistake, well, you bear the consequences,” said Victor Muller, Spyker‘s founder and CEO.
The car packs a few other unconventional design touches. The fuel tank, for instance, sits behind the seats and ahead of the engine — a layout lifted straight from the brand’s Le Mans race cars — while the trunk has been moved up front.
Roughly 2,100 Hours to Build Each Car
At a time when carbon fibre has become the default for exotic automakers, Spyker is sticking with aluminum. Every exterior panel is hand-formed in England, and the structure was engineered entirely in-house. One craftsman alone spends four hours stitching the steering wheel using two needles at once, and even the screw heads inside the cabin are hand-aligned to all face the same direction.
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An almost absurd level of attention to detail.
The aviation influence remains everywhere you look, from NACA ducts to taillights that echo fighter-jet afterburners to an aggressive tail fin inspired by the 1919 C1 Aerocoque. An aerospace-style grid pattern shows up throughout the car, from the grilles to the pedals.
This comeback is also backed by an investment from Volodymyr Nosov, now a co-owner of the brand, along with a partnership with European fintech group W Group. Spyker is also eyeing a D8 Peking-to-Paris SUV down the road, along with a possible return to GT3 endurance racing.
One thing’s for sure: with this car, Spyker is guaranteed to get people talking — and to win over the purists.
