The Spyker C8 Preliator is a beautiful car in just about every way imaginable, but then I’m a sucker for well-crafted, boutique automobiles.
There’s something old-school and fascinating about a car that was created through the collaboration of a small, highly-skilled team. Nothing about such a vehicle is decided in a corporate board room, instead it’s more about the deep love of the automobile.
For all these reasons, I’ve also been a fan of Spyker for quite some time. When the company tried to save Saab, then went under itself, that was a dark time. Thankfully, the Dutch automaker was able to emerge from the ashes.
The result of this rebirth is the Spyker C8 Preliator. It’s a reminder of why companies like Spyker should exist.
From first glance, there’s no mistaking the C8 Preliator for anything other than a Spyker. It carries the brand’s DNA setting the car apart from Ferraris, Lamborghinis and the like.
Some flourishes hearken way back, like the radiator grille. It’s patterned after Spykers from the early 20th century, certainly a fine mixture of new and old.
There’s a commonality between Spyker and Saab. Both pay heavy tribute to airplanes. Little details on the exterior of the Spyker C8 Preliator hint at this, including small ailerons or wings on the side sills for better aerodynamics. The rear roof looks like an aircraft canopy and is even designed to minimize drag.
NACA duct intakes also pay homage to the aeronautical roots, along with the propeller hood badge. Like other Spykers before it, the car rides on wheels inspired by aircraft. The company calls the layout Rotorblade, and they’re patterned after turbine blades in modern jet engines.
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Spyker designed the C8 Preliator to look like a jet without wings. Admittedly, it’s sleek and muscular, making the car intimidating. 3D LED taillights, which look similar to the propelling nozzles on jets, add to the persona. They even glow to mimic the aircraft design.
If you have a real eye for details, the C8 Preliator won’t disappoint. Etched into the lip of the exhaust pipes is the name “Spyker” and a phrase in Latin “Nulla Tenaci Invia Est Via.” Translated that’s”For the tenacious, no road is impassible.”
Just getting into the Spyker C8 Preliator is fun, thanks to the single-hinged scissor doors. The interior has many throwback designs, again paying tribute to legacy automotive and aeronautical features.
Plastic is almost completely nonexistent. That really sets Spyker’s approach apart. Instead, gauge bezels are made of aluminum, as are the switches. Quilted leather is just about everywhere, which definitely adds to the luxurious feel.
One of the most entertaining features is the ignition switch. You must flip up a red cover to access it, like on an airplane. Then the dash lights up and the car goes through a “pre-flight check.” The gauges all glow a soft green, while warning lights are a soft yellow.
The gear selector is also unique. Not only has Spyker stuck with a manual transmission, the gear change mechanism is exposed. The inspiration for this design came from, that’s right, early aircraft. There is no other car in the world with anything even remotely like it, other than fellow Spykers.
Technology isn’t absent in the Spyker C8 Preliator. For example, there’s a head-up display, like in a growing number of modern cars. It has a throwback design, and you can use it for navigation.
Don’t think of the Spyker C8 Preliator as just a pretty face. Sure, it looks great inside and out, but serious performance backs everything up. The rear-mid 4.2-liter V-8 engine hits hard with 518 horsepower. It gets the car moving fast, going 0 to 62 mph in just 3.7 seconds. Further, the top speed is well over 200 mph, putting this Spyker in a unique class of vehicles.
Lotus tuned the suspension, so handling should be impressive. The brakes come from AP Racing, which is also a positive sign. Curb weight comes in just over 3,000 pounds, and that should only help with a feeling of overall lightness and agility.
If you don’t see a C8 Preliator cruising down your neighborhood streets or at the local car meetup, cost could be the reason. Spyker says pricing starts at $354,900. All that top-shelf craftsmanship doesn’t come cheap.
Only 50 of these cars will be made. In other words, seeing one in person will be truly rare, and owning one an envied badge of honor.
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