2009 Spyker C8 Aileron Revealed in Geneva

Last year's Geneva show saw the introduction of Spyker's second-generation sports car, in prototype form. This year, the car is back in full production trim, as Spyker prepares for a full upgrade to its lineup. Deliveries of the C8 Aileron are set to begin in May.

Longer than the current C8 Laviolette, the C8 Aileron's conversation-starting sheet metal is wrapped around a 400 horsepower Audi 4.2 liter V8. Six-speed manual and automatic transmissions are available. The C8 Aileron boasts a claimed top speed of 187 mph (300 km/h) and a 4.5-second 0-60 sprint.

That's supercar territory, though it doesn't put the C8 Aileron at the top of the class. That's okay, though, because Spyker's buyers are interested in the car's styling as well as its performance, and nothing else quite resembles the C8 Aileron--unless it's the C8 Laviolette. The C8 Aileron retains Spyker's signature aircraft influence. As a thematic approach to its second-generation status, however, the propeller design motif has been replaced with turbines, representing the second generation of aircraft propulsion. A striking hand-tuned aluminum dash and classic aeronautical themes still dominate the interior. Scissor doors, a small rooftop air inlet and round air intakes in the flanks give the Aileron a unique look, while the longer body offers a more balanced look compared to the stubby C8 Laviolette.

After weathering some recent financial difficulties, Spyker hopes that the C8 Aileron will help to move the brand forward, and get the books back into the black.

Press Release

World Debut for the production version of the Spyker C8 Aileron at
the Salon International de l'Automobile in Geneva

Zeewolde, the Netherlands, 3 March 2009 - Spyker Cars, manufacturer
of exclusive premium sports cars since 2000, today proudly introduces
the production version of its all-new second-generation sports car:
the Spyker C8 Aileron, the prototype of which was shown at Geneva in
2008.

Victor R. Muller, Spyker Cars' founder and Chief Executive Officer
said on the occasion of the unveiling: "When we unveiled the C8
Aileron prototype here last year, we wanted to make a clear statement
to the industry that Spyker was about to take the next step in its
short but intense history, by introducing its second-generation
sports cars, developed from scratch. Within a year we transformed
that prototype into the production-ready car we show here today. The
first cars are being built now with customer production and
deliveries starting in May 2009.

The C8 Aileron's design is heavily inspired by Spyker's aviation
heritage, as was the case with all previous models, but with a clear
emphasis on the second-generation aircraft propulsion: the turbine
rather than the propeller that adorned so many elements of the
first-generation cars. Similarly the "Aileron" name pays tribute to
that aviation heritage. It is the device that makes an aircraft turn
and symbolizes the turning point that the Aileron is for Spyker: the
car which will turn the company towards long-awaited profitability."