Spyker C8 Spyder (2000)
I recently had the chance to spend a
day with the Spyker C8 Spyder, which is about the strangest day you can spend
with an automobile. This is because the Spyker C8 Spyder is about the strangest
automobile I can fathom — and I mean that, quite honestly, in a good way.
I’m going to start with the basics on
what Spyker is for those of you who, like me, haven’t really been following the
world of ultra-small-volume manufacturers that build weird cars. Spyker is a
Dutch car brand, which, in itself, is a little odd. When I think of the Dutch,
I think of bicycles, tulips, massive sea control measures and politeness. Not a
car industry. But they have Spyker, and Spyker is primarily known for two
things: This car — the C8 Spyder — and an attempted buyout of Saab when General
Motors didn’t want Saab anymore.
The Saab situation almost bankrupted
Spyker, but they’re not dead. In fact, Spyker is still manufacturing the very
car I reviewed as a new vehicle — albeit with some nips and tucks and more
modern lines. But the same bones are there, and the bones are these: the C8
Spyder is a mid-engine sports car with a 6-speed manual transmission. Since
Spyker has only sold a few hundred of these in the world, of which maybe only a
few dozen are in the United States, they didn’t develop their own engine.
Instead, the C8 Spyder uses the 4.2-liter V8 from the original Audi R8, and it
makes between 400 and 600 horsepower, depending on which one you get. The one I
drove, the regular ol’ C8 Spyder, is right around 400.
So this is all a bit odd right off
the bat — Dutch brand, ultra-low volume, Audi engine — but it gets weirder. I
say this because a primary theme of the Spyker C8 Spyder is, in spite of the
fact that it’s a car, airplanes. This airplane theme is carried all throughout
the car, from the unusual fighter jet-style starter button to a series of
propeller designs that appear basically everywhere, to the original steering
wheel, which was designed to resemble a propeller. This steering wheel was
never offered in the United States, but it’s gorgeous, and everyone wants it.
And then there’s the car’s other
theme, which is aluminum. Here’s something incredible: aside from the seat
belts and the buckles, every single surface of the Spyker C8’s interior is made
from either leather or aluminum. Every single surface, no exceptions. Even the
footwells. All the gauges, switches, dials — they’re all aluminum, all
fashioned out of individual solid blocks of the stuff, and they all feel
substantial and satisfying to press.
But you can learn most of this stuff
if you watch the video, so I’m going to get into a little greater detail here
about the driving experience. Simply put, the Spyker is a mixed bag.
It is, quite honestly, very fun to
drive. You step on the accelerator and the V8 roars in a way that I bet Audi
didn’t even know it could. And when I say "step on the accelerator,"
I’m not giving the C8 its due. The engine roars when you simply tap the
accelerator, meaning that basic acts of driving, like moving up at a stop light
or edging forward to make a right on red are accompanied with a hilarious (and
highly welcome) automotive cacophony that will surely put a smile on your face.
In terms of sound, the C8 is not a mixed bag. I love it.
And it handles well, too. I was able
to drive the Spyker, albeit briefly, on some nice back roads north of San
Diego, and I had a great time putting it through corners. The steering is
direct and precise, with little vagueness, and it doesn’t feel like a
low-volume automotive effort from a company that just cobbled the thing
together in a backyard. Admittedly, it doesn’t quite feel like a modern car;
the Spyker I drove was 10 years old, and the steering just isn’t quite as sharp
as today’s top exotics, or even today’s pricier (non-exotic) sports cars like
the Mercedes-AMG GT and the Porsche 911. But it’s hard to fault the car for
being old. In the end, throwing it around corners, pressing the accelerator to
hear the noise — that’s what this car was made for.
What this car wasn’t made for is
straight-line speed. Back when it came out, 400 horsepower wasn’t all that
much, and it’s especially not a massive figure today. It’s quick and thrilling,
but its acceleration doesn’t really match its price tag — which can easily be
north of $200,000 in today’s market. I could live with the average
acceleration, but it’d be hard to live with the brakes: It takes an enormously
deep stab on the brake pedal to bring down the C8’s speed, almost like an
exotic car from the 1970s. I’m honestly surprised it ever left the factory with
brakes like this.
My other complaint: it’s just really
very sunny. The C8 has no trim at the top of its windows, meaning the glass is
just exposed to the sun — so the entire top half of the car is just glass and
sun. The owner told me the top is atrocious and not worth putting on, and the
car has no sun visors. If you’re driving it on a sunny day, bring a hat. And
sunglasses. And sunscreen. And you’ll still be covering your face with your arm
if you find the sun in front of you.
However, in my mind, the C8’s flaws
are relatively minimal, with the braking thing being its only real drawback.
And there’s another major benefit I haven’t yet addressed: the truly incredible
craftsmanship. Simply looking around this car — the interior, the exterior,
even in the trunk — you’re shocked by how many wonderful details, features and
touches they’ve placed in even the most out-of-the-way spots — like, for
example, how the gas cap is the Spyker logo. Or how even the seat controls —
which can’t really be seen — are aluminum. And then there’s the shift lever,
with its gorgeous design and its wonderful mechanical feel when you’re going
between gears. The Spyker is a car you want to drive, but it’s more a car you
want to look at; one of few vehicles you’ll want to have in your garage, so you
can just admire its quality and attention to detail more than you’ll want to
actually get behind the wheel.
Of course, you can drive it, too —
and you’ll be rewarded with a thrill. But only on cloudy days, so you aren’t
blinded. Only by yourself, since the exhaust is so loud you can’t talk to your
passenger anyway. And only if you plan ahead before you start putting on the
brakes. It’s the ultimate Point-A-to-Point-A car, best for short trips on a
Sunday morning where you give it a little exercise before pulling it back
inside your garage to stare at it.
Doug DeMuro is an automotive
journalist who has written for many online and magazine publications. He once
owned a Nissan Cube and a Ferrari 360 Modena. At the same time.
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