This beautifully engineered vehicle (so much so that one day after being unveiled at The British International Motor Show 2000 in Birmingham, this car won the Design Award for Specialist Low Volume Manufacturer) is the new Spyder C8 from Dutch company Spyder. By no means newcomers to the automotive field, the company originated in 1898, when Jacobus and Hendrik-Jan Spijker, coach builders in Amsterdam, pioneered their first Benz-engined motor car, and won immediate acclaim for the craftsmanship of their body work. Subsequently, the brothers registered their business under the name Spyker, written with a 'Y' for easier recognition in foreign markets.

Early Spyker vehicles included the 1903 60HP Grand Prix racer featuring the world's first six cylinder engine as well as permanent four-wheel drive, with Spyker models enjoying particular success in Britain and the Dutch East Indies. The last Spyker cars were built in 1925, after which the company, in it's previous incarnation, ceased trading. Its racing and aviation heritage is now passed on to the new Spyker C8 car.

The re-introduction of the Spyker name is by no means a sentimental and retrospective attempt to recreate old glories. The C8 is an advanced mid-engined two-seat sports car, characterised by its lightweight construction and the purity of its design, with an uncompromising engineering package developed from scratch.

The ultra-stiff chassis is manufactured from aluminium sheet and extrusions and is clad with hand-crafted aluminium body panels, in line with the original design drawings of Maarten de Bruijn who built the first Spyker prototype during the nineties. The car not only features front-hinged tilting doors with an extremely strong and lightweight single point aluminium hinge (patent pending), but also fully-opening front and rear body sections which reveal the C8's delectable engineering details. These include fully-adjustable, independent front and rear suspension in stainless steel with unique Spyker-made components.

Massive 14 AP disc brakes with 6-pot callipers provide stopping power for the car which is propelled by Audi's state-of-the-art 4.2 litre all-aluminium V8. This is arguably the most compact and reliable engine of its kind, featuring high-tech details such as 5-valve configuration. In the C8 it is mated to an Audi 6-speed transaxle powering the rear wheels.

The whole concept conjures up Spyker's goal of active competition at Le Mans and other endurance races in the very near future. For this purpose, the Spyker C8 GT 3 featuring a stunning closed body, will be introduced in the spring of 2001. The finish and final specifications of each unit will be tailored to meet the personal taste and ergonomic requirements of the owner/driver who will be seated in tailor-made quality seats.

The Spyker C8's personality is further enhanced by a number of unusual and eye-catching interior features. Most noticeable, perhaps, on entering the car are the dashboard and instrument panel. The design of the instrumentation is reminiscent of those found in aircraft, reflecting the Spyker company's aviation heritage.

Once seated behind the controls, drivers will appreciate the remarkable design of the gear lever, so shaped to highlight the unusual shift pattern that adds to the uniqueness of this motor car. The Spyker C8 also features a unique in-house designed decentralised wiring system, which combines simplicity with reliability and uses self resetting fuses throughout (patent pending). Luxury and performance are further encapsulated in a number of other interior features, such as the tasteful incorporation of aluminium design elements as well as the exclusive Connolly leather trim executed by specialists Anderson & Ryan.