Spyker C8 Aileron: Art on Wheels

Spyker is not a car company. It is a jewelry company that accidentally makes cars. Based in the Netherlands, Spyker resurrected a 100-year-old aviation brand (their motto is Nulla Tenaci Invia Est Via - “For the tenacious, no road is impassable”). The C8 Aileron is their most refined creation. It is not the fastest car in the world. It doesn’t care about Nürburgring lap times. It cares about being beautiful.

Design: Aviation Everywhere

• The Air Intakes: They are shaped like jet engine turbines.
• The Wheels: The “Rotorblade” wheels are shaped like turbine blades.
• The Body: The entire body is hand-formed superplastic aluminum. There are no bumpers. Just smooth metal.
• The Roof: It has a glass roof with a massive air intake scoop, a nod to WWI fighter planes.

The Interior: Steampunk Heaven

The interior of a Spyker is unlike anything else.

• The Gearshift: The exposed gear linkage is the centerpiece. A solid rod of aluminum runs from the gear knob through the cabin to the transmission. You can see every mechanical movement as you shift gears. It is mesmerizing.
• The Dash: Turned aluminum (engine-turned) finish, like the Spirit of St. Louis.
• The Switches: Every switch is a heavy metal toggle.

The Engine: Reliable Heart

Under the exotic skin lies a sensible heart: the 4.2-liter Audi V8.

• Power: 400 hp.
• Pros: It starts every time, parts are available at an Audi dealer, and it sounds great.
• Cons: 400 hp is “slow” by supercar standards. But in a Spyker, you don’t want to go too fast; you want people to see you.

Value

The C8 Aileron was rare (less than 100 made). Today, they trade for $350,000 - $500,000. It is a car for the connoisseur who finds a Ferrari too common and a Lamborghini too vulgar.