2001→2011 Spyker C8 Laviolette
The Spyker C8 Spyder was the first modern Spyker unveiled after Victor Muller reintroduced the brand in 2000. Unveiled at the Birmingham Motor Show in 2000, the stunning C8 Spyder was the highly successful first realisation of Muller’s vision of a company producing what no other automotive brand does: a beautiful supercar of utmost quality and craftsmanship with the performance to match its exquisite uncompromised interior and stunning exterior design. And the C8 Spyder sports direct references to the aviation heritage of the first trailblazing Spyker company of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At its launch it represented the start of an incredible journey and it remains an iconic supercar.
The Spyker C8 Laviolette fixed head coupe soon followed the C8 Spyder. Launched at the Amsterdam Motor Show in February 2001 and technically similar to the C8 Spyder, the C8 Laviolette is an elegant car which offers all the excitement of driving in a high power sports coupe – its glass canopy reminiscent of a modern jet fighter.
Spyker C8 Laviolette
Launched soon after the C8 Spyder, in 2001, the fixed-head C8 Laviolette provides similarly exceptional visibility and a ‘virtual open-air’ experience thanks to its glass roof construction. The design is deliberately intended to harness the unique styling lines laid down by the C8 Spyder.
The header rail, finished in polished aluminium, makes the car look longer and lower, giving it a powerfully low stance. The roofline is extended by the rear window, which gives the C8 Laviolette the same pure lines as the C8 Spyder. The exquisite intake duct in the roof feeds cool air into the engine bay and also enhances the jet fighter looks of the glass canopy.
The Laviolette name pays tribute to Joseph Valentin Laviolette, the Belgian engineer who was responsible for the development of the first Spyker models in the early years of the 20th century, including the spectacular Spyker 60HP, the world‘s first six-cylinder four-wheel drive car.
Large capacity V8
Power for the C8 Spyder and C8 Laviolette models is provided by a naturally aspirated 4.2-litre Audi petrol engine, which is also fitted in Spyker’s new flagship C8 Aileron. This highly responsive 90-degree V8 power unit generates 400 ps at 6,800 rpm and an immense wave of torque with 480 Nm at just 3,500 rpm. Drive to the rear wheels is transferred through a manual six-speed Getrag gearbox.
With excellent power-to-weight ratios, both the C8 Spyder and C8 Laviolette accelerate from 0-to-100 kph in just 4.5 seconds and go on to reach a top speed of 300 kph.
Lightweight chassis
The short wheelbase models – so-called because the all-new Aileron boasts a longer wheelbase – feature a lightweight all-aluminium spaceframe structure. Although the C8 Laviolette is fractionally heavier than its open top counterpart (a mere 25 kilograms) it matches the impressive performance, agility and handling of the C8 Spyder.
Every short wheelbase Spyker C8 features fully adjustable suspension fabricated in stainless steel. To suit the wishes of its owner, a choice of ‘comfort’ and ‘competition’ set-ups is available, so the car can just as easily be configured for a long cross-country grand tour or a flat-out stint at the racetrack. This adjustability not only makes the iconic C8 supercars very versatile, it also reminds owners of the old days of motoring and racing, when many sportscar owners drove to the racetrack in the same car in which they competed.
Brakes, wheels and tyres
The C8 Spyder and C8 Laviolette are both fitted with a twin-circuit braking system with an adjustable brake balance, large diameter 356 mm (front) and 330 mm (rear) ventilated disc brakes, plus powerful six-piston aluminium brake calipers (front), four-piston aluminium brake calipers (rear).
Every Spyker shows its class in its details – as demonstrated by the standard and optional alloy wheels available for the short wheelbase cars. The 18-inch diameter ATS forged alloy rims feature single central locking wheel nuts and are fitted with 225/40ZR 18 (front) and 255/35ZR 18 (rear) tyres.
The optional magnesium 19-inch Aeroblade™ wheels not only look beautiful, they also enhance the car‘s performance. The special wheel design features the propeller motif from Spyker‘s logo and the streamlining and angle of the spokes helps to cool the brakes, while also improving aerodynamic properties of the car‘s ground effect.
Superbly comfortable
As appropriate for an all-aluminium, hand-built, mid-engined supercar with aerodynamic ground effect and electrically operated single-hinge tilting doors, the short wheelbase Spyker C8 cabin is superbly comfortable with a very special luxurious ambience. Leather is sourced from the Hulshof Royal Dutch Tanneries, renowned for high quality and the sensory soft-touch suppleness of their hides.
Both the C8 Spyder’s header-less windscreen and the C8 Laviolette’s glass canopy ensure excellent views of the outside world, while inside the Hulshof leather trimmed sport seats give excellent support and the adjustable steering column and pedal box ensure that a ‘perfect’ driving position can be achieved by all drivers. Close at hand, the gear shift selector which sits on the unique exposed transmission mechanism, is not only a beautiful design, but also delivers fast and accurate gearshifts.
The high-quality finish of the interior, with its leather trimming and aluminium detailing, underlines the performance-focused aviation-inspired design of the short wheelbase modern Spyker.
The dashboard finish and instrument gauges are a treat for the eyes and are exceptionally satisfying to the touch. The exquisitely detailed toggle switches provide visual clues to the racing heritage of this Spyker, while a dashboard designed by the renowned watchmaker Chronoswiss may be ordered as an option.
In Detail
| submitted by | Richard Owen |
| type | Series Production Car |
| production years | 2001 – 2011 |
| built at | Zeewolde, Holland |
| coachbuilder | Coventry Prototype Panels |
| engine | Audi 90º V8 |
| position | Mid Longitudinal |
| aspiration | Natrual |
| block material | Aluminum |
| valvetrain | DOHC 5 Valves per Cyl |
| fuel feed | Electronic Fuel injection |
| displacement | 4172 cc / 254.6 in³ |
| bore | 84.5 mm / 3.33 in |
| stroke | 93 mm / 3.66 in |
| power | 298 kw / 400 bhp @ 6800 rpm |
| specific output | 95.88 bhp per litre |
| bhp/weight | 307.69 bhp per tonne |
| torque | 480 nm / 354.0 ft lbs @ 3500 rpm |
| redline | 7500 |
| body / frame | Aluminum |
| wheel type | ATS LeMans |
| front tires | 225/40ZR18 |
| rear tires | 225/40ZR18 |
| front brakes | Ventilated & Cross-Drilled Discs w/6-Piston AP Racing Calipers |
| rear brakes | Ventilated & Cross-Drilled Discs w/4-Piston AP Racing Calipers |
| front wheels | F 45.7 x 20.3 cm / 18 x 8 in |
| rear wheels | R 45.7 x 25.4 cm / 18 x 10 in |
| f suspension | Double Wishbones w/Adjustable & Inboard Koni Dampers |
| r suspension | Double Wishbones w/Adjustable & Inboard Koni Dampers |
| curb weight | 1300 kg / 2867 lbs |
| wheelbase | 2575 mm / 101.4 in |
| front track | 1400 mm / 55.1 in |
| rear track | 1580 mm / 62.2 in |
| length | 4185 mm / 164.8 in |
| width | 1880 mm / 74.0 in |
| height | 1245 mm / 49.0 in |
| transmission | Getrag Six Speed Transaxle |
| top speed | ~300 kph / 186.4 mph |
| 0 – 100 kph | ~4.5 seconds |
| combined fuel econ eu | 13.3 L/100 km or 17.69 mpg-us |
| emission | 315 g/km |
| fuel capacity | 75 litres or 19.80 gal. |
Auction Sales History
2001 Spyker C8 Laviolette – sold for $247,500 Glass-roof coupe with only 130 original miles. One of two C8s ever finished in Azure Blue and the only one with the Azure over ivory color combination. The $226,040 MSRP included optional all-quilted leather interior, contrasting blue stitching, embroidered headrest logos, turned aluminum trim, battery charger and center-lock 19″ Aeroblade magnesium alloy wheels.
Standard features include 400hp 4.2L 40v Audi V8, handmade all-aluminum monocoquechassis and all-aluminum body, 2,805lb curb weight, Eibach/Koni F1 push-rod suspension, 6-piston 356mm front, 4-piston 330mm rear AP Racing brakes, limited slip differential and “Scissor” doors. 2009 model year C8s are extra desirable since they received an audio system for the first time, which runs off your iPod or iPhone, and were also updated with Bi-xenon headlamps and a LeMans developed functional Ram Air roof scoop feeding the engine. One-of-a-kind super car. Auction Source: 2012 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction
