2008 Spyker C12 Zagato
One-of showcar built during one of Spyker’s most ambitious periods. The car was built by Coventry Prototype Panels using CAD data from both Zagato and Spyker. It was first displayed at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show. Despite a planned production, only one car was produced.
Press Release.
Geneva, Switzerland, 6 March 2007 – Victor Muller, CEO of Spyker Cars, and Andrea Zagato, CEO of Zagato, today unveiled the Spyker C12 Zagato at the 77th Geneva International Motor Show. Norihiko Harada, Zagato’s Automotive Chief Designer, and Muller co-operated closely to design this limited edition of 24 sports cars to be delivered from March 2008 onwards. The world premieère of this ultra-exclusive version of the C12 range celebrates Spyker’s entry into the world of Formula One and marks the first integration of design elements and styling cues from the Spyker F8-VII Formula One car into the Spyker road car range. This point was underlined by the unveiling of the car being performed by Spyker’s Formula One race driver, Adrian Sutil.
Zagato established its name by designing exquisite cars for Lancia, Alfa Romeo and Ferrari in particular, but it is probably the Aston Martin DB4 Zagato that best represents the artistic expertise of what they do. Andrea and I agreed to meet each other in Arese and to define what a Spyker Zagato would have to embody. In view of market demand, it was decided to use Spyker’s flagship chassis, the C12, as a basis – its space-frame being exceptionally suitable for crafting a bespoke body onto.”
After the initial design meeting in July 2006, it became apparent that Spyker would succeed in acquiring the Midland Formula 1 team and design activities were suspended until early October when that transaction had been consummated. “With the F1 team part of the Spyker Group it was decided that the C12 Zagato should embody as many of the Formula 1 design cues as practically possible so as to set a new design vision for future Spyker road car models.”
In the months following, Spyker and Zagato finalized the design and the manufacturing of the C12 Zagato was entrusted to Spyker’s long time fabrication partner, Coventry Prototype Panels in Coventry, UK. Under the guidance of Brendan O’Toole, CPP’s Managing Director, and Étienne Beijersbergen van Henegouwen, Spyker’s Project Manager, the vehicle was built by a dedicated Spyker and CPP crew from aluminium in an amazing 4 weeks.
Spyker C12 Zagato: the vehicle
The Spyker C12 Zagato is an all aluminium rear wheel drive sports car, based on the Spyker C12 Spyder. The C12 is powered by the 6.0 liter, 12 cylinder, 500 bph W12 engine from Volkswagen AG and accelerates from 0-100 km (0-60 mph) in 3.8 seconds. The Spyker C12 Zagato is equipped with a six-speed manual or automatic gear box with F1 style shifting, Chronoswiss instruments and a Zagato designed full leather interior with brushed aluminium instrument panel. The C12 Zagato has an aluminium body with stainless steel roof rails and has many F1 derived design details such as an F1 nose, air scoop, chimneys, mirrors, rain light, fuel flap and diffuser. It has a panoramic roof that features the Double Bubble, a typical Zagato style element. The Spyker C12 Zagato has a length of 4.5 m, a width of 2.02 m excluding mirrors, a height of 1.25 m and weighs 1480 kg. The fuel tank capacity is 70 litres (15.4 gallons). Top speed is 310 km/h (193 mph).
“The Spyker and Zagato Atelier brands perfectly align because of their common aeronautical origins and because of the shared passion of Victor Muller and myself for sports cars” states Andrea Zagato. “Nevertheless Victor, before starting this extraordinary adventure with Spyker, was a Zagato collector owning cars like the Flaminia SS and TZ. Together with our neo-classical approach, this Spyker C12 Zagato shows the capabilities of Zagato Atelier for innovative and non conventional solutions.”
Norihiko Harada, designer of the new Spyker C12 Zagato, adds: “All Spyker cars have their own very unique style: the aeronautical retrospective style co-exists with craftsmanship and elegance. The new Zagato body becomes even more unique, aggressive and sensual at the same time. It features a new double bubble panoramic roof , F1 influenced nose and air intakes, chimney and a “coda tronca”, the typical Zagato cut off tail end.
Maintaining Spyker’s styling philosophy, Zagato design put all these elements together and created an extremely stimulating example of contemporary exotic high performance sports car by using typical modern Zagato lines which started from the Raptor Zagato in 1996.”
In Detail
| submitted by | Richard Owen |
| type | Concept / Prototype Car |
| released at | 2007 Geneva Motor Show |
| built at | Zeewolde, Holland |
| body stylist | Zagato |
| coachbuilder | Coventry Prototype Panels |
| production | 1 |
| price $ | $ 650,000 |
| price €/td> | €495,000 |
| engine | Audi W12 |
| position | Mid Longitudinal |
| aspiration | Natural |
| valvetrain | 5 Valves per Cyl |
| displacement | 5988 cc / 365.4 in³ |
| power | 372.9 kw / 500.1 bhp |
| specific output | 83.52 bhp per litre |
| bhp/weight | 337.91 bhp per tonne |
| torque | 600 nm / 442.5 ft lbs @ 6500 rpm |
| body / frame | Aluminium Riveted Body over Aluminum Space Frame |
| driven wheels | RWD w/Limited Slip |
| front tires | 27/65-18 |
| rear tires | 27/68-18 |
| front brakes | Ventilated & Grooved Discs w/6-Piston Calipers, ABS |
| rear brakes | Ventilated & Grooved Discs w/4-Piston Calipers, ABS |
| curb weight | 1480 kg / 3263 lbs |
| wheelbase | 2680 mm / 105.5 in |
| front track | 1574 mm / 62.0 in |
| rear track | 1728 mm / 68.0 in |
| length | 4505 mm / 177.4 in |
| width | 2031 mm / 80.0 in |
| height | 1250 mm / 49.2 in |
| transmission | 6-Speed Manual |
| top speed | ~313.8 kph / 195 mph |
| 0 – 60 mph | ~3.7 seconds |
| designers | Norihiko Harada |
