Spyker C8 Spyder GT2-R

Another beautiful car that did a short stint in ALMS. They have a closed- and an open-top version. They come complete from the factory but have never done too well in competition. They premiered at the 12 hours of Seabring in 2002 and crashed out. Since then reliability has been an issue.

This year they bought Midland F1 and sold a GT2-R to Speedy Racing Team. The Spyker Squadron cars and the Speedy Spyker are all in the FIA Le Mans Series. The cars this year are all closed top and they feature a wider intake still distinctively placed above the cockpit.

Race 1:

At the 1000KM of Monza, the Speedy Spyker took seventh in GT2, three laps back. Spyker Squadron only ran one car and it did not finish despite completing all but twenty-nine laps.

Race 2:

At the Valencia 1000KM Speedy took eighth, ten laps back. Squadron was in sixth with fifteen minutes left and lost all engine power, finishing ninth but stranded on the grass.

So they are definitely faster this year, right?

Le Mans Test: 3 June 2007

Both of the Spyker Squadron cars were a disappointing eight seconds off pace. We'll see how they do in qualifying. The two extra drivers necessary for the 24 hour race are the two drivers for Speedy (below). So all of Spyker's GT2 forces will be together and pushing this year and I hope one finishes well.


Why this post on Spyker? Because Spyker road cars are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. For a company that's only been around since 1999, and only available for North American markets since 2005, racing two F1 cars, two GT2 cars, and helping a third GT2 car may be a bit too ambitious. By owning an F1 team their name is now household, but how long can they keep this up? It's not like they're winning. I wish them all the best though. Nulla tenaci invia est via - For the tenacious no road is impassable.

Photographs by Dan Trotter.net and termietermite.