SPYKER

Spyker C8 Preliator XXV Coupe

A new chapter in Spyker history begins. The C8 Preliator XXV Coupe is unveiled.

Born from more than 120 years of craftsmanship, engineering and an unwavering belief that a car should be more than just a machine.

Dutch-based Spyker returned to Monterey Car Week with the unveiling of the C8 Preliator XXV Coupe. Refusing to build another soulless, digital hypercar, Spyker delivered an analog, mechanical masterpiece: an 800-horsepower twin-turbo V8 engine, a 6-speed manual transmission, no infotainment screens and an all-aluminum build.

Spyker has had a shaky existence. The original company, founded in 1880 as a carriage maker, transitioned to cars by 1900 but went out of business in 1926. Spyker was then revived in 1999 with a focus on ornate mid-engined supercars, but it has faced persistent financial issues, most recently filing for bankruptcy in 2021. But the Dutch automaker has returned once again, now unveiling its latest creation, the C8 Preliator XXV Coupé, at The Quail during Monterey Car Week.

Preliator Power...Spyker has long associated its brand with airplanes and Latin, as exemplified in its logo, which features a propeller coaxially mounted on a wheel, and with the phrase “Nulla Tenaci Invia Est Via” debossed along the lower radius—meaning “for the tenacious, no road is impassable.”

As for the car’s name, Preliator means “warrior” and XXV equals 25 in Roman numerals, a nod to the modern roots of the company that began in 2000 and the announcement of this vehicle in 2025.

Powering this tenacious Dutch warrior is a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 sourced from Audi, producing a claimed 800 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque. Spyker says the car will top out at 217 mph. But unlike most modern supercars, the C8 Preliator XXV features a manual transmission.

“A six-speed Graziano manual gearbox, and I mean a real ‘manuale’ gearbox transmission,”says Muller, taking an obvious shot at the recently announced Ferrari 12 Cilindre Manuale, whose gated, shift-by-wire electronic “manual transmission” has sent more than a few enthusiasts into a doom spiral.

“When you are actually shifting the gearbox and you make a mistake, you blow up your engine, because that's what we think a manual gearbox is all about, “ says Victor, with a twinkle in his eye.

This is not the first time Spyker has used the C8 name. The C8 was the modern Spyker’s first production model, and entered its third generation in 2016 as the C8 Preliator. While Spyker claims that the new C8 Preliator XXV is “an entirely new automobile” that was “conceived from a clean sheet of paper,” the styling is suspiciously similar to the last Preliator.

That’s no bad thing, however. The handmade aluminum body is curvaceous and adorned with gleaming rose gold accents. As always, Spyker draws inspiration from the world of aviation, such as with the taillights that emulate fighter-jet afterburners. Grilles on the front and rear ends wear an intricate mesh, NACA ducts are carved into the bodywork in the front bumper and rear fender, and a vent is set deep in the hood between the ovoid headlights, which include LEDs that spell out XXV. The biggest change stylistically versus the previous C8 Preliator is the new tail fin, which pokes up from the back of the roof scoop.

The image above shows details of the fuel filler caps on the Spyker C8 Preliator XXV supercar, highlighted by rose-gold finishes and the Dutch brand's classic Latin inscription (*Nulla Tenaci Invia Est Via*) engraved on the structure. Inspired by classic aviation, the supercar showcases elements of automotive jewelry and machined aluminum.

The C8 has long borrowed V-8 engines from Audi, and the latest Preliator maintains that tradition, employing a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 from Audi that produces 789 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of torque. That’s almost double what the original, naturally aspirated C8 produced back in 2000.

This engine is mated to a six-speed manual transmission that directs power exclusively to the rear wheels. Spyker claims a zero-to-62-mph time of 2.9 seconds and a top speed of over 217 mph.

The curb weight is listed at 3147 pounds, and the C8 Preliator rides on unequal-length control-arm suspension at all four corners. Its 15.0-inch front brake rotors are clamped by Brembo four-piston calipers, while four-piston units are paired with 14.0-inch rear discs.

The C8 Preliator continues the old-school mentality inside, where the only digital display is a head-up unit, with no other screens present. The aluminum dashboard houses a bevy of analog gauges, buttons, and switches, and the rose gold accents continue inside, paired with acres of rich quilted brown leather called Tuscan Saddle. And of course, Spyker has retained the exposed gear linkage that has been present in the C8 from the beginning.

Every exterior panel on the C8 Preliator is formed by hand, and Spyker says this approach means that building a car takes 800 hours. Spyker says it will only build 25 examples of the C8 Preliator XXV Coupé. There’s no word on price, but given the decadent design and hand-built approach, we have to imagine the latest C8 Preliator is not cheap.

Specifications:

Engine: 4.0L twin-turbo V8 from Audi that produces 800 hp and 1,000 Nm of torque

Transmission: 6-speed manual transmission that sends power exclusively to the rear wheels

Performance: 0–100 km/h in 2.9 seconds, with a top speed of more than 350 km/h

Aluminum body, vehicle weight 1,525 kg

Analog cockpit: No touchscreens - just analog dials, switches, stitched Tuscan Saddle leather and pink evil details

Exclusivity: Strictly limited to just 25 units worldwide, requiring 2,100 hours of manual work per car

Autonews