Spyker has returned, and it has done so in exactly the sort of fashion you would expect from the eccentric Dutch supercar manufacturer.
Making its debut during Monterey Car Week, the new Spyker C8 Preliator XXV marks the beginning of what the company hopes will be a proper comeback. While Spyker describes the XXV as an all-new model, there is clearly plenty of familiar C8 DNA underneath its dramatic bodywork.
Whatever you want to call it, the important part is that Spyker is building outrageous, aviation-inspired supercars again.
Spyker’s Aviation Influence Is Everywhere
Aviation has always played a major role in Spyker’s design language, and the C8 Preliator XXV takes that theme even further.
NACA ducts feature prominently across the body, while the intricate alloy wheels have been designed to resemble aircraft propellers. At the rear, the circular taillights could easily pass for miniature jet afterburners.
A prominent central fin runs along the rear section of the roof, bringing together influences from both aircraft and motorsport.
The launch car makes an even bigger statement thanks to its Quail Green paintwork. The finish incorporates tiny rose-gold flakes, complemented by rose-gold detailing across the exterior brightwork.
Customers wanting something a little more restrained will be able to specify traditional aluminium finishes, although restraint has never really been the point of a Spyker.
Rose Gold And Exposed Mechanical Details Inside
The aviation theme continues inside, where the C8 Preliator XXV delivers the elaborate mechanical detailing that has made Spyker cabins so distinctive.
Rose-gold accents feature throughout the interior, including around one of the car’s best features: its exposed manual gearshift mechanism.
Yes, despite producing close to 800 hp, Spyker has retained a proper manual transmission.
In an era where almost every high-performance manufacturer has moved towards dual-clutch transmissions and electrification, the decision immediately gives the XXV something different.
Twin-Turbo Audi V8 Produces 789 HP
Sitting behind the cabin is an Audi-sourced 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 producing 789 hp (588 kW) and 1,002 Nm (739 lb-ft) of torque.
Those are serious numbers, particularly when paired with a manual gearbox.
Spyker claims the C8 Preliator XXV can accelerate from 0 to 96 km/h (60 mph) in less than three seconds before reaching a top speed of 349 km/h (217 mph).
That puts the XXV firmly into modern supercar territory despite its deliberately old-school approach to design, construction and driver involvement.
Is The C8 Preliator XXV Really All-New?
Spyker describes the XXV as an all-new model, although its relationship with previous versions of the C8 Preliator is difficult to ignore.
There appears to have been substantial development beneath the surface, but the basic recipe remains wonderfully familiar: hand-built bodywork, an exotic V8 engine, a manual transmission and one of the most unconventional interiors in the business.
In many ways, that is exactly what a new Spyker should be.
The company doesn’t need to reinvent what made its cars interesting in the first place. It simply needs to bring that formula into the modern supercar era.
Just 25 Examples Will Be Built
Production will be extremely limited, with Spyker planning to manufacture just 25 examples of the C8 Preliator XXV.
Pricing has not been formally detailed, but reports suggest a car in the specification shown at Monterey could cost around $1.6 million (approximately R25.84 million).
That makes the XXV significantly more expensive than earlier C8 models, but exclusivity is unlikely to be an issue when only 25 buyers need to be found worldwide.
Spyker Has Bigger Plans
More importantly, the C8 Preliator XXV is apparently only the beginning.
Spyker intends to revive its long-planned D8 Peking-to-Paris Super SUV, a project that has been discussed in various forms for years.
The Dutch manufacturer also wants to return to GT3-level motorsport, potentially bringing the Spyker name back to international racing.
We’ve heard comeback plans from Spyker before, so getting cars into customers’ hands will ultimately matter more than ambitious announcements. Still, seeing a new manual V8-powered Spyker unveiled in 2026 is a promising start.
If the C8 Preliator XXV can attract enough buyers, one of the automotive world’s most unusual manufacturers might finally be ready for another chapter.
