Description
The exclusive Spyker C8 Laviolette offered here is build number '186' of 250 made and one of only 50 hardtops. Originally sold by main dealers Broughtons - Spyker of Cheltenham, it was driven up the hill at the 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed by Hans van Rennes, Vice President of Spyker. Exceptionally well optioned with Full service history and only 7, 500 miles from new.
With the relaunch of Spyker this year at The Quail showcasing the new C8 Preliator with a reported starting price of £1. 5m, this Spyker C8 proves to be exceptional value. The Spijker brothers, who founded the company in Holland in 1880, were involved in building carriages before moving on to automobiles. In 1903, Spyker introduced their 60 horsepower racer, notable for being the first four-wheel-drive car with a six-cylinder engine and four-wheel brakes. This car participated in events like the Blackpool races in 1904 and the Birmingham race in 1906, while Spyker also competed in the Peking to Paris race in 1907. Spyker's slogan, Nulla tenaci invia est via (for the tenacious, no road is impassable), reflects their adventurous spirit.
After a period of focusing on road car development, Spyker re-entered motor sport with the Spyker Squadron, their factory racing team. The team competed in GT events, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Le Mans Series, and the FIA GT Championship. They ran the Spyker C8 Spyder in a programme of 10 GT events in 2006, including Le Mans, where they finished 5th in their class in 2005.
In 2006, Spyker acquired the Midland F1 team, making their entry into Formula 1. The team was named Spyker F1 for the 2007 season. Despite a short tenure, Spyker's F1 team scored one championship point, achieved by Adrian Sutil at the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix. The team was then sold to a consortium and renamed 'Force India' for the 2008 season.
Following the introduction of the award-winning C8 Spyder at the Birmingham Motor Show in October 2000, the second model to appear four months later was the C8 Laviolette, which made its debut at the AutoRAI in 2001. The Laviolette takes it name from the Belgian engineer Joseph Valentin Laviolette, who was responsible for developing the first Spykers in the early 1900s, including the aforementioned 60 horsepower racing car.
This elegant mid-engined coupé with its glass canopy, reminiscent of modern jet fighters, features the uniquely styled and functional Spyker air inlets, so characteristic of the C8 Spyder. Another air inlet is located in the C8 Laviolette's roof panel, feeding air into the engine bay. To a great extent the C8 Laviolette follows the mechanical design of the C8 Spyder, including its fully adjustable stainless steel suspension. The all-aluminium naturally aspirated Audi 90-degree V8 engine (Type S8) features four overhead camshafts, five valves per cylinder, and stainless steel 4-into-1 high-performance exhausts on either side. It displaces 4, 172cc and produces a maximum of 400bhp, which is good enough for a top speed of 306km/ h (190mph) and a 0-100km/ h (0-60mph) time of 4. 2 seconds. The transmission incorporates a manual six-speed gearbox without electronic intervention.
The hand-built aluminium spaceframe chassis is clad in aluminium panels, while the fully adjustable Formula 1-style suspension features inboard Koni shock absorbers and uprights CNC-machined from solid billets of aluminium. Other notable features include an underbody shaped for aerodynamic ground effect; electrically operated single-hinge tilting doors; Connolly leather interior; and a luggage compartment in rear.
Stopping power is provided by a twin-circuit braking system with ABS and adjustable brake balance. There are six-piston aluminium brake callipers at the front and four-piston aluminium brake callipers at the rear gripping ventilated brake discs: 356/ 330mm front/ rear.
This very highly specified Spyker C8 Laviolette has the following options:
Black Chronoswiss dials (€50, 000 option and only 1 of 12 Spyker's to feature)
Dark tinted roof panels with roof scoop
Propeller steering wheel
Aluminium dashboard
iPhone/ iPod stereo integration
Aeroblade wheels with centre locks
Spyker logo on headrests
Sport/ whisper exhaust
Wide body specification
Four-vent air conditioning
Quilted leather/ Alcantara interior
Xenon headlights
AP Racing brakes
Adjustable F1-style independent inboard Koni suspension
Chassis number on sills
Official Spyker indoor car cover
Original complete tool kit
Spyker inspired registration plate included
Original aluminium book pack including owner's manual and service book
There are six stamps in the service booklet commencing on 3rd February with Broughtons of Cheltenham, while the most recent service was carried out by Aston Martin Leeds on 19th June 2026 at 7, 484 miles. The car also comes with a UK V5C Registration Certificate and a copy of Magneto magazine in which it features (issue 16, celebrating 100 years of Spyker in 2022).
