Spyker - Beyond the Batmobile - The Ultimate Sports Car!

A Dutch Car Maker of Super Cars - Former Airplane Manufacturer

It was love at first sight when I first saw the Spyker. The Spyker is a "super car" - an elite speed machine engineered with artistic flair from every possible angle - inside and out. The Spyker is THE only car that is beyond the Bat mobile for me! Look at the exquisite detailing, look at the crafted angles, look at the interior design - there simply are not compatibles for this super car - this is the ultimate of all super cars.

The Fairy Tale From Even Longer Before - From the Same Country as Van Gogh and Rembrandt

And the fairly tale should come as no surprise - the Dutch have brought us fine artwork for centuries - even before the Golden Carriage. For you see, Spyker is Dutch - this remarkable automobile called the Spyker and the idyllic "Golden Carriage" - are both from the very same country that produced great artists such as Van Gogh and Rembrandt.

One look at the extreme artistry - there is no surprise - the artistry must be in the genes!

The Fairy Tale From Long Ago - The Golden Carriage

Spyker also is the manufacturer of another dream vehicle - the Golden Carriage - an exquisite Cinderella dream - a horse drawn gilded carriage still used even today by the Dutch royalty. The pictures below are truly fairly tale.  Stay tuned with us until the end and check out the royal golden carriage.

A Little History - Delayed Sale and Possible Assassination Attempt on Spyker Owner

The Saab sale to Spyker originally delayed due to investor ties with Russian Mafia - reported February 2010 by Fox news.

Whether true or not, the other piece of history that is interesting in a couple of month before, the owner had an attempted assassination.

Alexander Antonov, the owner of Dutch super car company Spyker was seriously wounded in an apparent assassination attempt while leaving his Moscow residence March 2009.

News Release World Debut of the Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder at the 2009 PebbleBeach Concours d’Elegance

"PEBBLE BEACH, California (15 August 2009) – Spyker Cars, manufacturer of exclusive, handcrafted sports cars since 2000, today introduced the first prototype of the Spyder version of its all-new second-generation sports car, the Spyker C8 Aileron. The Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder was unveiled at the Spyker lounge on Peter Hay Hill on Saturday, and subsequently displayed on the concept lawn at the 59th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on Sunday. Spyker Cars announced the development of a convertible C8 Aileron Spyder in March at the Geneva Auto Show, during the introduction of the production version of the Spyker C8 Aileron. The car presented today is the first prototype for the open-top model, scheduled to go into production in the first half of 2010. “Spyker Cars has taken the next step in our short but intense history with the launch of our second-generation sports car,” said Victor R. Muller, Spyker Cars’ founder and Chief Executive Officer. “We are currently presenting the first Spyker C8 Ailerons to customers, dealers and press around the world, and the response has been very enthusiastic.” “The C8 Aileron Spyder is a logical extension to our range of vehicles, since we have both hard-top and convertible versions of the short-wheelbase model,” said Muller. “The Aileron Spyder will offer open-top motoring along with all the usual Spyker characteristics, striking aviation-inspired styling and hand-crafted quality, based on the exclusive use of noble materials.”

The Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder

The Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder sports a high-quality, semi-automatic canvas soft-top. The roof’s operation is electric/hydraulic, secured by one central latch operated manually. Once folded, the soft-top is totally enclosed within the body of the car, allowing for an undisturbed profile. The roof retracts under an aluminium tonneau, with two buttresses upholstered in quilted Hulshof leather (matching the car’s interior) and featuring the company’s motto “Nulla Tenaci Invia Est Via” (“For the tenacious, no road is impassable”).

The soft top has a glass rear window and is available in eight colours. The Aileron Spyder features a luggage rack, CNC-machined from solid billets of aluminium, mounted immediately behind the roll hoops, on which a wing-shaped aluminium case is strapped. The case is trimmed in the same quilted leather as the interior and buttresses.

Spyker C8 Aileron: the new-generation Spyker

The Spyker C8 Aileron is an advanced mid-engine, two-seat sports car, featuring a longer wheelbase than Spyker’s existing sports cars, the C8 Laviolette and convertible C8 Spyder.

The Aileron is characterized by a distinctive design, lightweight all-aluminium body construction and an uncompromising engineering package. The Spyker C8 Aileron is handcrafted, using only the finest bespoke materials to create a unique automotive statement.

The Aileron features an all-aluminium V8 engine producing 400 bhp and generating 354 lbs of torque at 3,400 rpm. The engine is paired to a manual six-speed gearbox, driving the rear wheels via a limited slip differential. For the first time, Spyker is offering an optional automatic transmission on the C8 Aileron. The Aileron delivers a top speed of 300km/h (187 mph) and accelerates from standstill to 60 mph in a mere 4.5 seconds.

Optional features include a turned aluminium dashboard fascia, elegant 19-inch directional rotor wheels, branded Rotorblade™, quilted leather detailing for the cockpit and Chronoswiss dashboard instruments. Additionally, complete custom and unique finishes are available for

the experienced connoisseur. Customers may also order a 5-piece Louis Vuitton luggage set exclusively made for Spyker.

Chassis

The Spyker C8 Aileron’s all-aluminium space frame was completely redesigned with the objective to increase torsional rigidity and to incorporate an all-new suspension system designed and supplied by Lotus. These characteristics provide an ideal foundation for enhanced vehicle dynamics.

Moreover, the C8 Aileron’s dimensions have been optimised for more interior space and to accommodate the optional automatic gearbox. Compared to the short wheelbase of the firstgeneration cars – the Spyker C8 Laviolette and C8 Spyder – the wheelbase of the C8 Aileron

is 150 mm longer, providing more driving comfort and stability at high speeds. Its front track has increased by 6.1 inches (155 mm). The total dimensions of the front and rear track are now 63.98 inches (1625 mm) and 64.76 inches (1645 mm) respectively, which improves roadhandling significantly.

Spyker has put tremendous effort in the spaceframe performance of the C8 Aileron, specifically the structure’s efficiency. The utilisation of modern finite elements and numerical optimisation methods has allowed Spyker’s engineers to arrive at an exceptionally stiff structure of 29.500Nm/degree. Rigid-node and load-path technology has been employed in order to ensure that the minimum amount of aluminium is used to achieve this performance, thus reducing the overall weight of the vehicle. The dynamic stiffness characteristics of the structure have been carefully tuned in order to minimise unwanted cabin noises and vibrations, which may otherwise detract from the driving experience. These technologies and measures have allowed Spyker to arrive at the most efficient chassis in its history and certainly one of the best in class. Design The design of the hand-crafted Spyker C8 Aileron and Aileron Spyder represents the latest evolution of Spyker’s signature architecture, which is heavily inspired by the company’s aviation heritage. In the first-generation cars, the propeller design was consistently applied to many elements of the vehicles. Within the design of the new Spyker C8 Aileron, the emphasis was shifted from the propeller propulsion to the turbine propulsion. As a result, for instance, the bright polished air inlets were converted into turbine-engine-shaped air scoops.

In order to enhance the aerodynamic performance of the car, several changes in styling were made. Most of the shark-like gills have been abandoned, which results in a cleaner, smoother appearance. The front end is now characterized by a larger grille that allows additional cooling. Also the rear diffuser was redesigned for improved functionality. An extra spoiler has been placed under the diffuser, providing additional down force to boost the ground effect produced by the diffuser.

Sometimes practicality gains over design: the split side windows with the characteristic metal frame have been replaced by single-pane side windows that are fully retractable, improving driving comfort. The outside mirrors, standard in body colour, were redesigned and the mirror body is mounted on two turbine fan blades. The rear lights are made of LEDs (light-emitting diodes). LED lights were also used for the indicators and the sidelights in the redesigned headlight units. The style of the headlights is particularly eye-catching as they follow the body design more closely. This characteristic styling can be defined as a part of the (future) Spyker identity first seen on the Spyker C12 Laturbie and subsequently in the Spyker D8 Peking-to-Paris, which will use the identical headlight units to those of the Aileron.

The C8 Aileron Spyder is available in 16 standard colours, but customers may choose any colour they wish as an option, as well as the Spyker Squadron GT2 colour scheme. The standard colours have been developed by Sikkens Autolakken Nederland and AkzoNobel Car Refinishes. Spyker selected these companies because of their high quality standards and their ability to meet special requirements. Some of the standard colours have been created especially for the C8 Aileron.

Drivetrain

The Spyker C8 Aileron uses the Audi 4.2 litre V8 engine, delivering 400 bhp and is available with two transmission alternatives. The first one is a 6-speed Getrag manual gearbox, with ratios perfectly matched to the V8 engine. A ZF 6-speed automatic gearbox is optional, which comes standard with paddle shifts behind the steering wheel. Both transmissions retain Spyker’s trademark exposed gear change mechanism.

Interior Thanks to its longer chassis, the Spyker C8 Aileron has more interior space, which results in ahigher comfort level and improved ergonomics. The interior, with its signature Spyker attention to detail, is made of the highest quality leather, from the Litano range of the Dutch Royal Tannery Hulshof. The leather interior is available in 14 standard colours, but any other colour – if desired by the customer – can be ordered as an option.

The brushed aluminium dashboard was completely redesigned to suit the new Spyker identity and to improve ergonomics and functionality, including driver and passenger airbags. Air vents are designed in turbine style and the performance and distribution of the air

conditioning was improved significantly. A multifunctional LCD display is integrated between the speedometer and the odometer. The middle console accommodates the standard Kharma sound system (see In-Car Entertainment). A turned aluminium dashboard, as well as Chronoswiss (Spyker’s watch manufacturing partner) dials and switches, are available as an option.

More space was created around the Spyker's characteristic floor-mounted pedal box. The impression of professional functionality and ergonomic styling is enhanced by the optimised positioning of the door handle and the hand-brake lever.

In-Car Entertainment With more cars going into the market and the increased popularity of the iPod and similar products, demand rose for a standard factory-fitted sound system. As a result, every Spyker C8 Aileron will feature a Kharma audio system as standard equipment, incorporating a digital radio, Bluetooth interface, iPod connectivity and a navigation system. The Kharma sound system offers a turbine-shaped control mounted on the central gearlever bar and a dashboard display, paired to six Kharma loudspeakers. It can be upgraded with an optional audio package. The presence of a Kharma sound system in the Spyker C8 Aileron marks Kharma’s debut in the world of automotive entertainment. Kharma International produces high-end audio products, sold worldwide through a network of highly qualified distributors and dealers. All Kharma sound systems are developed, assembled and tested in the Netherlands, with the utmost care by a team of highly engaged specialists. These characteristics of high-quality products and exclusiveness are fully in line with Spyker’s brand values of craftsmanship and exclusivity.

Suspension & Wheels The C8 Aileron is fitted with a brand new front and rear independent double-wishbone suspension system developed by Lotus. The new suspension system includes a new kinematic layout of the front and rear suspension, front and rear stabilizer bars, mono-tube dampers, coil over damper steel springs, anti-dive and anti-squat setup for improved handling properties. The suspension components are made of forged aluminium where possible, to keep the vehicle’s unsprung weight as low as possible. Shock absorbers are placed vertically within the wishbones.

The Aeroblade™ wheels of the first-generation cars are replaced by newly-designed 19-inch alloy wheels. New 12-blade, 19-inch directional rotor wheels, branded Rotorblade™, are available as an option. These wheels are inspired by the turbine blades of a jet engine, which hints at the new styling direction while respecting the aviation heritage. The 235/35 size tires in front and up to 295/30 at the rear provide exceptional handling.

Brakes The C8 Aileron’s brakes are supplied by AP Racing, a partner from day one. Black brake callipers with Spyker script are standard. Colour-coded callipers with Spyker script can be ordered as an option. Carbon ceramic brakes will be available as an option soon.

Warranty The Spyker C8 Aileron comes with an unlimited 3-year manufacturer’s warranty.

Source: www.spykercars.com.

The Dutch car manufacturer was founded in 1880 by coachbuilders Jacobus and Hendrik-Jan Spijker. In1903, the owners changed the name from Spijer to Spyker. Spijer started out in Hilversum and in 1898 relocated to their current location Trompenburg, Amsterdam.

1898 marked a wonderful and memorable year in Spijer's history with the creation of a carriage fit for a queen - the "Golden Carriage" - this horse drawn carriage is still used even today by the Dutch royalty.

1 year later, Spijer started building automobiles - in 1899 with the launching of their first in 1900! What a way to start the new century!

And in 1903, the world's first four-wheel drive car was built - complete with four-wheel brakes!

1905 was denoted by a round radiator grille - and mimiced by many other fellow automobile makers of the time.

Spyker cars were featured in the Jet Li/Jason Statham movie War. In 2010 Spyker Cars purchased Saab Automobile from General Motors and became part of Saab Spyker Automobiles.

In .....Spyker launched the C8 Aileron which is described in detailed from the Spyker press releases detailed above.

Scissor Doors - Glass Roof and Air Inlets - Very Stylized

The origins of Spyker's aeronatics live on even today with Spyker's artistic flair - glass roof scissor doors (not gull wing doors - scissor doors - there is a big difference!) and turbine style air inlets.

The Spyker model "Aileron" is appropriately named - it is derived from aeronautics and is from French meaning little wing. it is this little wing that helps fly the plane more precisely.

The C8 Aileron C8 Aileron by Spyker is available in 16 standard colours, but customers may choose any other color they wish including well as the Spyker Squadron GT2 color scheme as an option . Pricing begins at US$250 000.

1903 Spyker scale model The first four-wheel drive car in the world was produced by Spyker - complete with four-brakes too!

Love cars - want them around - checkbook won't allow you? Check this website out: Wall papers for Car Lovers

http://www.dieselstation.com/cars/spyker-laviolette-gt2-r-a1057.html

Wall Papers for Car Lovers

http://www.dieselstation.com/car-wallpapers.html

"Welcome to our Car Wallpapers Collection.

Here you'll find thousands of high quality professional photographs of everything automotive. It is an ever changing, ever growing collection of only the best images the net has to offer. We pride ourselves in providing great images at a larger size and free of annoying watermarks. You'll find standard and widescreen images at no less then 1600x1200 or 1920x1200 resolution. All this FREE of charge! So look to your left and start browsing the manufacturers, and brighten up that computer desktop!

However, there are some rules to remember:

1. I do NOT own these pictures.
2. YOU do NOT own these pictures.
3. Please do not ask for permissions to use these images in your projects, as I do not own the copyrights for them.
   
4. USE THEM JUST FOR DESKTOPS! They are not to be sold.

If you are looking for a car wallpaper and you didn't find it on dieselstation, then please use this form to forward your request for the car wallpaper. I will try to get the high resolution car wallpaper for you at the earliest possible."

"The Golden Carriage (Dutch: Gouden Koets) is a carriage owned and used by the Dutch royal family. Generally, the Golden Carriage is used yearly to bear the Dutch queen (or king) from the Noordeinde Palace to the Ridderzaal in order to pronounce the Speech from the Throne. The carriage is made of teak wood, much of which is covered in gold leaf. It is decorated with paintings and symbolic ornaments.

The carriage was built in Dutch Rennaissance style. It is pulled by eight horses when the Queen is riding therein; only six horses when lesser members of the royal family are travelling in the coach.

More recently, the Queen wanted to be able to stand upright while riding in the carriage. For that reason, the carriage was modified, which explains the bent form of the carriage's roof. This increased height of the carriage has made the carriage more difficult to drive."  source:  wikipedia.com

This website is outstanding - hear is a beginning and few of the photos - most definitely worth visiting their website out on the Internet.

"The Netherlands is a small European country and in one century of automobile history it only brought forth two car manufacturers of international acclaim: Spyker and DAF. Where DAF started after WW2 and introduced mass production of small affordable cars to The Netherlands, Spyker was a pioneer marque starting car manufacture at the turn of the 20th century and renown for building high quality luxury cars in small amounts."

Spyker is certainly beyond the Batmobile. The first time I saw one - it was love at first sight. This exotic sports car is truly a car lovers dream!

And to prove my point - here is the Batmobile!

"The Batmobile is the automobile of DC Comics superhero Batman. The car has evolved along with the character from comic books to television and films. Kept in the Batcave, which it accesses through a hidden entrance, the Batmobile is a gadget-laden vehicle used by Batman in his crime-fighting activities.

Batman first drove in Detective Comics #27 (May, 1939). A sedan, the vehicle was simply referred to as "his car". It soon began featuring an increasingly prominent bat motif, typically including distinctive wing-shaped tailfins. In the early stages of Batman's career, he modified it with armor and technologically-advanced automotive customization and turned the Batmobile into a sleek street machine. The Batmobile has gone through numerous incarnations, and as state-of-the-art technology has continued to advance, the vehicle has had to change to stay a step ahead of real-life cutting edge advances.

Technical specifications

• Length: 260.7 in
• Width: 94.4 in
• Height: 51.2 in
• Acceleration: 0-60 in 3.7 seconds
• Maximum Speed: 530 km/h with booster
• Engine: Jet Turbine
• Fuel: High octane; 97% special (gasoline paraffin mixture)
• Torque: 1750 lbf.ft at 98.7% ROS
• Wheelbase: 141.0 in
• Wheels: Cast alloy, 15 x 6.5
• Tires: High aspect L60-15

For quick maneuvers, this Batmobile had side-mounted grappling hook launchers and a central "foot" capable of lifting the car and rotating it 180°.

Features

Reputedly, every gadget seen on the Batmobile used in these films was fully functional, including the gas turbine powering the vehicle, which consumed fuel at such a high rate that there was only enough fuel capacity to run it for the approximately fifteen seconds of the longest shot in which the viewer can see it operating. Spherical bombs could be deployed from its sides. An afterburner was housed in the back. Two Browning machine guns were hidden behind flaps in each fender. Its Grappling hook, once hooked on a structure, serves as an anchor to allow the batmobile to make an extremely sharp turn at high speed that its pursuers typically cannot duplicate. It had superhydraulics for course changes, and a batdisc ejector (side-mounted) that could fire precisely 15 Batdiscs in the 1-second pulse. Other gadgets included chassis-mounted shinbreakers, oil slick dispensers and smoke emitters. Inside, the two-seat cockpit^[26] featured aircraft-like instrumentation, a passengers' side monitor, self-diagnostics system, CD recorder, and voice-command recognition system. In Batman Returns it is shown to have a secondary mode referred to as the "Batmissile", where the wheels would retract inward and the sides of the vehicle would break off, converting the car into a thin bullet train-like form capable of squeezing through tight alleyways. Although this secondary mode would require the car to be reassembled and significantly repaired.

The Batmobile's shields are made up of ceramic fractal armor panels. They explode outward when struck by projectiles, deflecting injurious force away from the car and its occupants. If Batman has to exit the Batmobile for an extended period of time, he can, through a voice command, (specifically, the phrase "shields") activate the Batmobile's shielding system. This prevents people from tampering with the car while it is left unattended. Bulletproof and fireproof steel plates envelop the body and cockpit entirely. While this armor is in place, the vehicle cannot be driven. In Batman the shields were not fully functioning. In reality, a life-size model was built and the animation was provided by stop motion technology. In Batman Returns, the shields had the same characteristics. However, the design was slimmer and the special effects were provided by computer-generated imagery. In shield mode, a small but powerful bomb can be deployed."

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batmobile

"The 1966 Batmobile (A 1954 Lincoln Ventura)

There you have it folks, the original – and arguably the most iconic – Batmobile was none other than a customized Lincoln Ventura, bought from Ford as a last minute fix.

But what a fix! Not only did the design excite children and parents alike, but it also remains to this day one of the most recognizable cars in the world!

1990 & 1992 Batmobile

After the Batman TV Series was cancelled after only two seasons, it would be nearly a quarter of a century before we saw the Batmobile on screens again. In that time the comics had evolved into much a darker, sleeker incarnation of their former selves, and this was reflected in the 1990 hit BATMAN, directed by Tim Burton.... Two things remained constant throughout both of these movies, the car looked the same, and all the gadgets are reported to have been fully functional.

...Tim Burton’s version of the Batmobile was later seen in the Louis & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman episode called “Don’t Tug On Superman’s Cape,” an episode which shows that some collectors had apparently stolen the Batmobile.

1995 - Batman Forever!

The 1995 film BATMAN FOREVER... we were given a car designed by Barbara Ling. Ling wanted a Batmobile that looked more organic, and so created a car that looked like it sported ribs and wings...the vehicle (while quite cool looking) tanked. It was just too much, it wasn’t BATMAN. After all, how could he be called ‘The Dark Knight’ if he drove around lit up like a Christmas tree?"

source: fuzedfilm.com

When I first learned of Spyker, I wasn't surprized that it was a Dutch design. I was surprised that I have never seen a real one in my life (oh, I am not that sheltered!)!

Dutch painters such as Vincent Willem van Gogh (March 30, 1853 – July 29, 1890) and Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (July 15, 1606 – October 4, 1669) are greatly admired.

Please enjoy their masterpieces below - surely you have noticed these great works of art - more famous than the current masterpieces of the Dutch Spyker - albeit just as masterful.

Rumor has it that Spykers are not traded. Once you own a Spyker - you forever own a Spyker - very interesting take on the ultimate in elitism. 

Yes, eBay has a scaled model for us to trade but that is it!

Once you own a Spyker - you forever own that Spyker. From what I can find out on the Internet - that rumor may very well be true.

Spyker is certainly what dreams are made of - and most certainly beyond the Batmobile! A true work of art on wheels!