spyker

Saving Saab: Spyker To Sell Luxury Sports Car Biz To Save Swedish Icon

Spyker, maker of hand-built exotic cars, is selling that business to a Russian billionaire, while it concentrates on reviving Swedish premium carmaker Saab.

Spyker, which bought Saab from General Motors in 2010, has signed a memo of understanding to sell the Spyker business and brand to Russian financier Vladimir Antonov, who owns CPP Global Holdings in the U.K.

The sale of Spyker is expected to raise $44 million, substantially reducing the company's debt, and positioning it better to give Saab a shot at surviving as a niche premium car brand.

Tags: Bob Lutz, GM, Saab, Saab 9-3, Saab 9-5, Spyker, Victor Muller, Vladimir Antonov

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Saab To Unveil Hatch Concept at Geneva

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Saab Cars is trying to engineer a coming out party since breaking loose from General Motors last year, and plans to show four models at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

Saab, now owned by Dutch exotic car-builder Spyker, is expected to show a hatchback concept of what we believe is the next 9-3 to come out of the new ownership. The other three cars figure to be special editions of the current 9-3 and 9-3 Cabrio. The 9-4X crossover will be on the stand, as well, we're told, as well as the 9-5 SportCombi.

Saab almost didn't make it. Worldwide sales have tumbled in recent years. And last year the company managed fewer than 6,000 sales in the U.S. But the company is advertising again, and has a fresh Saab 9-5 to draw fans.

GM was compelled to sell the Swedish carmaker after two decades of losing money on the arrangement, which started out as for GM as a controlling stake and then later an outright ownership.

Gallery: Saab Cars at Geneva

Preview of Saab Cars at 2011 Geneva Motor Show

Tags: Geneva Motor Show, saab, Saab 9-3X, Saab 9-4x, saab 9-5, spyker

Continue reading “Saab To Unveil Hatch Concept at Geneva”

Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder Gears Up for Limited Production

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder Gears Up for Limited Production

Want to get your hands on the Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder? We'd say you should act fast, but in the year-and-a-half since the vehicle was unveiled, production has reportedly still yet to get underway. But according to reports, when it does, it will be very limited in scope.

Word has it that only 99 examples of the exotic roadster will be produced, and when they are, additional reports indicate that it will eschew its 400-horsepower Audi V8 engine in favor of the 638-horsepower supercharged LS9 V8 from the Corvette ZR1. That's more than a 50% increase in power, and if it comes to pass, it will have surely been worth the wait.

Source

Tags: Spyker, spyker aileron spyder, Spyker C8 Aileron, Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder

LA Auto Show: Saab 9-4X

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Swedish automaker Saab was sold last year by owner General Motors to exotic car maker Spyker. And though Spyker is anxious to chart a new course for the always quirky Saab, the ties to GM re still very much in evidence.

Witness the debut of the Saab 9-4 luxury crossover at the LA Auto Show, a fine looking vehicle that was completely developed by GM on the same platform as the Cadillac SRX crossover. That's not a bad thing, as the bones of the SRX are very nice indeed.

Even under GM management, though, the Swedes were allowed to Saabify the 9-4 as much as possible. Indeed, the exterior styling does look more akin to the Saab 9-5 sedan than the SRX.

It has lots of luxe goodies like eight-way power adjustable seats, Bluetooth connectivity and a tri-zone climate control system. Under the hood, there is a naturally-aspirated 265-horsepower 3.0-liter V6 and a direct-injection, turbocharged 2.8-liter V6 that produces pumps 300 hp. Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox. All-wheel-drive is standard.

Gallery: LA Auto Show: All New Saab 9-4

Tags: LA Auto Show 2010, los angeles auto show 2010, Saab, Saab 9-4, Spyker

Spyker Chronograph Watches Revealed

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Luxury Cars & Autos

We recently discussed the upcoming new watch collection by Dutch car company Spyker. There are now more details about the watches, and I think they are going to be interesting for fans of the brand. Until recently, I thought that Spyker was just another cool high-end boutique car maker that released a few new models each decade for the privileged. Their cars are quite special, having a neat, vintage character to them in an entirely modern package. Some of their designs (especially the interiors) verge on steampunk. Then I got the seemingly strange news that Spyker has purchased Saab. I really had no idea how a small Dutch car maker was able to buy the failing ex-Swedish, Swedish car brand from GM. Was it a brilliant move for the brand's future, or a bite bigger than they can chew? We will have to find out.

Gallery: Spyker Chronograph Watches

Tags: chronograph, limited edition, spyker, watch

Continue reading “Spyker Chronograph Watches Revealed”

Spyker Watch Collection by Expressions d'Artistes International

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Luxury Cars & Autos

Dutch sportscar-maker Spyker, having recently completed the takeover of Swedish automaker Saab from General Motors, is gearing up to launch their own watch line. The collection will be officially launched at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this coming June, but a few details have already been released.

Geneva-based timesmiths Expressions d'Artistes International will be crafting the collection, which will feature examples encased in steel (starting at €8,000) and rose or white gold (at around €20,000). Chronographs, power reserve meters and date indicators will be included amongst the complications featured, while the design will borrow trademark Spyker styling elements from the machine-turned metal finish from the cars' dashboards to the Hulshof leather featured on the bucket seats and wrist straps. An additional range of special editions will be offered to existing Spyker owners, featuring their cars' Vehicle Identification Numbers.

Tags: car watch, car watches, chronograph, expressions dartistes international, spyker, supercar, watches

Saab Spyker 9+ Tribute Concept

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

What could a future collaboration between Saab and its new owner Spyker produce? A cross between a stylish Swedish sedan and a Dutch supercar of course. Eduard Gray, an industrial designer educated at Coventry University in the UK and now based in Saab's hometown of Trollhättan, Sweden, has come up with a viable vision for this automotive offspring. His long, lean two-door Saab Spyker 9+ concept car imagines an evolution of Saab's Aero-X enhanced by some of Spyker's exoticism. The design features a Spyker chassis with a mid-mounted engine and low down aerodynamics, including a system to reduce friction in straight line driving whilst increasing traction in cornering and braking. An enormous panoramic glass roof gives it an airy feel as well. Envisioned as a 2+2 model in the storied GT tradition, engine-wise it's speculated to house a V6 bi-turbo capable of producing over 600 hp, perhaps powered purely by ethanol.

Gallery: Saab Spyker 9+ Concept

Tags: concept car, eduard gray, Saab, saab spyker, saab spyker 9+, Saab Spyker Automobiles, Spyker, supercar, Sweden

Spyker Benefits from Saab deal, D12 Peking-to-Paris Back on Track

by Jeremy Korzeniewski (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

We're all very well aware that the recently sealed deal between Spyker and General Motors means good things for the ailing Saab brand – in fact, without Spyker's eleventh-hour intervention, the Swedish automaker would have been lost to the annals of history entirely. Apparently, though, the Saab tie-up will bring good things to come from Spyker too.

Believe it or not, it was four years ago that Spyker first showed off its Peking-to-Paris luxury SUV at the Geneva Motor Show, and now company head Victor Muller has reportedly announced at this year's festivities in Geneva that the monster 'ute is back on track. Not surprisingly, the finalized handshake with The General is partly to thank for the reinvigorated D12 program.

Consider the years of technical expertise that Spyker gained with it brought Saab on board, not to mention the additional production capability and manpower. It remains to be seen what powertrain Spyker will choose for its hulking SUV, but previous rumors had a supercharged mill from Cadillac underhood. We shall see.

[Source: Autocar]

Tags: saab, spyker, Spyker D12, spyker d12 peking, Spyker D12 Peking-to-Paris, Spyker D12 SSUV, spyker D12 SUV, spyker d8, spyker d8 peking to paris, Spyker D8 SUV, SpykerD12, SpykerD12Peking, SpykerD12Peking-to-paris, SpykerD12Ssuv, SpykerD12Suv, SpykerD8, SpykerD8PekingToParis, SpykerD8Suv

$1.5 Monaco Grand Prix Gift Package With Custom Supercar

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing, Luxury Cars & Autos, Wings, Events, Sports, Holiday Guides, Wealth

Last month we reported that the glossy chronicle of the filthy rich Robb Report is offering the world's most expensive Christmas gift this year - a matching custom private jet and megayacht set costing $500 million. The profligate publication has a few more eye-popping offerings as part of its Ultimate Gift Guide, a seasonal smorgasbord of over-the-top exclusives. Among the most enticing is a $1.5 million Monaco Grand Prix gift package, consisting of the following: a VIP experience at the 2010 Monaco Grand Prix F1 races in May; round-trip private jet travel from North America to Nice, France, and helicopter transfer from Nice to Monte Carlo for a party of four; five nights' accommodation in the top-floor suite at the luxe Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort; privileges aboard a private 170-ft. yacht that will provide a prime vantage of, and tender service to, four days of racing and activities; and last but not least a custom Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder (above) "as a keepsake".

Tags: Christmas, Formula 1, Formula1, France, holiday 2009, Holiday2009, Monaco, Monaco Grand Prix, MonacoGrandPrix, Monte Carlo, Monte Carlo Bay Hotel Resort, MonteCarlo, MonteCarloBayHotelResort, private jet, PrivateJet, racing, Robb Report, RobbReport, Spyker, yacht

Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder unveiled at Pebble Beach

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

If you're looking for the ultimate niche exotic, Spyker could be your ticket. The Dutch automaker produces some of the most beautifully detailed machines on the road, and followed up this weekend at Pebble Beach with the convertible version of the new C8 Aileron which it debuted at the Geneva auto salon this past Spring.

Like the Aileron coupe, the convertible offers more room than the short-wheelbase C8 it replaces. And because Spyker had the foresight to engineer the Aileron as a convertible from the start, the aluminum frame retains much of the rigidity of its coupe counterpart. The Aileron Spyder is characterized by an hydraulic retractable soft-top, available in the buyer's choice of 8 different colors along with the various options for the interior and exterior colors, with a machined aluminum luggage rack and pop-up roll bars. Audi provides the power in the form of a 400hp 4.2-liter V8 mated to either an automatic or manual transmission, AP provides the brakes and exclusive electronics studio Kharma provides the entertainment system, making the new Spyker Spyder a very compelling choice for discerning motorists.

Gallery: Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder

Source

Tags: aileron spyder, AileronSpyder, c8 aileron spyder, C8AileronSpyder, monterey, pebble beach, pebble beach concours delegance, PebbleBeach, PebbleBeachConcoursDelegance, spyker, spyker aileron, spyker aileron spyder, spyker c8 aileron, spyker c8 aileron spyder, spyker c8 spyder, SpykerAileron, SpykerAileronSpyder, SpykerC8Aileron, SpykerC8AileronSpyder, SpykerC8Spyder

World's Most Expensive SUV for Sale at $300,000

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

One of the very first models of the Spyker D8 Peking-to-Paris, the world's most expensive SUV, is being offered for sale via global online luxury marketplace JamesList for about $300,000. Made by the Dutch supercar company, the Peking-to-Paris was originally styled the D12 and and featured a V12 engine in concept form, but will be fitted with a V8 for production. The vehicle is being offered for delivery shortly after the Frankfurt Motor Show in September where the production version will make its long-awaited debut. The custom-built four-wheel drive four-door is styled a "Super Sport Utility Vehicle" or SSUV, with supercar performance. The Peking-to-Paris model commemorates Spyker's participation in the 1907 cross-country race of that name. The incredibly luxurious interior is completely fitted out in glove-soft leather.

Tags: Frankfurt Motor Show, FrankfurtMotorShow, JamesList, Spyker, supercar, SUV

Double Dutch: Spyker Unveils New C8 Aileron at Geneva Show

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Europe's finest sportscar-makers descended on the lakeside town of Geneva from all over the continent, and the Netherlands was well represented at the show this year with the new C8 Aileron. Sporting a longer wheelbase for a more commodious cabin than the C8 Laviolette which it replaces, the Aileron was shown in Geneva last year as a concept car and returned this year in production form. Power is provided courtesy of Audi, with a 400-horsepower V8 driving one of the most deliciously appointed interiors on the market. Rather than simply lengthening the C8's wheelbase, Spyker went back to the drawing board for the Aileron as it attempts to lure buyers away from more mainstream sportscars and make it in the lucrative North American market. See for yourself in the gallery of photos below.

Gallery: Geneva 2009: Spyker C8 Aileron

Source

Tags: aileron, c8, c8 aileron, C8Aileron, geneva, geneva 2009, geneva motor show, Geneva2009, GenevaMotorShow, spyker, spyker aileron, spyker c8, spyker c8 aileron, SpykerAileron, SpykerC8, SpykerC8Aileron

Silvestris Sports Cabriolet Speedboat

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

Maarten de Bruijn, a designer formerly with Dutch sportscar maker Spyker, has come out with the first speedboat under his new Silvestris Haute Motive Concept brand. The wicked racecar-inspired 23' Silvestris Sports Cabriolet (above) features a convertible hardtop and a rumble seat controlled via a remote-operated hatch. Aluminum body panels are riveted and bonded to a tubular space frame. The full water-resistant leather interior, available in a variety of colors, features a steering wheel and dashboard straight out of a classic roadster. The top-of-the-line engine produces a massive 560hp through a single prop stern drive system for speeds in excess of 55 knots.

[via JamesList]

Gallery: Silvestris "Sports Cabriolet"

Tags: Maarten de Bruijn, MaartenDeBruijn, Speedboat, Spyker

The Spyker C12 Zagato

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

It's practically old news at this point but I would be remiss if I didn't direct you to Autoblog's pics of the Spyker C12 Zagato debut in Geneva. This is one gorgeous and hotly anticipated vehicle. There will be just 24 of these cars available and it has a 6.0L W12 engine that can go to 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds and hit a top speed of 193 mph. The cars sell for $648,000. Autoblog has a luscious gallery with details of this unique vehicle.

Source

Tags: auto show, exotic car, geneva, spyker, zagato

Spyker Planning New Flagship

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Our friends at Autoblog let us know that ultra-exclusive automaker Spyker is planning to release a brand new flagship car this March at the Geneva auto show.

Their last release, the D12 SUV, will not be produced until December 2007 even though it already has a waitlist of more than 300 buyers and, unfortunately, the Dutch car maker usually only produces 100 vehicles every year. All this means that there is no telling exactly when the new supercars will actually make it to market, but it is rumored that it will be built around Spyker's C12 base, which uses an Audi sourced, 500hp, 6.0L W12 engine.

Source

Tags: auto, car, cars, geneva, spyker