Spyker has never been a company interested in restraint, and its latest comeback car proves that philosophy is alive and well. The new Spyker C8 Preliator XXV combines an 800-horsepower twin-turbo V8, a six-speed manual gearbox, hand-formed aluminum bodywork, rose-gold detailing, and enough aviation-inspired design touches to make most supercars look positively conservative.
Revealed at The Quail during Monterey Car Week, the Preliator XXV marks another attempt by the Dutch automaker to return to serious production. Spyker says only 25 examples will be built, with each car individually commissioned for its owner.
Despite carrying the familiar C8 name, Spyker describes the Preliator XXV as an entirely new car rather than a lightly updated version of its earlier C8. The company has retained the dramatic proportions and aircraft-inspired identity that defined previous Spykers while pushing both performance and craftsmanship considerably further.
Pricing has not been announced, although exclusivity will hardly be the only thing making this expensive. Spyker says each car requires roughly 2,100 hours to complete, with much of the aluminum bodywork still formed by hand.
An 800-HP V8 Meets A Proper Manual
Power comes from a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 producing 800 horsepower and 737 lb-ft of torque. All of that output is sent exclusively to the rear wheels, which should make the Preliator XXV rather demanding when the driver decides to use everything available.
The headline feature for enthusiasts may be the six-speed manual transmission. This is a conventional three-pedal setup with a mechanical linkage rather than an electronically simulated manual, and Spyker has retained its famous exposed gearshift mechanism inside the cabin.
Spyker claims the Preliator XXV will exceed 217 mph, or 350 km/h, at the top end. That figure puts it firmly into modern hypercar territory, even though its driver interaction is deliberately rooted in a much earlier era.
Aviation Styling Has Been Turned Up Even Further
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Spyker’s long-running fascination with aircraft is immediately obvious throughout the exterior. NACA ducts feed cooling air toward the engine, the rear lights resemble jet afterburners, and the wheels use a propeller-inspired design.
A large fin runs from the roof toward the rear deck, referencing Spyker’s historic 1919 C1 Aerocoque. An aerospace-style isogrid pattern consisting of repeated triangular shapes also appears across the grille, air vents, pedals, exhaust mesh, and even sections of the upholstery.
The debut car makes no attempt to hide any of this detailing. Its Quail Green paint incorporates rose-gold flakes, while matching rose-gold brightwork combines with Tuscan Saddle leather to create a specification that borders on automotive jewelry.
The Cabin Barely Has A Screen
Spyker has deliberately resisted the trend toward dashboard-sized displays. A head-up display serves as the Preliator XXV’s only screen, leaving the rest of the cabin dominated by physical gauges, switches, exposed mechanisms, and carefully machined metal.
Turned aluminum surfaces feature throughout the interior, while screw heads are reportedly aligned by hand for visual consistency. Even the steering wheel receives unusually obsessive treatment, with one craftsman said to use a two-needle stitching process to finish it.
One particularly theatrical feature is what Spyker calls “butterfly mode.” Pressing a single button opens the various body panels, including access to the engine compartment, turning the parked car into a mechanical display piece.
Spyker Is Only Building 25
The limited production run reflects both the car’s complexity and Spyker’s boutique approach. Coventry Prototype Panels in England continues to produce the hand-formed aluminum panels, while final construction involves a level of labor that makes volume manufacturing unrealistic.
Spyker’s latest revival follows co-founder Victor Muller’s return to control of the brand name after years of financial and legal complications. New investment has since given the company another opportunity to put actual cars into customers’ hands rather than leaving its future confined to concepts and announcements.
A successful Preliator XXV program could lead to additional projects. Spyker has again mentioned the possibility of reviving its long-discussed D8 crossover and even returning to GT3 racing, although those plans remain dependent on how this latest chapter develops.
Subtlety Was Never The Point
There are faster supercars, cleaner-looking supercars and certainly less extravagant ones, yet none of those comparisons really capture what Spyker is attempting here. The Preliator XXV is designed to celebrate visible engineering, old-school controls, and elaborate craftsmanship at a time when many exotic cars are becoming increasingly digital.
An 800-hp rear-drive supercar with three pedals would already stand out in 2026. Adding hand-shaped aluminum, exposed mechanical linkages, fighter-jet styling cues, and rose-gold trim simply ensures nobody will ever mistake the Preliator XXV for something ordinary.
Would you take the Spyker Preliator XXV over a Ferrari or McLaren at a similar price? Is the aviation-inspired styling beautifully eccentric, or has Spyker finally gone too far? Let us know in the comments.