|
From YourSITE.com Reviews & Road Tests A word of warning — if you want to get from Point A to Point B without garnering any unnecessary attention, then a Spyker isn't for you. Every red light is a virtual guarantee you'll be hounded for details about your car. What is that? Where do they make it? Do they really sell them here? Is it as fast as it looks? Looks expensive. (A Spyker C8 Aileron, the Netherlands, yes, yes and you betcha!) Then again, no one really buys a Spyker to blend in. To date, there are only about 40 under private ownership in the US, and we're driving the only Aileron in the country so far.
All three share a basic mechanical package, but the C8 Aileron differs vastly from its two siblings by nature of its larger dimensions — six inches more wheelbase (107.0), seventeen inches more overall length (185.0), and three inches of additional width (77.0). The extra sheetmetal gives the Aileron more conventional proportions and lines than the short-wheelbase coupe and convertible, as well as a more comfortable cockpit. The foundation of the C8 Aileron, like every Spyker, is an aluminum spaceframe made up of panels and extrusions. The result of this construction is an ultra-stiff but exceptionally light platform. Aluminum body panels, crafted by a specialty firm in the UK, are bonded to the skeletal structure. Underneath this exotic, delicate skin lies a race car suspension milled from billet aluminum and stainless steel — a fully adjustable wishbone setup with inboard Koni shocks, complete with tuning from none other than Lotus. Brake hardware is similarly impressive, with six-piston, 356-mm AP Racing binders up front and four-piston, 330-mm units in back. Even the front-to-rear brake bias is adjustable.
Wheels are modestly sized at 18 inches in diameter, and in keeping with the lightweight nature of the Aileron they're forged aluminum. They're also mounted to the car with a single nut, racer style. Tires are 225/40-18s in front, with slightly wider 255/35-18s in back. An optional 19-inch package is also available. Power comes from an Audi-sourced 4.2-liter V8, but without the benefit direct injection. Output is 400 horsepower and 355 lb-ft. The V8 is mounted between the cockpit and rear wheels, with either a Getrag manual or ZF automatic transmission multiplying torque before a Drexler limited-slip diff feeds it to the rear wheels. Spyker buys only the engine and basic programming from Audi and leaves the traction and stability control out of it. The only electronic aid is ABS; otherwise it's just man and machine. The availability of the automatic is a big deal for a small builder like Spyker, and the C8 Aileron is the only model to offer it.
As awe-inspiring as the mechanical bits are, it's the styling that really blows the mind. The bodywork looks like neither retro nor modern. Everything is functional, from the air intake duct on the roof that feeds the engine to the side vents that provide cooling air. Polished aluminum details abound, from the sideview mirrors to the beautiful fuel filler cap. On the inside, the sight of all the machine-turned aluminum and diamond-quilted leather might make even the average Lamborghini owner jump back and say "Whoa!" It's true; nobody else — absolutely nobody else — does an interior like Spyker. It's not just the fact that everything in the cockpit (save for the carpeting, the steering wheel horn pad and the cover for the starter switch) is meticulously hand-wrought in aluminum or fine leather that makes the mere act of sitting in a Spyker such a treat. It's that everything inside looks like a work of art. Take the naked shift linkage, for instance, running fully exposed through the center of the car. Or the precision look of the pedal assemblies. Or the turbine-inspired design of the air vents. The interior of the C8 Aileron is a very special place, to be sure.
Getting into the Aileron is no simple affair. Once you've found the exterior door release (it’s a small, nondescript button at the base of the exterior mirror) and successfully opened the upward swinging scissor-style door (because, well, the switches don't always work on command), there's a considerable sill to negotiate before sliding into your seat. Once you find your place, the view outward is unlike anything else, thanks mostly to the pair of fixed Lexan roof panels that, combined with the large convex windshield, serve the illusion that you're actually in an aircraft cockpit. All of the switchgear is firmly-sprung metal toggles; the starter switch has a red safety cover over it, as if to prevent you from falsely launching a ballistic missile. The only things missing are an altimeter and a cockpit radio. Or any radio for that matter, although there is an optional iPod input at the base of the center stack.
One flip of the starter switch confirms why you wouldn't use a radio anyway, even if they provided one. The rumble of the Audi V8 is meaner in a Spyker than in anything from Ingolstadt, and it's right behind your ears. Sure, the engine is technically isolated from the passenger cell, but there's not a whole lot in the way of sound insulation to muffle that roar. A quick blip of the extruded aluminum throttle pedal sends the tachometer needle flying and initiates the flow of adrenaline. Since our time was spent in an automatic-equipped C8 Aileron, we pressed the button on top of the billet shift lever and pulled it straight back three clicks to engage Drive. A Sport button on the console engages the hardcore shifting program, which holds onto gears for dear life before shifting upward. Beautifully sculpted aluminum wings float behind the steering wheel for manual shifting, the right one handling upshifts and the left doing the downshifts.
We pull out into traffic ever so carefully, aware that the leading edge of the C8 Aileron is a thin blade of aluminum. Once over the curb, we floor the throttle and take in the full symphony of the V8 as it races to redline, snapping off shifts at 6500 rpm. A quick glance over the shoulder provides a full view of the engine lurching with each gearchange, as if trying to free itself from the restraints of its motor mounts. The 3142-pound coupe will get to 60 mph from a dead stop in just 4.5 seconds, even without the aid of launch control or all-wheel-drive. Roll-on acceleration feels a little less brisk, as the autobox seems a bit reluctant to snap down on command. Manual shifting is more satisfying, especially with the very mechanical action of the paddle shifter. Buyers who choose the Aileron for its performance over its appearance (the minority of them, most likely) should stick with the manual gearbox for ultimate control, however.
When it comes to stopping, the C8 Aileron is more akin to a race car. In its resting position, the bottom-hinged brake pedal sits at the same angle and position as the throttle. There's also precious little distance between the two pedals, making the first couple stops a heart-racing experience. Large shoes are not your friend. Once you've adjusted your footing to avoid inadvertently pressing both pedals in unision, the brake pedal is firm and very direct, as well as effective. With most of the car's mass sitting between the front and rear axles, steering is light and direct. Power assistance makes the Spyker easy to maneuver at parking lot speeds but it never feels overboosted at speed. Steering feel falls somewhere between the refined precision of a Porsche 911and the raw, undamped action of a Lotus Elise.
In fact, the overall feel of the C8 Aileron is like that of a bigger, more powerful, sumptuously outfitted Elise. But where the Lotus is all about the driver, the Spyker provides a high level of enjoyment for anyone within eyeshot of it; the fact that it's nearly as satisfying to drive as it is to look at is hardly a backhanded compliment. Even in the ultra-exclusive arena in which this $210,000 exotic plays, few cars can match the C8 Aileron's ability to simply steal the show wherever it is.
© Copyright 2004 by YourSITE.com |
