RE: Spyker heads west
Friday 1st July 2005
Spyker Spyder at Goodwood on SundayDutch supercar maker Spyker, one of the stars of the Festival of Speed last weekend, is going to America -- despite the efforts of the mighty US car industry to stop them.
Spyker heads west
Dutch carmaker now US legal despite Ford's shenanigans
Spyker Spyder at Goodwood on Sunday
After two years in the certification process essential for entering the US car market, the company said it has obtained the waivers it requested from the US road safety body, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which marks the final step of the process.
However, we hear from other supercar makers that the US approval process is very political. The US auto industry has enormous financial and political clout, and pressures US law-makers to halt or delay the entrance of foreign - mostly European -- carmakers to its markets. For example, it applied huge pressure to prevent Pagani's Zonda from entering the US because it would compete with Ford's GT. Nothing like a belief in free trade, eh, boys?
Spyker's boss Victor Muller said, “The door to our number one market is now wide open. We foresee a rapid expansion of the distribution network to support American customer demand. We currently have 13 dealers in the USA and strive for nationwide coverage by yearend with approximately 20 dealers. This coming month Spyker of Las Vegas will be opened.”
On 1 March 2005 Spyker announced that it obtained approval for its C8 short wheel base models (Spyder, Spyder T wide body and Laviolette) in the USA by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). With the final approval by NHTSA for the last waiver applications these models are now fully US road-legal.
EPA certification of Spyker’s long wheel base models (C8 Double12 S and Double12 Spyder) is expected by this summer.
Good luck to Spyker -- long may the European invasion continue...
Discussion
I support this invasion! As a U.S. citizen, I have to say that our cars our not up to par with the foreign cars. I’m quite sick of these Japanese imports being exploited as the “top-of-the-line” cars. Its like the European market has been ignored…which it has. I’ve been praying for more exotic cars to be imported to the U.S. and the one that I hoped would change everything was the Lotus Elise. It saved Lotus but that original looked wasn’t going to do it in America. However, the new design in 2000 gave the Elise the proper sports car look. I’ve warned people about the Elise but they didn’t know what to make of it until it showed up at car shows and dealerships. Now they love the car. I guess seeing is believing but the real kicker is that it is showing up in magazines. Hopefully people will want more of it and I hope Spyker will be helping this European invasion. As for the Pagani Zonda, I love that car. The design and detail is amazing. It has a very unique interior. Love the toggle switches and dials and…everything. It really is appealing to the eyes. I love it so much that the C12S my wallpaper! I’m sure them and TVR will do very well here but their potential success is what scares the U.S. manufactures which is sad. Competition improves the breed. It goes to show you how “free” America is…
Klit_77 said:
I support this invasion! As a U.S. citizen, I have to say that our cars our not up to par with the foreign cars. I’m quite sick of these Japanese imports being exploited as the “top-of-the-line” cars. Its like the European market has been ignored…which it has. I’ve been praying for more exotic cars to be imported to the U.S. and the one that I hoped would change everything was the Lotus Elise. It saved Lotus but that original looked wasn’t going to do it in America. However, the new design in 2000 gave the Elise the proper sports car look. I’ve warned people about the Elise but they didn’t know what to make of it until it showed up at car shows and dealerships. Now they love the car. I guess seeing is believing but the real kicker is that it is showing up in magazines. Hopefully people will want more of it and I hope Spyker will be helping this European invasion. As for the Pagani Zonda, I love that car. The design and detail is amazing. It has a very unique interior. Love the toggle switches and dials and…everything. It really is appealing to the eyes. I love it so much that the C12S my wallpaper! I’m sure them and TVR will do very well here but their potential success is what scares the U.S. manufactures which is sad. Competition improves the breed. It goes to show you how “free” America is…
Are you mad? The S1 Elise is far better looking than the S2!
Fact is, the S1 didn't tick the right boxes for your American laws and fat a*ses. Strange that you like the Spyker that looks far more like an S1/Masser hybrid than an S2?
Sat in one and met MR. Spyker last year at Goodwood..interior very well finished but overall the design is very dull - especially considering the huge price differential...none finishing Le mans 2005 car looked cool though!
>> Edited by cinqster on Saturday 2nd July 02:18
Ted, Manek (or whoever wrote that article), I thought more of you than to suggest that the US is interested in free trade! I'm sure you are really aware that that's the phrase they use for "let us compete fairly in your country, but we'll still tax the c
p out of anything you send across the pond".
>> Edited by manek on Saturday 2nd July 11:32
p out of anything you send across the pond". >> Edited by manek on Saturday 2nd July 11:32
Yeah, I'm very happy to see Spyker finally make their way across the pond. As a US enthusiast, I've also been angry at the amount of cars we've missed out on here (Noble, TVR, S1 Elise, GT-R, Evo I-VI, etc etc etc). I've always had a problem with US car makers, now more than ever (I'm sorry, but there isn't too much here to keep my interest...especially with the bad quality of a lot of cars here). The major thing annoying me is SUVs(which you all in Europe should know, there are plenty of Americans that hate these POS gas hogs). Finally we have a company that's willing to really tough it out, though, and force their way in over here. I hope this is the beginning of a trend of specialty cars to make their way over here, such as a rebirth of TVR in the US. We're in sore need of nice RWD cars over here, so European companies, don't let us down!
V8 Archie said:
Ted, Manek (or whoever wrote that article), I thought more of you than to suggest that the US is interested in free trade! I'm sure you are really aware that that's the phrase they use for "let us compete fairly in your country, but we'll still tax the c
>> Edited by manek on Saturday 2nd July 11:32
It was irony...
jpf said:
What were Ford's legal shenanigans? What were the hurdles thrown at Spyker? Were they legitimate?
I have no idea what Ford pulled, but to give you an idea of 'legitimate' : I know of the FDA once banned a non-us medical supplier from selling in the US because a comma was wrong in one of the documents regarding the product.
Was that legitimate? Of course it was : the comma should have been placed correctly. There you go.
The fact that some US made products were actually killing patients, did not seem to matter though.
Personally, I cannot find a single line on that car that would motivate me to do anything other than vomit.......violently.
I just don't see how you can sign off something that looks like this and put it into production. It's not beautiful in the classical sense and it is not beautiful in the "Zonda" sense. It is very difficult to look from the angles I have seen it so far.
I just don't see how you can sign off something that looks like this and put it into production. It's not beautiful in the classical sense and it is not beautiful in the "Zonda" sense. It is very difficult to look from the angles I have seen it so far.
TheFake said:
Personally, I cannot find a single line on that car that would motivate me to do anything other than vomit.......violently.
I just don't see how you can sign off something that looks like this and put it into production. It's not beautiful in the classical sense and it is not beautiful in the "Zonda" sense. It is very difficult to look from the angles I have seen it so far.
Are you blind? This has to be one of the most charismatic and attractive cars europe produces.
The thinking man's drive.
1. In person. Perhaps 3.
2. Been in contact with many offline but why on earth does that matter.
I spend 40+ weeks of the year traveling and am rarely in my country more than a two weeks a year if that. As much as I would love to attend brunters and the other meets I have no time to do so.
If you are trying to imply something I sugguest otherwise. I share my passion of cars on here. I am a private individual and only those who need to know about me do. People that do are aware of what I do and who my family is so I don't think I will lose sleep over this mate.
I share some of my experiences (carwise and not) on here as does everyone else. Some people are entirely comfortable with revealing every facet of their lives to total strangers online. I am not, and judging by your comments I have very good reason to continue this way. If I had a pic of the Audi or the S-class from the garage would that make you feel more secure?
I need not "prove" anything to you as you are merely someone who posts on here (as am I). I couldn't really give two hoots about what you choose to believe to be honest. Snide comments behind the saftey of your computer are all very well but please refrain from trying to make yourself look clever by trying to make me look foolish.
Perhaps you should aspire to do more with your life as obviously someone else owning a few cars which, although are very nice are simply things anyone can aquire given the desire, has blown your mind Your childish assumptions that because we haven't met I must be a "fake" are laughable.
So, try thinking about what you type. With the hope that I do actually have time enough to make a meet, please be kind enough to make yourself know as when I get a round in you won't be included.
MARA
2. Been in contact with many offline but why on earth does that matter.
I spend 40+ weeks of the year traveling and am rarely in my country more than a two weeks a year if that. As much as I would love to attend brunters and the other meets I have no time to do so.
If you are trying to imply something I sugguest otherwise. I share my passion of cars on here. I am a private individual and only those who need to know about me do. People that do are aware of what I do and who my family is so I don't think I will lose sleep over this mate.
I share some of my experiences (carwise and not) on here as does everyone else. Some people are entirely comfortable with revealing every facet of their lives to total strangers online. I am not, and judging by your comments I have very good reason to continue this way. If I had a pic of the Audi or the S-class from the garage would that make you feel more secure?
I need not "prove" anything to you as you are merely someone who posts on here (as am I). I couldn't really give two hoots about what you choose to believe to be honest. Snide comments behind the saftey of your computer are all very well but please refrain from trying to make yourself look clever by trying to make me look foolish.
Perhaps you should aspire to do more with your life as obviously someone else owning a few cars which, although are very nice are simply things anyone can aquire given the desire, has blown your mind
Your childish assumptions that because we haven't met I must be a "fake" are laughable. So, try thinking about what you type. With the hope that I do actually have time enough to make a meet, please be kind enough to make yourself know as when I get a round in you won't be included.
MARA
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