Monday 22nd May 2006

Spyker to race at Le Mans

With two cars and two British drivers

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Spyker Spyders at Spa in May

Dutch supercar maker Spyker has announced more details of its 24 Heures du Mans entry for this year -- and it's running two cars for the first time. It's chosen two British drivers, with the other four all Dutchmen.

For the first time in its Le Mans history, Spyker has been accepted with two cars (Spyker C8 Spyder GT2Rs) for which it has received confirmation from the Le Mans organiser Automobile Club de L’Ouest. The cars will carry number 85 -- as in previous years -- and 86.

The team

Spyker Squadron is headed by team director Ronald van de Laar, with Peter van Erp as technical director and Victor Muller, team principal.

Drivers

• Car 85: Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), Mike Hezemans (NL), Jonny Kane (GB)
• Car 86: Donny Crevels (NL), Peter Dumbreck (GB), Tom Coronel (NL)

[britten_mark]

Thats funny, once you take all the tasteless tat, candelabras and chintz off them they look quite nice as racers; got a sort of retro 60s look.

[mnewlyn]

candelabras- ha ha!
I wonder how much of a liability in terms of maintenance costs/reliability would spyker ownership be?

[Graham]

mnewlyn said:

candelabras- ha ha! I wonder how much of a liability in terms of maintenance costs/reliability would spyker ownership be?

well compair their race entry/race finish & race performance to that of the T400's :heh:

should give you a good guide

[ozzie dave]

Dont know if any of you have it yet but a documentory here (Oz) at the moment includes driving a 100 Year old Spyker from Peking to Paris . Imagine a rally with 5 100 year old cars !

[dinkel]

britten_mark said:

. . . they look quite nice as racers . . .

Said that ages ago . . . they really should consider a 'stradale'-version . . . I love the way those racers looks, but yuk, it's that bling road-version that makes my balls shrink everytime I hear 'Spyker'.

[racefan_uk]

Graham said:

well compair their race entry/race finish & race performance to that of the T400's :heh: should give you a good guide

Only the Spykers don't lunch their engines in spectacular fashion, like the TVR used to.

And they've continually, through factory support, been on the grid at Le Mans and in the ALMS, unlike TVR did...

[wedgie]

dinkel said:

they really should consider a 'stradale'-version . . . I love the way those racers looks, but yuk, it's that bling road-version that makes my balls shrink everytime I hear 'Spyker'.

I've just revisited their website to remind myself just how hideous their road cars are. Yeuch!

[dinkel]

Luverly

[gruffgriff]

Challenging styling aside, and I agree considering the basis the racer looks amazing, Spyker won our little group`s Best Engine Noise award at LM 4(?) years ago...higher pitched and rawer sounding than the Vette V8s - I guess higher revving and shorter pipes? It took me a long time to wake up on the Sunday morning but I`m sure the first thing I noticed from my perch in the car park was the absence of it`s V8 growly wail - didn`t need to listen to Radio LM to know it had retired during the night!
Good luck Spyker!

>> Edited by gruffgriff on Monday 22 May 21:08

[GrahamG]

Ah but they've changed engine supplier since then - it was a Mader-BMW, now an Audi unit

[FestivAli]

Yep definately look better unadorned.

Do like the 4WD one though - the Peking To Paris. Bizzarely.

Ali.

[rmhodv]

uumh, Peter Dumbreck, I hope that the cars are fitted with parachutes.

>> Edited by rmhodv on Tuesday 23 May 12:58

[Graham]

racefan_uk said:

Graham said: well compair their race entry/race finish & race performance to that of the T400's :heh: should give you a good guide Only the Spykers don't lunch their engines in spectacular fashion, like the TVR used to. And they've continually, through factory support, been on the grid at Le Mans and in the ALMS, unlike TVR did...

erm i dont think a spyker has ever finished at lm and the tvr's ( surprisingly) have quite a good finishing record. at the last lemes round the peninsula t400 finished ahead of the spyker

[Dr S]

Good that they race the cars. Not only that the race models look much better than the road cars (Dutch style anyone?) but this might add some credibility . Interestingly enough, their performance was never a big topic in the reviews, mind

[dinkel]

C'mon . . . bring on a hardcore version

A.

[Amizade]

"C'mon . . . bring on a hardcore version"?

Looking at my nice brochure, the forthcoming Spyker C12 LaTurbie should do the trick:Audi W12, 48v DOHC/5998cc, 373kw (500hp), 600Nm & topping out at 196mph/0-60mph in 3.9 is enough for most ?

Also apart from the rear wing (and engine/interior), the bodyshell is the same as the race car !

Could get even more interesting if/when a V10 is dropped in


>> Edited by Amizade on Wednesday 24th May 10:07