Spyker to Launch C8 Aileron GT Race Car in 2012

Having finally decided which business he likes more, Saab or Spyker, Victor Muller allowed the super car manufacturer to leave his protective shadow and begin a new life under the ownership of Russian businessman Vladimir Antonov. Now, when the ink on the contract between the two is still wet, a new piece of exciting news centers around the Dutch name.

2012 promises to be an exciting year for the automotive industry, as Spyker's factory racing division, Squadron, announced it would be releasing a new GT racer, based on the C8 Aileron.

The new model, which will be ready in time for the start of the 2012 motorsport season, will be entered in the new GTE class, with the possibility for the car to be further refined into an FIA GT3 version.

The C8-based GT3 car will have some big shoes to fill in, as the current model of the super car manufacturer, the C8 Laviolette GT2R, managed to score two second-place GT2 class finishes in the Le Mans Series and a fifth place in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“We are taking a racing sabbatical this year to concentrate our resources on developing a new GT racer based on Spyker’s new C8 Aileron supercar, instead of continuing to spend money on a car at the end of its development cycle,” said Peter Van Erp, Spyker Squadron managing director.

“For the long term future of Spyker Squadron, and for its role in the promotion and technical development of Spyker road cars, it’s a positive and strategically important step."