In 2005 a new Spyker racing car appeared on the track: the C8 Spyder GT2R. It replaced the ungainly Double 12R and featured a more compact lay-out though it looked less attractive with its improvised hardtop and aggressive stance.
The car has been constructed according to FIA GT2 rules, which explains its name. These rules allow for significant improvements of the base production model but not as much as for the more prominent GT1 class. This means that GT2 cars are not as fast as GT1 cars but cheaper to build and to run.
In 2005 the factory team entered GT2R cars in a number of endurance races, most prominent of which were the 12 hours of Sebring and the Le Mans 24 hour race. Unfortunately the cars suffered reliability problems which kept them from being competitive. Best result was a second place in the GT2 class at the Nurburgring 1000 km race.
(picture by Nicolas Meunier, used with permission)

In 2006 a full racing programme was undertaken by the factory team. The GT2R was entered in the Le Mans Endurance Series and some FIA GT championship races, and again in the 12 hours of Sebring and Le Mans 24 hour race. Results improved a lot but the much coveted podium finish in the Le Mans 24 hour race proved elusive. After an impressive show in the first hours of the race both entered cars broke down in the night and could not finish the race. On the picture you see one of these cars stranded in the pits.
Though not as powerful as the impressive GT1 racing cars the C8 Spyder GT2R is a decidedly fast car. It features a non-turbo charged Audi V8 engine of 3,800 cc tuned by Spyker to produce 450 hp @ 8700 rpm and 442 Nm torque. It weighs 1125 kg, has a carbon clutch and a Hewland 6-speed sequential gearbox, which proved to be sort of the Achilles heel of the car.
(picture by Nicolas Meunier, used with permission)

At the 2005 Geneva Motor Show a spectacular new "long wheel base" model was presented: the C12 LaTurbie. This model features a spyder body based on that of the C8 Double 12S but is fitted with Audi's aluminum W12 engine, cranking out an impressive 500 hp @ 7500 rpm and 600 Nm of torque. This open topped car reaches a maximum speed of 315 kph and does a 0-100 kph sprint in just under 4 seconds; fast enough to satisfy anyone's appetite for fresh air.
Compared to the C8 Spyder the LaTurbie presents a more elegant appearance with long flowing lines and a striking rear deck. There are also plenty of gills on the car, scattered on the front and rear fenders and on the rear of the car. They may render some shark-like qualities to the design but also seem a bit over-the-top, as do the fancy upward opening doors.
(picture by Nicolas Meunier, used with permission)

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