Spyker Cars is back in the spotlight at this year’s Geneva Motor Show.
It’s been a long road to recovery since the automaker went bust in 2013. After multiple rumored “savior” companies declined to pick up the Dutch automaker, finally a U.S. electric aircraft company, Volta Volare, came to Spyker’s rescue.
With new backing, Spyker has returned with a successor to its Aileron sports car. The C8 Preliator is an evolution of the Aileron’s figure, which itself came from the B6 Venator Concept. Fans of the brand will recall that the C8 name has been used before on the C8 Spyder, Laviolette, Double, and Aileron. The latter was powered by an Audi-sourced V8 ponying up 400 hp and 354 pound-feet of torque.
This C8, however, makes due with an Audi-sourced supercharged 4.2-liter V8 making 525 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. The engine will be mated to a Getrag six-speed manual gearbox, but buyers can choose an optional ZF six-speed automatic transmission instead.
While 525 supercharged horses are certainly exciting, the gas-fed motor contrasts with rumors of an all-electric powertrain. Though an EV setup would have meant instant torque, the C8 Preliator will still rocket to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds and will achieve a 201 mph top speed, thanks in part to its ultra-light all-aluminum space frame chassis. When it’s time to bring the momentum down from triple-digit speeds, the Preliator’s AP Racing brakes will do the trick.
Some indicators of Volta Volare’s hand can be seen in the C8’s design, such as its NACA ducts (similar to ones found in the aviation industry). As for the rest of its figure, aerodynamics have clearly been a focus. Spyker reworked the rear diffuser, side skirts, and front splitter to better manage airflow.
Spyker says it will only produce 50 examples of the C8 Preliator, each costing €324,900/$352,925 for the manual version and €330,990/$359,541 if you’d prefer the automatic.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.