Spyker Cars is following up the introduction of its C8 Preliator sports car at the Geneva Motor Show with news that two new models are in the works.
It’s not been long since the Holland-based automaker was stuck in bankruptcy — three years to be exact. U.S. electric aircraft company, Volta Volare, came to Spyker’s rescue recently and funded the brand’s return. The C8 Preliator was basically the production version of the B6 Venator Concept that briefly saw the light of day before financial troubles hit the surface.
Now it would appear Spyker has a serious plan for its future, choosing to not only focus on traditional supercars, but multi-passenger vehicles. CEO Victor Muller mentioned that a four-door model is under consideration, and will be a “C8 Preliator on steroids.” We’re not quite sure what that means, but the way things are going with crossover and SUV sales, chances are that those “steroids” will pump the sportscar up into a high-riding model.
Beyond the mystery four-door, Muller spoke of a V12-powered model to sit above the C8 in Spyker’s range. The “C12” will borrow its engine from a European automaker and may introduce an all-new design language.
Muller also announced that the C8 Preliator production will only yield 150 examples, a rather small number even compared to multi-million-dollar vehicles like the Bugatti Chiron. The breakdown of those units will be 50 coupes, 50 convertibles, and 50 limited-edition cars. Half of the coupes have been designated for America and will be sold through a network of about ten dealerships located in major cities including New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, and Tampa.
As a reminder, the C8 is powered by an Audi-sourced 4.2-liter supercharged V8 engine making 525 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. Buyers can choose from either a six-speed manual or ZF six-speed automatic gearbox. 0 to 60 mph takes just 3.7 seconds and the C8 will top out at 201 mph thanks in part to its lightweight aluminum space frame chassis. Prices for the coupe will start at €324,900/$352,925 for the manual version and €330,990/$359,541 for 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.