In 1991, Kremer Racing competed in the World Sportscar Championship with aging 962 CK6s, which were becoming uncompetitive against newer machinery from Jaguar, Peugeot, and Mercedes. When the World Sportscar Championship banned turbo cars in 1992, Kremer Racing turned to the Interserie championship, where their 962 CK6s could still compete. However, Interserie teams increasingly favored open-cockpit Formula One or CART-based cars for increased downforce, putting the heavier, closed-cockpit prototypes at a disadvantage. Kremer Racing responded by modifying their coupés into open-cockpit cars to reduce weight and improve speed.
The initial modification involved taking a 962 CK6 and removing the roof and windshield. The doors were replaced with new bodywork to surround the open cockpit, positioning the driver more centrally like an open-wheel formula car. The large air intakes on either side of the cockpit were reshaped with a large cut to improve airflow. The engine cover was retained for rollover protection and to maintain some of the original 962CK6’s aerodynamics. Underneath the bodywork, the mechanicals of the 962 were largely unchanged, including the Type-935 3.2 litre Flat-6 engine. These cars became known as the Kremer K7 Spyder, with at least two built specifically for Interserie use.
Following the K7’s success, Kremer sought to adapt the design for the IMSA GT Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The K8 Spyder retained the 962 CK6 as a base, but incorporated styling changes to comply with the rules of these events. The K8s maintained a two-seater layout and featured a lower windshield design, along with a rollbar added to the top of the engine cover for driver protection. To meet engine requirements, Kremer used a smaller 3.0-litre variant of the Type-935 Flat-6 engine, replacing the large turbocharger snorkels with a more discreet inlet. Four K8 Spyders were built by Kremer Racing.
The initial K7 debuted in the 1992 Interserie season, finishing second at the Nürburgring on May 17th. It then won at Brands Hatch on July 26th, followed by victories at Zolder Circuit and Autodrom Most. Manuel Reuter secured the Interserie driver’s championship, and Kremer Racing won the team championship.
For 1993, a second K7 was completed, replacing the older 962CK6. The team finished first and second at Jarama, and Giovanni Lavaggi won the driver’s championship with four wins. Kremer Racing finished second in the team championship to S.C.I.
In 1994, Kremer concentrated on the development of the new K8 Spyder for its debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, backed by Project 100 Communications and Gulf Oil sponsorship. The K8 qualified second in the LMP1/C90 class, alongside a Courage-Porsche, but finished sixth, nearly thirty laps behind the winning Dauer 962.
After Le Mans, Kremer Racing entered the K8 into the 1995 IMSA GT Championship’s 24 Hours of Daytona, where the team of Giovanni Lavaggi, Jürgen Lässig, Marco Werner, and Christophe Bouchut won by five laps. However, at the 12 Hours of Sebring, the K8 suffered mechanical problems and finished 30th.
The team returned to Europe, where a second K8 was completed. Both cars were entered in Le Mans, facing increased competition from Courage and Ferrari. One K8 finished sixth, while the other withdrew with electrical problems. Kremer also entered a CK7 in two of the final three rounds of Interserie, earning a sole victory.
For 1996, Kremer focused on the BPR Global GT Series with Porsche 911 GT2s, but two K8s were entered at Le Mans. Both cars failed to finish, one due to an accident and the other with an engine failure. In 1997, one K8 failed to qualify for Le Mans, and the remaining entry retired with an engine failure in the first half of the race.
The K8 achieved a 1000 km Monza victory in 1997 for John Nielsen and Thomas Bscher. The team also entered the new International Sports Racing Series, earning third and seventh places in the final round. In the following year, two evolved K8s competed in the full ISRS season, achieving a second-place finish in the season opener and finishing eighth in the team championship. A lone K8 also competed at Le Mans, finishing 12th overall and second in the LMP1 class.
1999 marked the final year of competition for the K8 Spyders, as Kremer Racing purchased a Lola B98/10 for the ISRS. Before the Lola was completed, the team used a K8 in the first two rounds, finishing ninth in one event. A second K8 was sold to the privateer Dutch team BPR Competition, who achieved early success before withdrawing from the series.