The Spyker C8 debuted at the 2000 Birmingham Motor Show as the Spyder, the original base model. The Laviolette followed in 2001, unveiled at AutoRAI. The name ‘Laviolette’ honours Belgian engineer Joseph Valentin Laviolette, who contributed to the development of early Spyker race cars in the 1900s.
The initial C8 models, Spyder and Laviolette, were both equipped with an Audi 4.2-litre V8 engine producing 400 PS (294 kW; 395 hp). In 2002, Spyker unveiled the Double 12S, a road-legal version of the Double 12R race car, utilizing a Mader-BMW 4.0L V8 engine. The Double 12S was offered in five different stages of tune. The name ‘Double 12’ references the 24-hour world speed record set by Selwyn Edge in a Spyker C4 in 1922.
The Spyder T, a modified version of the original C8 Spyder, was announced in 2003, featuring a twin-turbocharged 4.2L V8 engine boosting power to 525 PS (386 kW; 518 hp). In 2008, Spyker introduced a long-wheelbase C8 Laviolette, extending the wheelbase to 2,675 mm (105.3 in) to meet customer demand for increased interior space. The Laviolette LM85, a road-legal version of the Laviolette GT2-R racing car, was produced in a limited run of 24 units in 2009, paying homage to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The Double 12R competed in the 2002 12 Hours of Sebring, but an accident prevented a finish. The Spyder GT2-R debuted in 2005 at the 12 Hours of Sebring, succeeding the Double 12R. The Laviolette GT2-R followed in 2008, debuting at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a 4.0L V8 engine.
Spyker developed racing versions of the C8, including the Double 12R (2001–2003), Spyder GT2-R (2005–2008), and Laviolette GT2-R (2008–2010) specifically for endurance racing events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 12 Hours of Sebring. The Double 12R used a Mader BMW V8 engine, while the GT2-R models featured racing versions of the road car’s V8, initially displacing 3.8L and later 4.0L.
Every C8 model, from the Spyder to the Preliator, is built on an aluminum spaceframe chassis. Body panels for the first two generations are aluminum, while the Preliator incorporates carbon fibre for weight reduction. All C8 generations utilize double wishbone suspension. Early models used Koni shock absorbers and stainless steel/aluminum components, while later Aileron and Preliator models adopted an updated Lotus-developed suspension with forged aluminum parts and mono-tube dampers.
A C8 Spyder appeared in Season 4, Episode 7 of Top Gear (UK), driven by Jeremy Clarkson and The Stig. The Spyker C8 Laviolette has been featured in films such as Basic Instinct 2, War, and Fast & Furious 6, as well as an episode of Rizzoli & Isles ("Money for Nothing"). It also appeared in a 2010 Reese’s Puffs commercial. The C8 has also been featured in several video games.