The Dutch supercar maker that everyone wrote off, twice, is back with a hand-built V8 monster aimed straight at Monterey Car Week. No batteries, no apologies, just 800 horsepower and a top speed north of 217 mph.

• The reborn C8 Preliator debuts on August 14, 2026 at The Quail during Monterey Car Week
• A twin-turbo V8 produces 800 hp and pushes the car past 217 mph (350 km/h)
• Founder Victor Muller regained all Spyker IP rights through a 2025 legal settlement

From Two Bankruptcies to a Third Try

Spyker’s modern story reads like a soap opera with a soundtrack of V8s. Founder Victor Muller revived the original 1880s carriage-and-airplane company in 1999, built genuinely beautiful cars like the C8 Spyder, Laviolette, Aileron, and Preliator, and then watched it all collapse twice, once in 2014 after the disastrous Saab acquisition, and again in 2021. Most enthusiasts assumed that was the end of the propeller badge for good.

Then came the quiet plot twist. A recent announcement from the brand, in October 2025, stated that founder Viktor Muller “reached a settlement, securing all Spyker IP rights,” and that new plans would be revealed soon after. With the rights consolidated under one roof again, the comeback could finally start moving from rumor to metal.

What We Know About the New C8 Preliator

Spyker CEO and Founder Victor Muller claims the new model “is not going to be electric in any way.” It will use a twin-turbo V8 with 800 hp and top out at over 217 mph. That’s a meaningful jump over the previous Preliator, which made do with a supercharged 4.2-liter Audi V8 producing around 518 horsepower.

The source of the new engine is the open question. It’s unclear where the engine comes from, since Spyker likely didn’t develop one in-house, and the Audi-sourced 4.2-liter V8 used in earlier C8s is probably too old to comply with strict regulations around the world. Muller is keeping the supplier under wraps for now.

The first new model carries chassis number 270, suggesting that only 269 vehicles have been built by Spyker in the modern era. Translation: this is a brand that hand-builds cars in numbers smaller than some neighborhoods have houses, and prices will almost certainly land in seven-figure territory.

Aviation DNA Meets Marine Engineering Vibes

Spyker has always borrowed cues from aircraft, including NACA ducts, exposed shift linkages, and that toggle-heavy cockpit that feels machined rather than molded. The new car appears to keep that ethos. It looks like a two-door convertible built largely with aluminum to keep weight in check, with a cabin sized for two seats and a V8 that will very likely be mid-mounted.

That mid-mounted layout is part of why Spyker fans often compare the cars to bespoke speedboats. The same craftsmanship logic applies. Just as boat builders weigh the inboard versus outboard motor question when balancing power, weight distribution, and cabin space, supercar engineers at Spyker wrestle with where to bolt a heavy V8 for the best handling. Spyker’s answer keeps the engine tucked low and central, riveted aluminum panels and all, the way a hand-finished Riva tucks its powerplant beneath polished mahogany.

Why Pebble Beach, and Why Now

Before reaching the spotlight, the new C8 Preliator is being shipped from the UK to the Netherlands, where final assembly will take place. The choice of The Quail as the launchpad isn’t accidental. Monterey Car Week draws the buyers who actually write $1 million-plus checks for cars they’ll garage next to a Pagani or a Bugatti.

Last year, Muller announced he had reached a settlement to secure all of the company’s intellectual property rights, hence why the niche automaker has been able to return with a vehicle from its past, and if everything goes as planned, the modernized C8 Preliator could be just the first of several vehicles that the Dutch brand releases.

Can the Propeller Badge Finally Stick the Landing?

Spyker has cried wolf before. The difference this time is that Muller controls the IP outright, the prototype exists, and a firm date is on the calendar. Spyker interiors have always felt like sitting inside a Rolex watch, and hopefully, that careful attention to detail will carry over into this new era. If it does, the brand’s third act could be the one that finally writes a longer chapter than the bankruptcy filings did.

For collectors who love analog supercars in a world rapidly moving toward silent kilowatts, that’s the kind of news worth circling on a calendar. August 14, 2026, Carmel Valley. Bring earplugs.