This is the new Spyker C8 Preliator Spyder, and I think it is a breath of fresh air in the supercar world. At a time when Ferraris and Lamborghinis seem more and more mass market, here is a genuinely unique supercar that takes a different, more classic, and ultra “special” approach.

Today the mainstream carmakers are obsessed with the orgy of technology, which has many upsides for performance, but nobody is stopping to ask if it really serves the purpose of a super sports car well. Too many cars are being built for lap times and bragging rights, and wind up compromising on a truly engaging driving experience. Speed is great and all, but on my weekends, I don’t have any interest in hopping in a car that does most of the driving for me.

The C8 Preliator brings the formula back to what I consider the epitome of the modern supercar. I see it as carrying on the torch of the Pagani Zonda, the Porsche Carrera GT, and the Ford GT, a truly analog supercar experience, with a beautifully exposed gear lever and a proper 3 pedals.

Though not fitted in the prototype you see here, power will come from a very special Koenigsegg 5.0L naturally aspirated V8 making 600hp. That pushing a car weighing right around the 3,000lb mark (around 200lbs less than a 488), should be quite exciting.

Furthermore, the C8 Preliator Spyder oozes handcrafted fine details. It has a substantial sense of occasion when you’re near it that I don’t think an Aventador or even a LaFerrari can match. The Spyker is a genuine work of art, on a level that can be mentioned with the likes of Pagani and Koenigsegg. As an object you’ll be paying at least $450,000 for, I think this is surely one of the most “special” supercars out there.

This is really my kind of car. Sure, there are way faster cars out there, but this has an incredible balance of power and lightness. You don’t need 1,000hp when the car doesn’t weigh well over 2 tons (cough, Bugatti, cough), and the performance 600hp can provide remain more than insane on the street. Mix that with the pure analogue driving experience, top down thrills, incredible detail work, and a limited production of just 100 units, and you have the ideal recipe for a super sports car as far as I’m concerned.

Enjoy the photos, and be sure to drink in all those fine details!

-Nick Walker