2012 SPYKER GT RACER

• Spyker Squadron dedicates resources to developing 2012 racer
• C8 Aileron GT racing car will be designed to new GTE regulations
• Discussions underway to supply race cars to customer teams

Zeewolde, The Netherlands, 1 March 2011 – Spyker Squadron, the factory racing division of luxury supercar manufacturer, Spyker, will focus its resources this year on the development of a next generation GT race car for 2012.

Based on Spyker's new flagship C8 Aileron luxury supercar, the new GT racer will be designed and developed to the ACO's new GTE specifications and will be ready for the start of the 2012 motorsport season. Development activities will be undertaken by Spyker Squadron's expanded engineering team at its Zeewolde headquarters in conjunction with its long-standing technical partners.

Greater attention will also be paid to the commercial arm of the Spyker Squadron division, specifically through the sale of its new C8 Aileron GT car to customer teams. Squadron is already in discussions with a number of potential purchasers for the supply of cars and of full customer racing support packages.

Spyker Squadron Managing Director, Peter Van Erp, said: "We are taking a racing sabbatical this year to concentrate our resources on developing a new GT racer based on Spyker's new
C8 Aileron supercar, instead of continuing to spend money on a car at the end of its development cycle. For the long term future of Spyker Squadron, and for its role in the promotion and technical development of Spyker road cars, it's a positive and strategically important step.


"We will develop the car for the new GTE class, although after its first season we will assess whether there is sufficient demand to develop a variant to FIA GT3 specifications. This would be relatively straightforward and would increase the potential customer base for the car and associated race support package.  We are already attracting customer race teams wishing to buy an off-the-shelf car, with enquiries arriving from Europe and the Far East," continues Van Erp.
 
"Ultimately, our fans can look forward to a very exciting long term future following Spyker in top-flight endurance racing, with both the Spyker Squadron and customer racing teams fielding C8 Aileron GT cars. And as a result, Spyker will become an even more prominent and successful name in endurance motorsport around the world in 2012 and beyond.

"The Spyker C8 Aileron GT racing car will take over from Squadron's C8 Laviolette GT2R racer, with which Spyker's race division enjoyed three years of competitive European GT endurance racing.  In 2009, the C8 Laviolette GT2R delivered Squadron's most successful season, claiming two second-place GT2 class finishes in the Le Mans Series, and scoring an incredible fifth place in the gruelling 24 Hours of Le Mans.

SPYKER SQUADRON HISTORY

Competitive motorsport is a crucial part of Spyker's strategy. Spyker Cars has been competing in the international GT arena since 2001, and through its own factory race division, Spyker Squadron, since 2002. Spyker Squadron is a dedicated team of engineers, mechanics and supporting staff that develops, builds and supports the Spyker GT race cars from its high-tech workshops in Zeewolde, The Netherlands.

2001 Spyker Cars launches its race activities at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

2002 Spyker Cars selects Reiter Engineering to develop and run the Spyker Double12 R at Sebring and in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Spyker races at Sebring and on 22 March, is invited by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest to participate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Spyker Squadron is established as the factory racing team of Spyker Cars.

2003 Spyker Squadron races the Double12 R at Sebring and 24 Hours of Le Mans.

2004 No racing activity: a year for the development and testing of the racing version of the Spyker C8 Spyder.

2005 Spyker Squadron introduces the racing version of the Spyker C8 Spyder. 3rd in the Le Mans Series 1000 km of Nürburgring 2nd in FIA GT Dubai 5th in FIA GT Zhuhai

2006 Spyker Squadron races two factory cars (C8 Spyders). 3rd in the Le Mans Series 1000 km of Nürburgring 4th in FIA GT Dubai 4th in the FIA GT Spa 24 Hours 3rd in the constructor championship of the FIA GT

2007 Spyker Squadron races one factory car and supports one customer car (both C8 Spyders). 3rd in Le Mans Series 1000 km of Silverstone 4th in the 1000 miles of Interlagos

2008 Spyker Squadron introduces a race version of the Spyker C8 Laviolette to replace the C8 Spyder and races one factory car and one customer car. 4th in the Le Mans Series 1000 km of Spa 4th in the Le Mans Series 1000km of Nürburgring 4th in the Le Mans Series 1000km of Silverstone 3rd in the constructor championship of the Le Mans Series 1st in Omnitel 1000 km in Lithuania

2009 Spyker Squadron races one factory car (C8 Laviolette) in the Le Mans Series and in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. 4th in the Le Mans Series 1000 km of Spa 2nd in the Le Mans Series 1000 km of Nürburgring 2nd in the Le Mans Series 1000 km of Silverstone 5th in the 24 Hours of Le Mans 3rd in the constructor championship of the Le Mans Series

2010 Spyker Squadron races one factory car (C8 Laviolette) in the Le Mans Series and in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. 8th in the 8 hours of Castellet (Paul Ricard circuit) 7th in the Le Mans Series 1000 km of Spa 9th in the Le Mans Series 1000km of Algarve 9th in the Le Mans Series 1000 km of Hungaroring 7th in the Le Mans Series 1000 km of Silverstone 13th in the 24 Hours of Le Mans 8th in the constructor championship of the Le Mans Series

2011 Spyker Squadron announces a year's sabbatical from racing, instead focussing on the development of its next generation endurance racing car, based on the new Spyker C8 Aileron supercar, and designed for the new GTE classification.