Dutch sports car specialist Spyker rolled out one of the more pleasing-to-the-eye debutants at the Pebble Beach concours in California in the form of its stunning B6 Venator Spyder.
The newcomer follows in the wheeltracks of the B6 Venator coupe concept that debuted at the Geneva motor show earlier this year, but there’s little doubt the drop-top eclipses its sibling in terms of raw visual appeal. Spyker CEO and chief designer Victor Muller was on hand to do the honours at the unveiling of the Spyder at Pebble Beach, and he confirmed both the B6 Venator coupe and Spyder were due to go into production late next year.
According to reports, pricing for the vehicles (in the US) will start around $US150,000 However, there are no plans to build the vehicle in right-hand-drive format, so it’s obviously a non-starter for our market.
Muller says he aimed to incorporate elements of Spyker’s aviation heritage in various design elements of the B6 Venator, such as the jet fighter-style cockpit and afterburner-mimicking LED rings in the tail-lights.
More aircraft-themed touches include a red flip switch over the start button and a dashboard that lights up as part of a ‘pre-flight check’ whenever you hit the starter.
The voluptuous proportions of the Spyder appear well-resolved, and the car manages to not look derivative in an era replete with me-too designs.
Unique styling elements include the V-pattern mesh in the grille, teardrop-shaped air intakes immediately behind the doors, and leather-trimmed pods stretching back on either side of the twin roll hoops.
The company’s motto, Nulla tenaci invia est via, which in Latin means “For the tenacious no road is impassable,” is also emblazoned on the car’s flanks.
Going on the accompanying images, the Venator B6 Spyder appears to embody the highest production values, with well-crafted leather upholstery juxtaposed with a smattering of aluminium surfaces.
As per its coupe sibling, propulsion for the drop-top comes from a mid-mounted 280kW V6, with drive channelled to the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.
Even though the carbonfibre-bodied Spyder features a folding-roof mechanism, kerb weight is claimed to be under 1400kg, which is more or less the same as that quoted for the coupe. No performance figures have been released for now.
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