A GREAT CATCH: Score big with a winning bid on Reggie Wayne’s rare 2010 Spyker C8 Spyder
April 3, 2019
Posted by Barrett-Jackson
Written by independent automotive journalist Tom Jensen
NFL superstar Reggie Wayne is brining his 2010 Spyker C8 Spyder SWB (Lot #736) to the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach auction block.
New Orleans native and University of Miami star wide receiver Reggie Wayne had quite a career in the National Football League after being selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 2001 NFL draft. Wayne made the Pro Bowl six times, was an NFL All-Pro once and helped lead the Colts to victory in Super Bowl XLI, where he caught a touchdown pass.
During his pro football career, Wayne caught 1,070 passes for 14,345 yards and 82 touchdowns ‒ impressive numbers, to be sure, and ones that will merit serious consideration when he becomes eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
But what you might not have known about Wayne is that he has great taste in cars, and at the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Auction April 11-13 at South Florida Fairgrounds, one of Wayne’s most unique and desirable exotic cars will cross the auction block – with the NFL superstar himself onstage to cheer on the bidding.
The car in question is one of the rarest European supercars ever produced, a 2010 Spyker C8 Spyder (Lot #736). Dutch entrepreneur Victor Muller founded Spyker in 1998, naming it after a company that built automobiles and aviation powerplants in the Netherlands from 1898 to 1925. The Spyker logo, which was created way back in 1914, is a two-bladed propeller over a wire wheel bearing the Latin motto “Nulla tenaci invia est via,” which Muller said means “For the tenacious, no road is impassable.”
Despite the retro references, the Spyker C8 Spyder, which was designed by Maarten De Bruijn, is utterly contemporary in its design. In fact, you can make a compelling case that all the advanced technology that went into it made this Dutch two-seat roadster way ahead of its time.
Some specifics: The Spyker C8 Spyder is an open-cockpit, two-seat performance car built on a mid-engined platform incorporating a racing-style space frame made from aluminum sheet and extruded box section aluminum. The streamlined floorpan is shaped to create aerodynamic downforce.
The body features aluminum panels made by Coventry Prototype Panels in Britain and Karmann in Germany, as well as a front splitter plate and a rear diffuser, both of which are integrated into the body. Ingress and egress are provided via Lamborghini-style scissor doors, which not only are lightweight and efficient, but also preserve the Spyker’s structural integrity.
The Spyker’s heartbeat comes from an Audi all-aluminum V8. The powerplant, which has proven reliable and fast in both the Audi R8 and A8 models, displaces 4.2 liters and produces 400 horsepower and 345 ft/lbs of torque. It’s all aluminum, with 32 valves for maximum intake and exhaust flow. Shifting is via an advanced 6-speed manual transaxle. The Audi engine means an authorized Audi dealer can service the Spyker.
A Formula One-style suspension package, fat tires on Aeroblade magnesium racing wheels and huge AP Racing 4-wheel disc brakes ensure that the Spyker is every bit as capable in terms of handling and braking as it is in a straight line. After all, Spyker used the C8 platform to compete successfully in FIA GT and international endurance races, as well as the LMS Series that includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans and 12-hour Sebring endurance race. These cars are built to be fast and built to last.
If the entire Spyker C8 Spyder is an engineering marvel – spoiler alert: it is – then its cockpit is truly a work of art and of stunning craftsmanship. Two bucket seats are covered in rich quilted Connolly leather, and the entire cockpit was designed to evoke the look of a classic fighter plane with aviation-style instruments and switchgear. The cast pedals and polished aluminum gearshift lever are of a design unique to Spyker, and the look of the interior is unlike anything else you’ll ever see on the road.
Of course, you won’t see a lot of Spykers anywhere you go. It is believed the company has produced fewer than 500 cars since its inception in 1999.
This amazing Dutch supercar is set to cross the auction block in South Florida and ready to find a new owner. It’s unlikely you’ll find one of these anywhere else, but to acquire one that was owned by NFL superstar Reggie Wayne, there’s only one place to be: Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach. Don’t miss the opportunity.
For up-to-date information about this vehicle, click HERE. For a look at all the vehicles on the 2019 Palm Beach docket, click HERE.