Monterey 2009: Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder debuts

Spyker deals in the ultimate four-wheeled fashion accessories, so it's fitting that the automaker debuted its next-generation droptop – the C8 Aileron Spyder – to the primped and bedazzled throngs in Monterey.

Based off the all-new Aileron that debuted at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year (replacing the original C8 after a successful nine-year run), the Spyder version stays true to its predecessor with a frameless windshield and a flowing profile that doesn't disrupt the more angular, aircraft-inspired theme of the coupe.

Ahead of the CNC-machined aluminum luggage rack and integrated roll-bars, a tonneau cover houses a soft-top (available in eight colors) and glass window that's deployed using an electric/hydraulic system and latched with a single mechanism.

Like the original C8, Spyker developed the Aileron to be a convertible from the onset, so little if any modifications have been made to ready the Spyder for drop-top duty. The chassis carries over unchanged, as does the drivetrain – an Audi-sourced 400+ hp 4.2-liter with a choice of either a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox (with paddle shifters) – along with the massive AP brakes and 19-inch Aeroblade wheels. And if the inside of the Aileron wasn't enough of a masterpiece to begin with, Spyker has teamed up with ultra-high-end stereo purveyors Kharma to offer a new infotainment system that will add another level of excess to the already excessive interior. Expect sales to begin later this, with around 50 percent of all Spyders winding up on U.S. shores.

Photos Copyright ©2009 Damon Lavrinc / Weblogs, Inc. and Stefan Ammerlaan/Spyker Cars