Autoblog

Good news all you power-hungry Spyker fans. Rumors are flying that the newly revived Dutch company is re-thinking the powerplants in its new C12 Zagato and D12 SUV. Instead of using VW's 6.0-liter W12, Spyker may be looking to U.S. manufacturers for its engines.

Three reasons could be driving the company to go American. One is purely financial. With the Euro worth about $1.50 right now, U.S. engines would be much cheaper than German ones. The second reason is output. VW is expected to end production of their W12 soon, and Spyker doesn't want to get caught with nothing under their hoods. The third reason is, again, output. Spyker's CEO Victor Muller has said the Audi V8 his company had once planned for use in the D12 SUV just isn't powerful enough with "only" 400 hp.

So what engines would be appropriate for Spyker? "Beleggers Belangen" quotes Muller as saying, "Look at the block in the General Motors Corvette: thick 500 hp. And from the V10 Dodge Viper: over 600 hp."

Dear Santa: We've been really good this year, but if you bring us a Viper-powered, Dutch-designed supercar with 600 hp we can't make any promises for next year.

[Sources: Autoblog.nl via Motor Authority]

Spyker is bankrupt.

Old news, actually, it happened in 1926. Spyker Cars, founded in 2000, however, got a little extension on life back in September when it mortgaged the Spyker name for a €12.5 million loan from Friesland Bank. Spyker says the deal is nothing out of the ordinary but a Reuters story quotes some folks who think otherwise.

"Why do you have to sell your name to get a loan? Because the bank thinks the results are not good enough and want security, I think," trader Rik Zwaneveld AFS Brokers told Reuters.

Spyker investors seem to agree, with the stock trading down today.

Motor Authority says the company has its hopes pinned on the new Super Sports Utility Vehicle coming soon. Spyker says it already has 182 orders for the SSUV. We too hope it's the must-have vehicle that keeps the quirky company afloat.

[Sources: Motor Authority, Reuters, Forbes]