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Spyker, SMP Partnership to Include Racing Return

Spyker revived, planning re-entry into “international race arena” with SMP Racing…

Photo: Spyker

Former FIA World Endurance Championship entrant SMP Racing has entered into a “far reaching collaboration” with Spyker Ltd., with plans for the Dutch boutique automaker to return to sports car racing. 

SMP founder Boris Rotenberg, business partner Michail Pessis of Milan Morady SA and R-Company GmbH have joined forces to revive the company following its bankruptcy in 2014.

It plans to launch three road car models, including the Spyker C8 Preliator, beginning in 2021, and will involve Rotenberg’s BR Engineering firm, which had previously been involved with the development and build of LMP1 and LMP2 machinery. 

A release from the “new group of companies” states that Spyker will become an “important player” in the super-sports car market.

Spyker has not been present in sports car racing since 2010 when it campaigned the Spyker C8 Laviolette GT2-R in the European Le Mans Series and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Plans to develop a GTE car were abandoned when the factory team’s major shareholder, Snoras Bank, filed for bankruptcy.

“Since Boris Rotenberg and I ordered our first Spyker almost a decade ago we passionately fell in love with the beauty and craftsmanship of these hand-built sports cars,” said Pessis.

“As of 2015 the cooperation with Spyker intensified through Milan Morady which now culminates in the collaboration agreement announced today.

“Moreover BR Engineering and Milan Morady have for the past few years already been involved in the development and production of a number of Spyker C8 Ailerons in so-called Limited Edition BR configuration in our German facilities.”

R-Company, which has no relation to Swiss sports car racing outfit R-Motorsport, will be involved in the production of the road cars, with a dealership to be opened in Monaco.

Spyker plans to re-enter the “international race arena” through its partnership with SMP, although details have yet to be announced.

The Russian outfit withdrew from the WEC at the end of the 2018-19 ‘Super Season’ but has still remained active in GT competition with a Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 in GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS.

“The collaboration agreement which we signed today, is the high light of months of our relentless efforts to build a solid Spyker company which disposes of both technical as well as financial means to achieve its business objectives,” said Spyker CEO Victor Mueller.

“My gratitude goes out to Boris Rotenberg and Michail Pessis for the trust they both placed in us.”

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John

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