Through Ian's Lens: Spyker C8 Aileron

High-end boutique cars are about as practical as full-size SUVs would be if gas cost $17 a gallon. But when your price tag has two (maybe three) commas, your yearly lineup contains fewer than six models and you produce fewer than 1,000 cars a year, you aren’t really aiming for practicality. Automakers in the boutique car market are looking to be the biggest fish in a very small pond.

Case in point: the Spyker C8 Aileron. This car truly is a designer’s dream, as no design punches are pulled, no option is diluted by a public survey and no material is too expensive. Pillow-stitched bright-orange leather covers the interior of this car, with small gaps that reveal stamped steel plates and hard metal gauges. Splitting the middle of the cockpit is a steel rod with a large handle in the middle, recalling a turn-of-the-19th century “Car of the Future” rather than a luxurious two-seater from 2009.

On the outside, the C8 Aileron takes the “Car of the Future” look to a new level, with five circular air intake scoops that combine a touch of early pulp science fiction with fighter-jet design to create a unique and striking look. Scissor doors and LED taillights complete the car’s aesthetic, as “Olde Tyme” classy meets high-end modern. This car has billionaire steam-punk written all over it. Please leave your remarks in the comments section; a full set of photos is below. Feel free to use the full-screen mode on the photo browser. This car is meant to be seen up-close.