Words: Nathan Chadwick | Photos: deBruyn
The designer and engineer behind the Spyker supercars has returned with a brand-new supercar – the deBruyn Ferox V8. Martin de Bruijn designed and built the Silvestris in the late 1990s, before partnering with Victor Muller to form Spyker at the turn of the millennium. As featured in Magneto 16 (which is available here), de Bruijn would part ways with Muller in 2004. He since exclusively revealed that he had a new car for 2023 – and here it is.
Called the Ferox V8, it features a 6.2-litre eight-cylinder engine that produces 500bhp and 650Nm (480lb ft) of torque, marshalled through a manual six-speed gearbox. Its striking design is rendered in a hand-beaten aluminium body over a bonded-aluminium chassis. The whole car weighs just 1050kg; it has a similar power-to-weight ratio as a Ferrari 488 Pista, but tips the scales at 300kg less. It measures 187cm wide, 420cm long and 105cm high.
We spoke to Martin de Bruijn about his philosophies of design last year, as part of the Spyker article. “My designs are simple and natural, and I take my inspiration from nature,” he said. “I don’t believe in trendy curves; cars are today are basically the same in ‘volume’. Everybody copies the same details these days, too – the rectangular centre thing from Formula 1, and vertical lighting – all the cars have that today.”
Expanding on the theme, he added: “I think that if you look at nature 100 years ago, it’s beautiful and impressive, and it still is today – it will be in 100 years. I want to come up with a sculpture – I’m going back to the old school, creating a beautiful shape. I like to make engineering look beautiful.”
The project is backed by entrepreneurs Wouter van Everdingen, owner of Palmesteyn, and Niek van Exel, founder of Bloomit Ventures. Three cars have already been accounted for, and each one is built to order with prices starting at €650,000. More details can be found via www.debruyncars.com.
