It’s been rough going for Spyker over the past few years, but better days appear to be ahead for the Swedish maker of supercars thanks in part to a partnership it has entered with Koenigsegg. As per the agreement, Koenigsegg will now be the official engine supplier of both coupe and spyder versions of Spyker’s C8 Preliator, replacing Audi in that role and ushering a new era of supercar collaborations that could change the landscape of the segment in the coming years.

Yes, you read that right. Koenigsegg, the makers of all-conquering machines like the Regera and the One:1, will now be tasked to power Spyker’s future lineup of models, beginning with the two Preliator variants. The news comes as Spyker is set to present the C8 Preliator Spyder, the topless version of the coupe variant it unveiled in Geneva this time last year.

Remember, the C8 Preliator that was shown last year came with an Audi-sourced 4.2-liter supercharged V-8 engine that put out 517 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. Impressive, right? But when compared to the new digs Spyker’s getting from Koenigsegg – a 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V-8 engine that produces 600 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque – well, we’re going to let the numbers paint the picture.

With the new V-8 bolted up, the C8 Preliator Spyder will be able to sprint to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and hit a top speed of 201 mph. Sure, it’s not on the level of Koenigsegg’s four-wheel guided missiles, but it still comes as a slight improvement over the supercharged Audi V-8. It covered the same 60-mph time in 3.7 seconds before peaking at a similar 201-mph top speed.

But the Spyker-Koenigsegg partnership isn’t just about bigger engines, more power, and improved performance. It also points to something even more important, not only for both brands, but for the whole supercar segment entirely. Whereas competition remains the driving force of this market, this collaboration could open up a world of new possibilities for future supercar brands moving forward. It may be Spyker and Koenigsegg now, but imagine if, say, Koenigsegg and Bugatti joined forces to create the ultimate supercar? Impossible? Perhaps. But there was a time when the kind of partnership we’re seeing between Spyker and Koenigsegg would’ve been scoffed at as well.

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There's more to this partnership than meets the eye

To be fair, we see collaborations of all sorts in the auto industry these days. Toyota is a good example. It’s got joint partnerships with Subaru and BMW to develop different sports cars. Mercedes-Benz and Aston Martin also have a partnership of some sort, as do the numerous examples of sister companies, especially those under the Volkswagen Group, sharing technologies with one another. What we rarely see are two independent supercar brands cooperating together on a performance car with the perceived credentials of the C8 Preliator.

I don’t know how far this partnership goes, but I do take stock from what Spyker CEO Victor Muller said about it when he described the celebration with Koenigsegg as the “single most important advancement in technology” the company has had since it was formed in 2000. Don’t sleep on that statement because there’s more than a grain of truth behind it, especially for a company like Spyker that has been mired in issues over the past few years.

Having Koenigsegg by its side in some capacity not only gives Spyker a proven supercar brand to work with, but you could also say that Koenigsegg stands to benefit in some form if it can lean on some of Spyker’s expertise in the business. It’s admittedly impish to think that Koenigsegg would need something from Spyker, but you never know. The possibility that it’s there though is intriguing, whether you want to admit it or not.

For now, though, the Spyker C8 Preliator takes its moment in the Geneva spotlight. Its performance credentials have already been laid out, but the car also boasts some interesting exterior and interior features. These include the carbon fiber body, the brushed aluminum dashboard, the option to order a five-piece Louis Vuitton luggage set that’s exclusively made for Spyker. There's also the fact only 100 units of the C8 Preliator Spyders will be built, with each unit costing $429,000 before options and taxes.

There’s a lot to get excited about Spyker these days, and with Koenigsegg by its side, at least in some ways, the car maker’s future appears to finally be headed in the right direction.