TRANSPORT
Eagle Spyder GT: Literally One of a Kind
The all-aluminium engine and body help make the Eagle Spyder GT truly unique.
17 February, 2017
Since 1984, British classic car company Eagle has been building limited edition vehicles.
Eagle's cars celebrate founder Henry Pearman's lifelong love of well-crafted machines, and the Jaguar in particular. The small shop east of London has been building modern iterations of the vintage E-series vehicles, and the latest edition is the Eagle Spyder GT.
The Spyder GT is an exotic, all-aluminium lightweight roadster based around an original 1960s classic, with every detail of the original faithfully honored and technically upgraded.
The Spyder GT is an exotic, all-aluminium lightweight roadster based around an original 1960s classic, with every detail of the original faithfully honored and technically upgraded.
The handful of Eagle Spyder GT vehicles made will make them one of the most exclusive cars designed. How exclusive? The E-series cars are built by hand, and there are only 36 in the world, spread across countries as diverse as Argentina, Malaysia, Australia and Germany, as well as the U.K. home market.
Like the Spyder GT, other models – including the Low Drag GT that debuted in 2013 – are built with aluminium to deliver the highest performance while keeping the look sleek and the vehicle efficient.
Like the Spyder GT, other models – including the Low Drag GT that debuted in 2013 – are built with aluminium to deliver the highest performance while keeping the look sleek and the vehicle efficient.
Because of Eagle's commitment to the custom design revered by its customers, the Spyder GT is built to different specifications.
As the company's first vehicle was completed, though, the details offer a look under the hood to help understand what's available. This one fulfilled the request for a 4.7 liter straight six engine – also in aluminium, instead of iron – that delivers 330 bhp (334 PS) and 340 ft lbs (461 nm) of torque.
Those specifications do not seem all that extraordinary unless you consider the weight of the car itself. Because of the light weight of the aluminium materials, the Spyder GT weighs in at just 1,028 kilograms, making handling and performance exceptional.
As the company's first vehicle was completed, though, the details offer a look under the hood to help understand what's available. This one fulfilled the request for a 4.7 liter straight six engine – also in aluminium, instead of iron – that delivers 330 bhp (334 PS) and 340 ft lbs (461 nm) of torque.
Those specifications do not seem all that extraordinary unless you consider the weight of the car itself. Because of the light weight of the aluminium materials, the Spyder GT weighs in at just 1,028 kilograms, making handling and performance exceptional.
Image: We Blog Any Car
Since there is only one in the world, at least so far, test drives are hard to come by. Even so, the owner agreed to let reviewer Tiff Needell take it out for a few hours. One of the things he admired about the vehicle – besides the smooth five-speed manual gearbox – was the return to a sense of control behind the wheel.
Images: Motor Trend, Motor Legend
That is because the driving experience of the 1960s era kept the driver in command, long before the modern evolution of innovation that turns the interior into a cockpit full of technical instrumentation. With a thoughtfully reproduced Spyder GT, though, the driving experience itself is restored, at the same time that the most sophisticated technologies are used to create the chassis, engine and components.
This Spyder GT tops out at 275 kilometers per hour, which means that level of control is entirely necessary. At £834,000, this singular E-series vehicle includes whatever the owner wants and the engineers achieve. That's been the vision at Eagle since its inception, and all the more so with this new Spyder GT.
This Spyder GT tops out at 275 kilometers per hour, which means that level of control is entirely necessary. At £834,000, this singular E-series vehicle includes whatever the owner wants and the engineers achieve. That's been the vision at Eagle since its inception, and all the more so with this new Spyder GT.
Image: Motor Legend
Those engineers work in "a pristine workshop that has been described as 'a cross between an operating theatre and an art gallery,'" the company says. Whether that's Andy Pitwell, the fabricator who has been making all of the Eagle E-Series components with a precise hand since 2001, or Greg White, who assembles the all-aluminium engines, the small operation remains rooted in methodical restoration.
Banner image: Motor Legend