Outrageously cool custom cars

In 2000, Dutch entrepreneur Victor Muller revived Spyker, an old, revered Netherlandish aircraft- and automaker. His vision: to build individualistic and intricately crafted high-performance cars. The nerve center of the Spyker is an Audi V-8 engine, and the detailing on the scissor-doored, 400-horsepower sports cars is as fine as a chronograph's.

The amount of eye candy is staggering, from the exposed gearshift linkage and the beveled aluminum toggles and gauges (there are lots) to the machine-turned dashboard. Spyker's racing activities have met with mixed success; the F1 team was being sold at presstime. But Spyker presses on, with a design language that polarizes -- but wins the valet attention award. Expect an equally extreme SUV next year.

Price: $235,000 loaded

spykercars.com