MEET THE LIMITED EDITION DONKERVOORT D8 GTO-JD70
This is the Donkervoort D8 GTO-JD70, and it will thunder from 0-100kph in under 2.8-seconds while achieving 2G's of lateral acceleration.
It wouldn't surprise me if you haven't heard of Donkervoort before, but they've been around since 1978. You have probably seen one though, early versions looked like a Dutch version of the Lotus 7, while later models looked more like a Plymouth Prowler and a Dodge Viper had a muscular baby.
This particular model, the Donkervoort D8 GTO-JD70, is in celebration of founder Joop Donkervoort’s 70th birthday and, unsurprisingly, just 70 will be built.
The JD70 evolves the D8 GTO on which it is based, with a new carbon fibre body that is sculpted to increase downforce, an extra 80kg at the back and 50kgs in the front. That translates to a frankly frightening 2 Gs of lateral acceleration. That's as much as the far more expensive McLaren Senna.
A 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder from Audi provides power, 415bhp and 383lb ft of torque, to be precise. A 5-speed manual gearbox transfers this power to the road via its standard road-legal semi-slick tyres. Although official figures haven't been released, the additional power will see it beat the 0-100kph time of 2.8-seconds of its D8 sibling. Top speed too should increase past the 268kph of its stablemate.
Donkervoort's motto, 'no compromise', means that electronic aids like ABS and ESP have been ditched in favour of connecting the driver to the machine. That's not to say it's not got tech. There is a Bosch-designed auto rev-matching software which features full-throttle upshifts to help the driver to "extract every last drop of performance".
This ultra-lightweight sports car is built using Donkervoort's EX-CORE® carbon technology, which means the chassis weighs just 54kg. More than 70 per cent of the hand-crafted bodywork is carbon and, with a weight-saving battery that is 7kg less than the standard one, the car tips the scales at a paltry 700kg.
Production will start in Europe's spring next year, but you can already put your name down for this limited edition €163,636 sports car.
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