Small Dutch car manufacturer Donkervoort celebrated the 70th birthday of Joop Donkervoort with the D8 GTO-JD70, which is limited to 70 units and starts at €163,636 in Europe, or $193,050 at current exchange rates.
Introduced this summer, it is a carbon fiber-bodied, Audi-powered roadster that weighs under 1,540 lbs (700 kg). It is built on a tubular steel chassis and promises to achieve more than 2G of lateral acceleration through corners.
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Under that long hood sits a turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine that has been tuned to deliver 415 HP (420 PS / 310 kW) and 384 lb-ft (520 Nm) of torque to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual transmission with a short-throw shifter. The company claims that it can hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.7 seconds from a standstill and max out at 174 mph (280 km/h).
The simplistic design carries over in the cockpit, where drivers won’t find an infotainment system, digital radio or sat-nav, but rather a few buttons to control the basic functions, such as the heater, and a traditional handbrake lever.
Due to the long nose and very high window line, the D8 GTO-JD70 appears big from behind the wheel, but is actually quite small and very agile and has a composed ride.
The car put to the test on film below is actually owned by Joop Donkervoort and lacks ABS, power-assisted steering and air conditioning, which are options. It is however fitted with six-point harnesses and carbon fiber seats, and it did thrill the reviewer, even though it was only driven on a public road.