Friday, March 29, 2024

Donkervoort D8 GTO-JD70, the world’s first 2G production super sportscar

Donkervoort introduced the terrible D8 GTO-JD70 in a limited series, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Joop Donkervoort, the founder of the Danish firm. Only 70 copies of this open-topped celebratory will be produced; half of the production has already been sold, says Donkervoort (deliveries started on June 11, 2020).

Under the hood is an optimized version of Audi’s 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine, which in this case, produces 415 hp and 520 Nm. With a curb weight of less than 700 kilograms, this, of course, provides bang performances: 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 2.7 seconds, 0-200 km/h (0-124 mph) in 7.7 seconds and a top speed of 280 km/h (174 mph).

But beyond that, Donkervoort made even more interesting statements: the D8 GTO-JD70 is capable of generating more than 2G of lateral acceleration when cornering and more than 1G of longitudinal acceleration. Even in its basic configuration and with Nankang AR-1 road tires offering a harder rubber and better grip in the middle of a corner.

The aerodynamic elements create a lot of contact force – 50 kg at the front and 80 kg at the rear. The manufacturer claims that the JD70 is the first series-produced car with license plates that can beat corners so aggressively with standard tires.

From the inside out, we first find a tubular ladder chassis in steel, aluminum, and carbon fiber, with wide-track suspension systems at each corner, three-position Intrax adjustable shock absorbers, and Donkervoort specific spirals. There are stabilizer bars on each axle, disc brakes with ABS and traction control.

More than 95% of its bodywork is made from carbon-fiber using the company’s patented EX-CORE carbon-fiber technology, which makes it astonishingly light and immensely strong. Also, the JD70 has new carbon-fiber seats to go with the quick-release steering wheel and the light, race-bred digital instrument cluster. You can equip your JD70 with options like four- or six-point harnesses, a wind deflector to minimize interior buffeting, a carbon-fiber transmission tunnel, and a rear-view camera.

And it is not anything because, with everything and those credentials worthy of a track car, the Donkervoort D8 GTO-JD70 is homologated for public roads. This does not mean that it will be a common sight since only 70 units will be manufactured, each with a base price of €198,000 (about $223,000).