Netherlands-based Donkervoort Automobielen has been hand-building sports cars for nearly 40 years, and they’ve all been based around the same original vehicle: the Lotus Seven. Much like Caterham Cars, the company that bought the rights to the Seven, Donkervoort felt that Lotus founder Colin Chapman’s open-wheeled two-seater design was a fantastic platform for bombing around corners and jumping off the line. Since the late 1970s, Donkervoort has built more than a dozen different versions and editions of the platform. The last time the power-to-weight-ratio-obsessed Dutchmen put out a car with the designation RS in its name was in 2005, with the D8 270 RS, with which Donkervoort ran a Nürburgring lap in 7:14.8. The company now is releasing another RS version of the D8, which once again makes pretty much any other car with that two-letter designation seem tame.
Earlier this year, Donkervoort laid out a plan to release three new vehicles: GTO-S, GTO-RS, and GTO-R. The Sport (S) is designed to offer a—slightly—more comfortable experience and is the least expensive; the RS is the more aggressive roadgoing car; and the R is purely for the track. The touring-focused GTO-S is already on the streets, and now comes the GTO-RS.
To make the RS, Donk bettered numerous aspects of the GTO. In collaboration with Bosch, Donkervoort says engine management has been optimized on the Audi-sourced 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five for better torque across the rev range. The car makes at least 380 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque and betters last year’s D8 GTO Bilster Berg Edition, which bolted from zero to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds.
Donkervoort said the RS is the first time it has ever succeeded in creating “substantial downforce” and puts the downforce at the front axle at 110 pounds, with an identical figure at the rear. Meanwhile, a redesigned nose, a closed carbon-fiber bottom plate, side skirts and scoops, and small spoilers contribute to a 20 percent reduction in drag compared with the D8 GTO, which the company said pushes the car’s top speed even higher.
The RS elevates the GTO’s handling as well. The suspension is redesigned, and the car has a wider front track. The braking system also is revamped and offers as an option a fully adjustable racing anti-lock-braking system, just like those found on serious race cars. Other options include traction control and a dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Looking inside, the floor and center tunnel on the RS are now made from carbon fiber, saving weight. But the biggest weight reduction comes from a new carbon fiber manufacturing technique called X-Core that uses a layer of foam in between two carbon fiber sheets for stronger and lighter formations—further proving that anything involving sandwiches makes this world a better place.
How much for this Dutch madness? By current exchange rates, the GTO-S costs the equivalent of about $122,000, the GTO-RS is $161,000, and the GTO-R is priced at $266,000. For now, the handmade RS is restricted to only 40 examples, but if that’s too common for you, there also will be two special editions: the Bare Naked Carbon Edition and the Race Edition. The Carbon Edition, which will be limited to 15 cars, will leave every part made of carbon fiber exposed and unpainted—a tactic Donkervoort has used before. The Race Edition, of which 10 will be built, is designed to be a track-only toy with speed- and handling-focused improvements such as a sequential gearbox. Good luck importing one to the States.
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