Dutch Donkervoort D8 GTO-JD70 2020: Like a Rocket, Only Faster

The rocket is not just a catchphrase. The space vehicle will take you 8 meters in 83 seconds. Vertically, of course. The rocket speed is 20 m/sec. And the D8 GTO-JD70 will accelerate to 200 km/h in the same time period.


The roadster's speed is 56 m/sec. Although no: the roadster will leave the double "hundred" behind in 7,7 seconds. Another 0,3 seconds will remain in reserve. Accordingly, the Donkervoort spends 0 seconds on the "100-2,7" exercise. Isn't it a "flying Dutchman"? In a slightly different sense, of course. Let's start our acquaintance with the Dutch miracle, a unique supercar, with the manufacturer.

Boutique Automotive Company

What do they, the Dutch, have interesting things to say about them, apart from great medieval painters and architects? Tulips, cheese, windmills. From the auto industry, DAF comes to mind with its excellent by trucks. And is it not true that the company Donkervoort Automobielen BV has been based there for a long time now, since 1978?


The first word of the company's name is the surname of the founder - Joop Donkervoort. The last two letters are the form of ownership, like our LLC. The manufacturer considers itself (deservedly, by the way) a boutique car company. That is, do not look at us, poor and simple: we sell exclusive, expensive, rare things. The absolute truth.

Joop's Passion by cars It all started with the iconic British Lotus Seven 1957. The cheap, wildly famous sports car, as I recall, was sold in car kits. Fun fact: if the assembly instructions were not included with the pile of parts and units, the kit was not taxed. In order not to leave the user without an assembly diagram, the "law-abiding" British found a clever loophole: they put step-by-step instructions for disassembling the Lotus Seven in the box.


Reading from the last page, our Joop, a born engineer, first assembled the car for himself. Then he began working on orders. He slightly customized, tuned the "sevens" and sold them for more. He got so skilled that he matured to the point of organizing his own company.

Donkervoort Automobielen BV concept

Large factories were not part of the young businessman's plans. J. Donkervoort decided to set up production following the example of the British aristocratic "Morgana" or the same "Lotus". Started in a shed in the backyard of my parents' house.

The company's program theses were summarized in a few lines:

✅ Production is individual or small-scale
✅ Assembly is entirely manual
✅ Track/road cars
✅ The most advanced technologies
✅ Unprecedented quality
✅ Lifetime product service

Each of the points is religiously followed to this day. Plus to the above - the uniqueness of the models. Absolute "custom tailoring" taking into account the wishes of the clients.


There are still no electronic gadgets, assistants, prompters, stabilizers or amplifiers. In a word, that nonsense that does not allow the driver to feel like the master of the situation on the road.

Company Milestones

Joop's "firstborn", the Donkervoort S7 roadster, was very similar to its idol, the Lotus Seven. In the index we see seven and S - "Super", that is. It was not presumptuous to name it that way: the car made a strong impression on the public.


The tubular frame, suspension architecture, 4-speed manual transmission and much more were not different from the original. Under the hood, however, there was a carburetor lower shaft engine from a Ford Capri. The 4-cylinder engine generated 90 "horses". The speed scale was limited to 180 km / h.

Recognition came immediately. Let's skip the S8 and look at the Donkervoort D10. The car marked the manufacturer's first successful decade on the market.


Only 10 units with the same Ford 190-horsepower engine were assembled. Acceleration dynamics (1988!) were pleasing – 4,8 seconds to “2007”. Another iconic model was “Donkervoort” with a hard roof and a large spoiler. In 7, the car completed the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 14,89 minutes 15 seconds. The Dutch beat the Porsche Carrera GT record by XNUMX seconds.


Let's also dwell on the first model of the GTO class, since it became the prototype of the hero of our review. The premiere took place in Geneva at the 2012 auto show. By that time, the Dutch had been cooperating with Audi. Therefore, the wheels were turned by a 340-horsepower Audi TT-RS engine with a peak torque of 450 Nm. Maximum speed is 255 km/h, acceleration 0-100 – 3 sec.

Review of the model "Donkerworth D8 GTO-JD70"

Now, being familiar with the company's "track record", knowing the potential and experience of the manufacturer, let's take a look at the "flying Dutchman" of 2020. Let's refrain from enthusiastic cries, because we are used to carbon fiber. And here Kevlar and carbon fiber are everywhere. Moreover, the structure of the fibers can be seen and touched.

Exterior

The roadster's body is 95% made of durable and lightweight material, as are the seats and interior elements. At the enterprise, which has long since moved from a barn to bright, spacious workshops, everything is done, let us remember, by hand.


Carbon fiber 3D parts with foam inside are manufactured in autoclaves for baking on their sites. For this purpose, they developed and patented the Ex-Core technology. European crash tests have shown the reliability and safety of the car's power frame.

Mass and dimensions of the model with a wheelbase of 2350 mm:

✅ Length - 3836 mm
✅ Width - 1850 mm
✅ Height - 1081 mm
✅ Weight - 680 kg
✅ Luggage compartment – ​​250 l
✅ Gas tank - 48 l

The titanium exhaust system with a particulate filter is located on the side. By the way, CO2 emissions are almost the lowest in the Old World - 191 grams / km. The wheels are different sizes: front - 235/45 17, rear - 245/40 18.


Road tires – Nankang AR-1. Yes! And here is a small deviation from the rules: the MXS Pista dashboard in the cabin is electronic, in a racing style. Optional, though. Although for an extra charge you can also get GPS, a rear-view camera, an ABS system from Bosch, and other “modern things”.

Motors, chassis

The JD70 roadster's brakes are made of carbon fiber. The front brake system has 310 mm discs with 6-piston Tarox calipers, while the rear brakes have 285 mm discs and single-piston calipers. For an extra amount, you can also get a 6-piston mechanism for the rear wheels.


The engine is "removed" from "Audi". Characteristics of the turbocharged unit:

✅ Volume - 2,5 l
✅ Number of cylinders – 5 in-line
✅ Power – 415 hp at 5,85-7,0 thousand rpm
✅ Torque – 560 Nm at 1,75-6,35 thousand rpm

The engine accelerates the car to a maximum of 280 km/h. We mentioned acceleration, but we will savor it with pleasure – the JD70 catapults from zero to the first “hundred” in 2,7 seconds.

Fuel consumption is not shocking - an acceptable 8 liters per 100 km. Traction to the rear wheels through a limited-slip differential is supplied by a 5-speed Tremec manual transmission.

Features of the model

The main thing the Dutch are proud of is gravity. More precisely, the "joke" that engineers from Joop Donkervoort's company played with gravity. They created the world's first 2G car with a downforce twice as great as gravity.


That is, in turns and maneuvers, the roadster literally spreads out on the road. The car takes turns smoothly and beautifully. The development team had to try hard for this. The spoiler, which would have been logical, was not installed. But the double rear diffuser was changed: the element added 80 kg of pressure to the rear axle.

The new design of the front wings and the "gills" behind them increased the downforce at the front by 50 kg. The company worked hard on the weight of the JD70 model (there's a reason for all that carbon), and carefully worked out the shape of the bottom.

The Dutch are asking around 200 thousand euros for their brainchild. The circulation of the car is 70 units, the number of years of the inspirer and organizer of the business, Joop Donkervoort. A good anniversary gift for yourself, your beloved. It’s just strange that you don’t hear much about the car anywhere except Germany and the Netherlands…