Dutch team Donkervoort puts the Caterham Seven on steroids. Again
[Not a valid template]Chances are the only Dutch car brand you’ll have heard of is Spyker, whose C8 brought the company back from the dead in 2008. So allow me to introduce you to Dankervale…Dorkervol…Donkeyshi… Donkervoort, which first entered the aftermarket scene in 1978, takes an admirable if slightly controversial ‘No Compromises’ approach to each design (that means neither anti-lock brakes nor power-assisted steering), introduced the D8 in 2003, and has basically been pimping the ever-loving crap out of the Caterham Seven since then. But don’t be too quick to dismiss the Dutch team though: in 2005 the D8 RS lapped the Nürburgring 7m 14.89s, still the ninth quickest of all time.
The ‘new’ D8 GTO-RS then deserves a closer look at the very least. Now, while power, torque or indeed any performance figures at all have been released yet, the GTO-RS borrows the same 2.5-litre TFSI turbocharged five-cylinder from the 400bhp Audi TT RS, so expect something in the high-300bhp region at least. And since the RS is ‘the lightest and fastest GTO ever’ and the Seven at the base traditionally weighs in at under 1200kg, chances are the new D8 will be a sprightly minx.
Other technical details? There’s performance enhancement from Bosch, new suspension, a wider track, ‘stronger grip on the front axle’ and a redeveloped braking system. Completely street legal, prices start from $172,600 and only 40 will be made, 21 of which have already been sold. Worth the price? Just ask Carfection (formerly XCAR) who tested the D8 GTO back in 2014.
Source – Carfection
