The Netherlands does not have a car industry as such. What they do have is a number of boutique car makers who are, on the evidence of what they produce, completely mad! This is the new Donkervoort D8 GTO-RS, a new version of a sports car which came out ten or twelve years ago.
That Donkervoort took the sports car market by storm, made a lot of noise, set a blistering (for the time) Nurburgring lap record, and then it vanished. Now the firm is back with the Donkervoort D8 GTO-RS which they say is a thorough improvement over the previous effort. Well, it’d better be, because this thing is priced at well over 150K Euros.
That said, the hefty price tag does not seem to have dampen the public’s enthusiasm for the Donkervoort D8 GTO-RS, as 21 of the 40 production units have already been pre-sold. People apparently love the unapologetic rawness of this car with its raw simplicity, light weight, retro looks, and powerful Audi 2.5 liter TFSI engine.
The best part of this car, for us, is the interior which is like the perfect blend of old and modern. You get a dashboard designed like racing cars of the Fifties full of dials and flick switches and round knobs, but it’s made of carbon fiber and comes with a digital instrument cluster. It’s wonderful!
Detailed specs of Donkervoort D8 GTO-RS are yet to be released. Stay tuned.