Like our country's "donks," Holland's Donkervoort D8 GT is completely stupid and ridiculous, but that is where the similarities end. Donks are old, inefficient, American sleds while this thing is a pure-bred track-killer. We're still trying to come to a conclusion about the Ford Tudor-meets-Caterham looks, but the spec sheet is the finest resume we've ever seen.
The roof structure is a roll cage sandwich, with two sheets of delicious carbon fiber being the bread. The doors are carbon fiber, too, as is a full-length underbody tray. Polycarbonate windows also help to keep the D8 GT's curb weight at a shockingly light 1432 pounds. Its seventeen-inch wheels weigh only 14.3 pounds each. Donkervoort is proud to declare that the car's "high-tech setup forms a new standard by means of weight reduction and safety in the segment of ultra-lightweight sports cars." It doesn't get much lighter than this.
Power comes from a VW/Audi 2.0-liter turbo available with 180, 210, or 270 horsepower. In its most powerful form, the D8 GT has a power-to-weight ratio of 5.3 pounds per horsepower. By comparison, a Corvette Z06's ratio is 6.2. Yikes. Prototypes have already set new records on the Nordschleife, and Donkervoort hopes the production model will perform even better.
In reading the "safety" section of Donkervoort's press release, we expected to read details about an airbag, or traction control, or anything we're used to seeing in such a section. Instead, it talked about safety being achieved through massive downforce, and stated that the carbon fiber undertray "also contributes to the crash resistance of the vehicle by making the chassis extremely resistant to distortion." Words from a truly speed-focused brand. Fifty D8 GTs will be produced each year for the European market, at a price of 90,000 euros.