Latest Donkervoort Generates 2 Gs of Neck-straining Grip
The D8 GTO-JD70 by Donkervoort is the grippiest road legal car the world has ever seen.
There are more and more cars nowadays that can hit 60 mph in less than 3 seconds. The McLaren 720S, Nissan GT-R, Porsche 911 Turbo S, and many others can hit the benchmark time in the 2s. However, there is a less talked about performance metric where getting into the 2s is considerably more difficult. In fact, no production streetcar has ever been able to achieve it until now. The metric is lateral acceleration. The supercars mentioned previously can all achieve well over 1G, but none of them come close to 2G. You need to turn to Donkervoort for that sort of performance.
If you are in the United States, do not bother putting Donkervoort into Waze as you will not find a local dealer. The Dutch car manufacturer does not sell any cars here. However, that does not minimize the achievement of their latest supercar offering, the Donkervoort D8 GTO-JD70. Although its name seems to be appropriately derived from a mashup of muscle car and fighter jet, it is actually in tribute to the company founder. Joop Donkervoort turns 70 this year, hence the JD70. This is a hell of a birthday gift.
The D8 GTO-JD70 gets its power from an Audi sourced 2.5-liter turbo five-cylinder engine. This same engine is seen in the Audi RS3. In the Donkervoort it makes 415 horsepower, roughly 20 more than in the RS3. While that Audi is certainly no slouch, the Donkervoort performance is in an all together different league. One reason for this is the massive difference in curb weight between the two. The Donkervoort is 2,000 pounds lighter than the Audi. That is not a typo. The German sedan lugs around nearly an entire Mazda Miata worth of additional weight as compared to the D8 GTO-JD70 roadster.
Light weight and a powerful engine alone are not enough to produce a car capable of generating twice the earth’s gravitational pull around corners. Donkervoort uses an adjustable Intrax suspension setup front and rear. For tires the D8 GTO-JD70 is shod with Nankang AR-1 DOT competition tires. They are street legal but with a 100 treadwear rating you might want to buy them in bulk.
In addition to the staggering performance, the D8 GTO-JD70 is a stunner to look at. Picture a Lotus 7 that was given the Mad Max treatment. Side-pipe exhaust, louvered hood and fenders, and a steeply raked windshield make this car look the business. It also offers endless customization options that allow you to make it as mild or wild as you want. It can be painted any color you desire or left as naked carbon fiber. Taking it to the track? Of course, you are. A roll cage and a race ABS system can be specified as well.
The D8 GTO-JD70 has ushered in a new era of performance. The first ever road legal car to achieve 2 Gs. If we know anything about performance cars, it is that once a manufacturer achieves a new standard, the rest all try to upstage it. In this case, if that happens, it is going to lead to some interesting situations in the future. A simple grocery store run for milk and eggs may require wearing a HANS device. Sounds like fun to us, and we are already looking forward to the day when Joop Donkervoort turns 80.
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