Donkervoort D8 GT: Donkervoort puts a lid on it
Dutch record-breaking sports car maker produces its first closed-top vehicle
Dutch sports car maker Donkervoort has produced its first ever closed-top model. The D8 GT is based on the open-top D8, and its fixed carbonfibre roof design is inspired by the hard-top fitted to the car that set a Nürburgring Nordschleife lap record last year.
The addition of the roof has improved torsional rigidity by 25 per cent according to Donkervoort. The extra stiffness has helped make the steering response sharper and has enabled the front suspension to be redesigned and the rear suspension to be modified.
The dampers and brakes have been upgraded, too, and the track at both ends widened. The GT also comes with special 17in alloys weighing just 6.5kg each; the total weight of the car is 650kg. Power comes from Audi's 1.8-litre turbo four, with 266bhp in top spec.
In spite of the larger frontal area, the roof has helped reduce the drag coefficient of the GT compared with the D8 roadster, while a full-length carbonfibre undertray is claimed to generate downforce and increase high-speed stability. Donkervoort is quietly confident that the D8 GT can set a new Nürburgring record.
Prices for the D8 GT start at 90,000 euros (about £60,000).
