Donkervoort’s F22 Final Five waves goodbye to the Audi five-cylinder

Donkervoort, the Dutch proprietor of semi-open-wheel supercars, is signing off its current Audi-powered flagship with the F22 Final Five. It’s numbered and named to honour the Audi five-cylinder engine, which has powered Donkervoort’s esoteric super sports cars since 2011 and still powers the Audi RS3. Audi power has been under the bonnet of Donkervoorts for 25 years.

The Final Five will feature carbon brakes that cut 2.5kg per corner, sat behind lightweight carbon wheels. Carbon is a bit of a theme with the reveal car at least, given it also features exposed carbon bodywork. A new titanium exhaust saves a further 4kg. It all adds up to a 34kg drop in kerb weight for the F22 Final Five, down to 716kg from 750kg.

Such a low weight will be quite potent in combination with Audi’s 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder engine, good in this installation for 492bhp. That should make for over 666bhp per tonne. Performance of the standard F22 is spectacular, with 62mph arriving in 2.5sec, 124mph in 7.5sec, on the way to a 180mph top speed.

6

But as above, just five more of these cars are to be made, with the first – this car – already in the hands of its owner. What’s to come next from Donkervoort, could be anyone’s guess. BMW follows a 3-series up with another 3-series. What’s to come here is much more difficult to predict.

All we know for now is that it won’t be electric, or reach into multiple seven figures. It will up the ante, though. Per Donkervoort’s statement: ‘As much as the five-cylinder engine has defined Donkervoort, another saying holds true: when one door closes, another opens. It has.

6

‘And we’re stepping through it. Soon, the exclusive club of hypercar brands will have something new to worry about and, for you, something new to dream about… Watch this space.’

Something exotic, then, that’s not as expensive as rivals, that still features piston power. Sounds good to us.