Donkervoort D8 GTO-JD70 revealed to celebrate founder’s 70th birthday

Birthday cakes are all well and good, but how about a supercar made specifically to honour your special day? Well, that’s exactly what Donkervoort has done, celebrating company founder Joop Donkervoort’s 70th birthday with the announcement of the JD70, an evolution of its successful D8 GTO range.

Though just a couple of images have surfaced so far, it’s clear that the model sports tweaked aesthetics over a previous D8 GTO, most notably a new, larger grille and 70th anniversary badges throughout. The example shown in the images also appears to feature bare, green-tinted carbonfibre, taking a leaf out of the book of 2015’s ‘Bare Naked Carbon Edition’.

> Donkervoort D8 GTO Bare Naked Carbon Edition unveiled

The brand has confirmed that power will come from the same 2.5-litre turbocharged Audi five-cylinder as in the D8 GTO, likely with a moderate bump in numbers. The current range-topping Performance model boasts 380bhp and 350lb ft of torque, pushing it from 0 to 62mph in a rather brisk 2.8sec and on to a top speed of 167mph. The brand has also said that driver aids will be kept to a minimum, bucking the industry trend and strengthening driver-machine connection – a trait you’ll find in all Donkervoort cars.

No exact weight figure has been provided as of yet. However, it has been said that it’ll undercut the 700kg mark, likely matching the 695kg figure of the Bare Naked Carbon Edition. These numbers are achieved through the use of the brand’s EX-CORE® carbon technology, an engineering feat that gives the chassis a staggering total weight of just 54kg.

Although full details aren’t set to come until next year, order books are open now. Only 70 are set to hit the streets and prices start from €163,636 (c£150,000).