Donkervoort celebrates 40-year jubilee with introduction of D8 GTO-40

On 1 July 1978, Joop Donkervoort (then 28 years old) started the engine of his hand-built S7, the very first car to bear his name. Marking the birth of Donkervoort Automobielen.

Over the past four decades Donkervoort has expanded from a childhood dream to an international brand synonymous with lightweight, (record) performance and pure driving experience. Pioneering, going against the grain, against the established order. The quest for even better, even lighter and even faster never ends.

After all, many more Donkervoort models followed hot on the heels of that very first S7. Such as the D10, which broke the world acceleration record in 1988. The popular S8 and D8 series, which competed in our own international gentlemen’s race series, the Donkervoort Cup, for nigh on a decade. Or the D8 270 RS, which broke the lap record on the Nürburgring Nordschleife and held it for over three years – not once, but twice. And the first hardtop Donkervoort, the D8 GT, which was victorious in the 24H Dubai in 2011.

To this end Donkervoort developed its patented carbon-fibre EX-CORE® technology in-house, which ensures that components are even lighter and yet more robust. So innovative is this technology that it was even nominated for the European Union Innovation Grant for High-tech Materials recently. EX-CORE® is extensively used in the D8 GTO-40.

Thanks to a collaborative effort with the R&D department of the renowned steel producer Tata Steel, the basis of the D8 GTO-40 – its steel tubular chassis – has been made even stronger. Torsional rigidity has been increased by at least 15%, despite the overall weight of the chassis having been reduced even further. Combined with the EX-CORE® body parts, the upshot is unrivalled safety and torsional rigidity.

Ultimately meaning that the D8 GTO-40 is at least 22 kg* lighter compared to the 2011 D8 GTO.