The D8 GTO-JD70 was released in 2019 to celebrate founder Joop Donkervoort’s 70th birthday, and it was a fitting tribute indeed as it shattered lap records and put much more expensive hypercars to shame in the process.
At the time, Donkervoort said it lapped the Spa-Francorchamps Grand Prix circuit a full three seconds faster than a 1,100-horsepower Koenigsegg Regera. Now the Dutch boutique automaker Donkervoort has rolled out a new version of its D8 GTO sports car. Called the Individual Series, it emphasizes personalization and is also thought to be the last road-legal version of the D8 GTO.
Donkervoort didn’t provide much detail on the customization options, but the company’s website says buyers will be able to set up the D8 GTO Individual Series for “maximum performance or maximum comfort or anything in between.”
One option for this fantastic offering is that owners can skip the paint entirely in favor of exposed carbon-fiber bodywork – and Donkervoort says they can also create matching luggage or clothing tailored to each individual car.
D8 GTO Individual Series
Photo: Donkervoort
This already speedy D8 comes with some performance tweaks to the Audi-built 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-5 which includes new fuel injectors and engine mapping to allow it to develop 435 hp – a ramp up from the 415 hp packed in the D8 GTO JD70. While the torque specs remain the same at 413 lb-ft, that power is now sent to the rear wheels via a 5-speed manual transmission with rev-matching.
But fear not that this street version of the Donkervoort will be dumbed-down for the road as the company says the Individual Series can attain the same 2 g of lateral acceleration as the previous model and that it can tour the Spa-Francorchamps Grand Prix circuit 1.4 seconds faster than the JD70. As for straight-line speed, Donkervoort says the Individual Series can go from 0-124 mph in just 7.7 seconds.
This car marks the first collaboration between Donkervoort’s technical development department and German Audi racers, Abt Sportsline. Significant hardware modifications have helped the Audi to achieve peak horsepower and those upgrades include alterations to the cooling systems. And as for reliability, Donkervoort says the engine has been put through validation processes designed by both Donkervoort and Abt Sportline.
And if it really matters, Donkervoort say the upgrade to output hasn’t changed the fuel economy or environmental characteristics of the D8 GTO Individual Series as it registers 191 grams/km of CO2 emissions and still consumes eight liters of fuel per 100 km (29.4 mpg).
D8 GTO Individual Series
Photo: Donkervoort
The company says this D8 GTO Individual Series offers a ‘cleaner look’ than previous offerings and that the nose-cone flaps, the air scoops and the 3D printed air outlets were all removed to create a cleaner design
“Anybody who drives a Donkervoort has a strong individual streak already, so we have evolved a model that gives them almost totally free control,” says Donkervoort Managing Director Denis Donkervoort. “We have traditionally offered road car and track car ‘packs’ of equipment, and we still do, but we feel it’s time to let people decide for themselves exactly how much pace, comfort, design and style they need.”
Donkervoort says the “full fury of track-day Donkervoorts isn’t always appropriate for longer journeys, or for cruising in the city”, so they’ve come up with a process to further isolate the cabin from vibrations.
There are also options to include a six-speed sequential gearbox, different alignment setups, brake configurations, chassis setups, data logging, lighter batteries and various other suspension tweaks.
Prices start at $192,463 (162,900 euros) before taxes.
Donkervoort says “the Individual Series may be the last D8 GTO road car” but there are certainly more track-only versions in the offing.
