DONKERVOORT DETAILS AUDI-POWERED D8 GTO

Holland-based Donkervoort has finally released a full set of details about the new D8 GTO, a supercar that is inspired by the iconic Lotus Seven.

Like most Donkervoort products since the middle of the 1990s, the D8 GTO is powered by an Audi-sourced engine.  The mill in question is a five-cylinder 2.5-liter TFSI that is also found under the hood of the RS3 and the potent TT-RS. 

GTO buyers can order the car with either 340 or 380 horsepower.  In the first configuration, the two-seater sprints from zero to 62 mph in 3.3 seconds, zero to 125 mph in 8.8 seconds and goes on to a top speed of 158 mph.  In the second configuration, the GTO hits 62 mph from a stop in 2.8 seconds before reaching an electronically-limited top speed of 167 mph.  

Power is sent to the rear set of wheels via a five-speed manual transmission and the car is equipped with ESP, a surprise from a brand that has eschewed electronic driving aids in the past.

Lotus founder Colin Chapman famously said "light is right" and Donkervoort has taken that advice to heart.  The D8 GTO sits on a hybrid tubular chassis that is made of carbon fiber, aluminum and steel and it tips the scales at about 1,500 pounds.

Pricing information and precise production figures will be released over the next couple of days.