About Donkiespeed.nl
“Donkiespeed.nl is a passionate and independent website and information publisher about the unique Dutch Donkervoort sports car and is not related to the Donkervoort factory. Donkiespeed wishes to unite drivers throughout Europe, inform about new developments, share and preserve as much information as possible for the current owners and “dreamers”. We offer purchase inspections, sales & maintenance services. Always driving open, unless the storm has a name”.
How it all started
Being a petrolhead started back in 1969 at the age of 4. The passion for the Donkervoort brand started when I was working at Olyslager Organisation (a famous international Dutch based automotive technical agency) from 1988 until 1999. The archives where full of historical information, technical manuals and press related info. Donkervoort always had my special interest.
In 2002 we purchased our first Donkervoort. An S8 build in 1987. One of the last cars supplied as a DIY kit. Click here for our very first drive in a Donkervoort ever back in 2002.
The next cars which we owned before the GTO. View them here:
- D8 280 (2003)
- D8 270 Race (2004)
- D8 270 RS (2006)
- D8 270 Race (2010)
- D10 (2015)
Why the Donkervoort
In the beginning, there was the 1957 Lotus Seven: four wheels, an engine and some metal to hold it together. This was the genesis of the purist performance car. It was a minimalist roadster meant to translate the thrill of driving in its purest form — nothing more, nothing less. The Seven was a road-legal realization of Lotus founder Colin Chapman’s mantra, “simplify, then add lightness”. In the wake of Chapman’s Seven, putting a small, potent engine in a featherweight chassis became the modus operandi for aspiring car builders on a budget and looking to compete with supercars on and off the track. The Donkervoort is by far the best evolution of Colin Chapman’s mantra!
It is extremely rare
Over a time frame of 42 years, only a little over a 1.000 cars where manufactured.
Build quality
When the Donkervoort is compared to many of it’s competitors, the build quality stands out. It is still a hand crafted sportscar, but in terms of material use and details it outclasses the ‘competition’ in many ways.
It is pure
The difference between a modern car and a Donkervoort is like that between traveling on an airliner or a hang glider. There’s so little between you and the experience of driving – it’s not unlike riding a motorcycle without a helmet. There’s no power-assist anything, no insulating effect, scant bodywork. This simplicity bodes well for repairs and maintenance.
It’s completely thrilling
There’s not much space in here, and certainly no room for anything other than the purest experience of driving. Stir up the Ford or Audi Engine with the five-speed manual transmission and a lovely warble comes fizzing and parpling out the side-exhaust. The wind snatches at your hat, the steering wheel comes alive under your fingertips, it’s an instant dart of the right foot for a rev-matched downshift, and corners are easily dispatched with more speed than you thought possible.
It’s a little bit dangerous
In a modern world where the corners have been sanded off of everything and our cars are practically hollowed-out Nerf balls with heated seats, the Donkervoort has a frisson of risk about it. Again, it’s like a motorcycle, with gossamer bodywork that provides about as much protection as a light jacket. Without romanticizing the danger overmuch, driving around in a Donkervoort feels daring at speeds which the constabulary won’t find offensive. You never fail to unfold yourself from its cockpit without a raised pulse, and every trip becomes an event. Even in the classic car world, few can match the real-world fun it offers.
It can go the distance
Assuming the driver is possessed of sound constitution and a good set of woollen underwear, the Donkervoort is not incapable of a solid road trip. Because it’s so simple, keeping it on the road isn’t the hair-tearing struggle it can be with more high-strung machinery, and if you forgo a passenger, a duffel bag fits just fine to your right. The main car featured in this article is driven year-round, rain or shine, and regularly participates in local multi-day cruise events. Dedication? Definitely. But why not?
Current Donkervoorts
D8 GTO JD70
Donkiespeed.nl has ordered a D8GTO JD70 as a successor for our previous 2013 D8 GTO Premium. The colour will be Lamborghini Rosso Mars Metallic red. The rims are Audi RS grey. The car is expected to hit the road by October 2021.
S8A
And as a second Donkervoort a stunning original S8A from 1986 with only 14.500 Km on the clock.
