Donkervoort D8 GT

Holländska Donkervoort kommer att presentera sin första bil med tak under 2007. Kan det bli mer optimalt?! Den blir lite tyngre än D8:an men med förbättrat chassi och aerodynamik tror de sig kunna sätta ett nytt rekord på nordslingan! och den verkar bli ganska brutalt snygg också....

Citerat från www.donkervoort.nl:

For the first time in almost 30 years of Donkervoort Cars company history, the brand is introducing a closed sports car. The D8 GT is delivered with the well-known Audi four cylinder turbo power source with 180, 210 or 270 brake horsepower. It’s expected that the D8 GT will make its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2007.

The Donkervoort D8 GT is built on the same chassis as the standard D8 but this has been altered in a number of areas. The front wheel suspension is new and the rear wheel suspension has been modificated for the larger 17 inch wheels. In order to create a smoother ride, the distance between the wheels at the front and rear has been increased by eight and four centimetres respectively. Special shock absorbers have also been developed which have not only a hydraulic automatic height-adjustment but also the option to adjust the stiffness of the absorption in high and low frequencies. The more rigid chassis and the new suspension enable the GT to steer more accurately and precisely. The objective is to create a smoother but also sharper ride. In addition to this, the GT will be faster and safer than the D8.

The underbelly is also sealed over its entire length with a carbon fibre sandwich plate. This enables the diffuser to work more effectively and real downforce is generated. This is a significant step in comparison with the open D8 which is subject to lift at high speed. The carbon fibre underplate also contributes significantly to the rigidity of the chassis. The GT is 30 centimetres longer than an open D8, but the wheelbase is the same. The overhang is 8 cm longer at the front and 22 cm at the rear. This has been done primarily to improve the aerodynamics.

Carbon Fibre
The higher speed potential of the GT is achieved through decreased air resistance and the improved downforce. The improved cW value is due to both the smooth coupé roof and the horizontal winglets left and right in which the rear lights are housed. These winglets alone reduce the air resistance by 5%. Donkervoort uses light materials where possible and the objective is for the GT to be a maximum of 20 kilo’s heavier than a standard D8, which weighs just 630 kilograms. The coupé roof is made from two layers of carbon fibre with an integrated roll-cage in between. The windows are made of polycarbonate, an application developed by General Electric specifically for the GT, including rear windscreen heating. The doors, which are opened upwards and to the front, are also made of carbon fibre. The polycarbonate side windows cannot be wound down but it will be possible to partly open them. Donkervoort has a positive history with closed cars. The car in which the German Donkervoort dealer, Michael Düchting, has already broken the well-known lap record at the Nordschleife circuit was fitted with an experimental hard-top. The D8 GT was developed on the basis of this experience and this means that Donkervoort thinks that there is a good chance to improve on this record once again.

Safer
The increased level of active safety which Donkervoort promises is achieved due to the downforce, the increased rigidity of the chassis and the new wheel suspension. The sum total of this should mean not only higher speed levels through the bend, but also a safer ride. A combination of smoothness and sharpness. Increased levels of passive safety are the result of the integrated roll-cage which offers a higher level of protection and the crash-zones in the nose and tail. The two vertical vents in the rear are exhaust outlets for the warm air generated by the brakes and the differential. They have been built and strengthened so that both vents and the air tunnels behind them form strong crash boxes which provide resistance in the event of a collision from the rear. The underplate also contributes to the crash resistance of the vehicle by making the chassis extremely resistant to distortion.

Donkervoort plans a maximum production of 50 D8 GT’s per year. Prices will be announced in 2007.

En utav de häftigare bilarna på planeten tycker jag !

Hmm...

Känns som att Leif Tufvesson redan har gjort en sån här, dock utan tak.
Chrysler Prowler är väl en liknande apparat?

Namedroppandet kan bli mördande långt.

Men den är rå!

Citat:

Känns som att Leif Tufvesson redan har gjort en sån här, dock utan tak. Chrysler Prowler är väl en liknande apparat? Namedroppandet kan bli mördande långt.

Donkervoortarna har ju sett ut "ungefär" såhär fast utan tak i åtminstone 15 år så man skulle lika gärna kunna säga att den gode Leif plagierade en 15 år gammal Donkervoort i så fall...

De fanns innan Prowlern med för den delen. Deras tidiga utseende "påminner" dock en hel del om en känd engelsk vagn.

Den kända Engelska vagnen som den liknar i nosen måste väl vara Ginetta G1

Citat:

Den kända Engelska vagnen som den liknar i nosen måste väl vara Ginetta G1

Jag faktiskt inte hur en G1 ser ut (var inte det en one off?) men G2 är den mycket riktigt lik.

Seven med tak är kul
Jag snubblade över lite fler bilder på bilen http://www.automobilemag.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0703_2007_donker . . . . .