Donkervoort D8 GTO Rs Escaping the Route de La Turbie

The aesthetics of driving of a car are what usually attracts a real car nut. If it is purposeful, it is beautiful. The Donkervoort D8 GTO RS is a work of art, a declaration of love for pure driving.

Just when you thought that the mind blowing GTO, unveiled at last year Top Marques, didn’t need more power nor more grip. But this friendly fellas from Holland did’t seem to have the same ideas then the rest of us: they indeed made the GTO even better. This car even has downforce! How is that possible?!

According to the official press release, Donkervoort will made 40 RS’s plus 25 special editions: 15 in bare carbon and 10 more as a track-only version. You might want to grab your wallet and throw them your best savings quickly, since of the total 65, more than 40 have already been made.

But the fundamental question is: how does it drive? The Donkervoort is powered by a 415hp turbocharged straight 5 Audi engine: and it weighs less than a ton. Besides boasting a power to weight ratio which will make any supercar envious, every detail is focused just for pure driving and nothing else. It comes with a stick shift only (praise the Lord!) and the interior has a 4 point belts and nothing else.

It’s a early saturday morning when we meet Alexander, Managin Director of Donkervoort Automobielen Gmbh. The car at our disposal is in a beautiful lime green with dark Alcantara interior. Details, amazing attention of details is the first thought you have when you sit inside. While all the Principaute is still sleeping after an electrifying friday night, we head out through the cloudy hills above us.

Perfect car for a perfect road: the La Turbie offers the ideal environment for a memorable drive. It’s the proper fun road, just outside Montecarlo and the one place where showing off, never pays off.

The twists and turns reveal the great chassis of the GTO RS, which is superb. The acceleration is stunningly fast and upon hitting the throttle after the exit the car just rockets away. If at the begin so much power could be a bit intimidating, after a couple of turns you feel really confident as the car gives a super precise feeling. The short throw gearshift is a joy to drive and perfect heel-and-toe gives a huge satisfaction when done correctly.

It is a new meaning of the technical term “driver’s focused”: it is a purposeful machine, and it is glued to the tarmac. It tackles the corners on La Turbie like a F1 and it literally flies over the bumps. The suspension set up is wonderful and it allows for a incredible pace.

Something that is purposeful is indeed a thing of beauty. The Donkervoort D8 GTO is perhaps one of the last cars designed for ultimate driving and enjoyment. It is for sure something we have to celebrate and praise.