Meet Mr. Donkervoort

The Donkervoort D8 GTO is one of the most pure and ferocious vehicles on the planet. This open-top trackday car is made in the Netherlands, as a modern-day tribute to the Lotus Seven. The guys at XCAR Films recently spent some quality time with the company’s founder, Joop Donkervoort to learn about the inspiration behind his cars, most especially Lotus founder Colin Chapman. Donkervoort is a surprisingly humble gentleman – a self-taught automotive fanatic who built his first car over 30 years ago, after finding out that the Lotus Seven couldn’t be made road legal in his country.

Powered by a 2.5-liter Audi R5 engine, the Donkervoort D8 GTO offers between 340 and 380 horsepower, and weighs just 1,543 pounds, thanks in large part to its carbon fiber construction. The less powerful of the two models goes from 0-to-62mph in just 3.3 seconds with a top speed of 158mph, while the faster model does it in a crazy fast 2.8, with a top speed of 168mph.

Watch the video below to see this incredible car in action: