After 49 years of building lightweight sports car, Dutch boutique carmaker Donkervoort is in the midst of a global expansion strategy, and it turns out Australia and New Zealand are two of the targets it has its sights set on next.
Earlier this year, the company launched its remarkable P24 RS supercar. Limited to 150 units and packing 447kW (600hp) in a featherweight 780kg package, it’s one of the most radically driver-focused cars on the market.
Following the brand’s expansion out of Europe and into the USA and Middle East, it has signalled its next intent by announcing right-hand drive production of the P24 RS – the first time Donkervoort has ever built a right-hook model.
Specifically naming Australia and New Zealand as target markets alongside the UK and various parts of Asia and Africa, fewer than 30 examples are expected to be offered in right-hand drive form. Some of those customers are already engaged in vehicle personalisation talks with the company.
Based on a hybrid chassis of welded tubes reinforced with Ex-Core carbon-fibre inserts, the P24 RS is only 4000mm long, sitting on a 2420mm wheelbase.
Powered by a 3.5-litre V6, the engine’s ‘Power To Choose’ (PTC) allows drivers to select between 400hp, 500hp, and 600hp output levels depending on just how brave they feel. Remember, this car is well below the one-tonne mark, meaning an extreme power-to-weight ratio.
Although Donkervoort doesn’t claim an official 0-100km/h sprint time for the P24 RS, it does claim a 0-200km/h acceleration time of a hair-raising 7.4 seconds. It’ll also pull as much as 2.3g of lateral acceleration through the corners.
Alongside its immense performance, it still manages to meet safety and emissions legislation at a weight unattainable for most of its supercar rivals, while also retaining 298 litres of luggage capacity and the practicality of a removable Twin Targa roof.
“We are excited that we can finally show car lovers in right-hand drive markets what Europe, the Middle East, and North America have understood for a long time – that Donkervoorts prioritise driver engagement over everything else, making every drive an unforgettable event,” the company said in a statement.
“Right-hand drive was an opportunity that came with the P24 RS’ all-new PTC engine, and our own research and continuous phone calls and demands from potential customers demonstrated a clear demand for it.
“The Donkervoort philosophy is about putting the driver at the centre of everything the car does – from extreme lightweight technology to forgiving suspension setups to the PTC engine and adjustable traction control and suspension setups.”
Founded by Joop Donkervoort in 1978 after legislation forced him to modify an imported car so much that he had to rebrand it under his own name, the company has since crafted a reputation for relentless innovation, unfiltered feedback, extreme customisation, and an obsession with ultra-lightweight engineering.
Historical highlights for the company include winning the GT4 class at the Dubai 24 Hour race and claiming the Nürburgring production car lap record with the D8 270 RS in 2004 and 2006.
Still owned by the Donkervoort family today, the company notes that more than 99 percent of all cars it has ever built are still on the road, with a reputation for retained values and almost unlimited customisation including for pre-owned vehicles.
