Donkervoort P24 RS: 'The definitive driver's car'
The bare minimum of assists means just 840kg; a new twin turbo V6 means up to 600hp...
Donkervoort was always going to have to push the limits when it came to replacing its five-cylinder models. The Audi engine had become such a core part of the appeal over the years that it was hard to imagine it ever being replaced; there was even a ‘Final Five’ run of cars to bid farewell to a legendary engine. Now, after a prolonged teaser campaign, here is the replacement in full - the Donkervoort P24 RS, nothing less than a ‘direct counterpunch to a computerised, homogenous automotive world.’ We like the sound of that.
So what engine has replaced the Audi 2.5? An all-new 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6, with up to 600hp and 590lb (drivers are able to choose from 400hp and 500hp as well, with torque adjusted to suit). It sounds a special engine, dry-sumped to get it as low as possible and with solid alloy billets for the ball bearing turbos; they’re bespoke to the P24 RS, weigh just 4kg each, and are said to share no part with any other production blower. “The combination of ball bearings and billet turbines spool up so fast that it obliterates lag,” said Denis Donkervoort. Additional features of the Donkervoort V6 include CFRP intake manifolds (and 3D-printed exhaust ones), a forged steel crank and forged conrods. Total engine weight is less than 170kg - pretty good going for 600hp…
Therefore even with just a five-speed manual and rear-wheel drive (when Donkervoort says it’s a driver’s car, they really mean it), the performance of the P24 RS is explosive. It’s reckoned to reach 124mph in just 7.4 seconds, and top out at more than 186mph; whatever the track day, there won’t be very much, if anything, faster than an RS. All this, too ‘without Donkervoort prioritising the straight-line speed of its rear-drive supercar’, so heaven only knows what’s coming when they do.
See the focus here was apparently on the thrilling driving experience offered up by being so light: “The key to everything we do is about eliminating weight, minimising inertia and delivering unforgettable driving experiences”, added Denis. So while the P24 is still built around a carbon-reinforced alloy structure, this is stiffer than any of the five-cylinder cars, and innovation like the Fort-EX front subframe structure - all carbon, weighing just 9kg - means weight is saved also. Dampers are active items from Tractive, with adjustable stiffness and ride height adjustment to ‘maximise driving pleasure from the calmest to the most frenzied extremes of a driver’s range.’ Brakes are from AP Racing, with four-piston calipers and semi-floating discs at all corners, with Nankang tyres and custom wheels.
All of which promises a fairly intoxicating driving experience already, but Donkervoort knows it has customers for whom intoxicating is merely the start. So options for the P24 RS include ceramic brakes (saving another 8kg and delivering up to 1.3g of braking performance), power steering, plus an aero kit that generates 90kg of downforce at 155mph, said to be balanced across the axles and not impacting that top speed. Impressive for a removable set of splitters and spoilers, with a focus on getting air under the body and into the double diffuser.
While plenty about the P24 RS is new, it’s still recognisably a Donkervoort in design, with that long bonnet and occupants sat right over the driven axle. Lights may no longer be fixed, instead appearing as required, but this is an instantly recognisable car (if you know what a Donkervoort is). “We tried to make something much more modern and integrated, with elements from the past, so that the design was completely new and modern, while also referencing our long heritage”, said design boss Jordi Wiersma.
The interior is a feast of leather and carbon and not much else besides. The driver (who can be up to 2.05m tall, and pack 298 litres of luggage) is able to adjust the level of power, the damping force and the traction control, but that’s pretty much it. There’s a rev match function if you have to, but any help with oversteer comes only from the limited-slip diff. And distractions are very deliberately kept to a minimum. Why can’t anybody else make a stripped out interior look this good?
“The P24 RS gives Donkervoort drivers new levels of handling, driving purity, engagement and design, which should leave no doubt about the direction Donkervoort is heading in”, concluded the boss. “The P24 RS is designed purely to make the driver feel happy and connected and to forget the world outside the cockpit. Its agility is a constant reminder that no other supercar is worth the weight.” Talk about the ideal supercar for our times - they even claim 28mpg combined. Little wonder, then, that more than 50 of the 150-unit P24 run are already allocated. Find a quarter of a million pounds somewhere, and you can join them…
"with solid alloy billets for the ball bearing turbos" I am guessing you mean it has solid billet compressor housings.
Also only pedestrian turbos don't have ball bearings nowadays. Id be shocked to find a performance car with journal bearing turbos.
Also on the turbos, if the turbine housing in the picture of the engine are correct I'm surprised the turbo uses an old school boost pressure operated internal waste gate with no external control on such an 'advanced' engine. I would have expected at east a decent external waste gate in an application like this.
This article seems like Pistonheads have just used AI to translate and re-write the press release.
This car is striking....... that's the nicest thing I think I can say about how it looks.
If I needed a track weapon, I'd buy a Caterham, at least that way I wouldn't feel embarrassed every time I looked at it.
That sort of word-fangling makes me smile, because we ALWAYS see car manufacturers saying
“This is the sub-optimal drivers car. In fact, no, it’s not even that good”
A little like when you see something saying ‘the highest quality’, no business ever puts ‘ok, we admit our product is crap, but here goes anyway.’
That sort of word-fangling makes me smile, because we ALWAYS see car manufacturers saying
This is the sub-optimal drivers car. In fact, no, it s not even that good
A little like when you see something saying the highest quality , no business ever puts ok, we admit our product is crap, but here goes anyway.
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