Donkervoort confirms right-hand drive for P24 RS
Like Donkervoort's power-hungry approach but put off by left-hooker status? Right this way
Though we’ve covered Donkervoort’s recent transition from five cylinders to six, it has too often seemed like we’re on the outside looking in - a common trait among performance cars built exclusively with left-hand-drive markets in mind. Well, having realised that it is effectively denying itself access to around 35 per cent of the global market, the Dutch carmaker has finally taken the plunge and revealed a P24 RS engineered to accept a steering wheel on the right (as in, correct) side of the car. Hallelujah!
“We are excited that we can finally show car lovers in RHD 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,” Managing Director, Denis Donkervoort said. “Right-hand drive was an opportunity that came with the P24 RS’s all-new PTC (Power To Choose) engine, and our own research and continuous phone calls and demands from potential customers demonstrated a clear demand for it.”
The existence of significant demand outside the EU and North America will hardly be a surprise to readers of this website, although it isn’t hard to imagine it spiking as the high-end industry veers away from a low-weight, driver-centric approach. The latest Donkervoort, in case you missed it, weighs 780kg dry - i.e. still well below a metric tonne when wet - and thanks to its PTC system, owners can choose between 400hp, 500hp and 600hp at the flick of a switch.
While the arrival of the P24 RS in the UK (it can be ordered via official retailer, Premier GT) is unlikely to drastically unsettle the domestic segment - Donkervoort has confirmed that only around 30 examples of a 150-strong run will be RHD - its positioning will certainly encroach on the likes of Caterham and Ariel. The fact that the firm’s headline claim about building the ‘the only 600 hp production car beneath the 1,000kg barrier’ also extends to the UK, means it can already claim a key point of differentiation from local rivals.
“The Donkervoort philosophy is about putting the driver at the centre of everything the car does; from extreme light-weight technology to forgiving suspension setups to the Power To Choose engine and adjustable traction control,” Donkervoort added.
Of course, anyone interested in the Donkervoort way will still need to factor in the colossal asking price - the P24 RS starts at £302,400, meaning it eclipses even the 525hp Atom 4RR for six-figure silliness. But the manufacturer claims ‘incredible retained values’ (unsurprisingly, given the scarcity of supply), and points out that its car retains 298 litres of luggage capacity and the practicality of a removable Twin Targa roof. Perhaps that doesn’t add up to all-season usability, but with 124mph also attainable in 7.4 seconds and an achievable top speed ‘beyond 186mph’, a right-hand-drive Donkervoort might just start to tug on the heartstrings.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff