Currently reading: Donkervoort D8 GTO boosted to 429bhp for final road version

Abt Sportsline called on to uprate Audi-derived five-pot; final edition brings new levels of personalisation

The Donkervoort D8 GTO Individual Series is the final and most powerful version of the Dutch company's open-wheeled sports car

The company has hinted that track-only variants will continue to be developed, but the Individual Series will be the last road-going hurrah for the eight-year-old D8 GTO and is named as such for the enhanced customisation opportunities it will offer to owners.

It uses the same Audi-derived turbocharged 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine as the standard D8 GTO but with output boosted to 429bhp by German tuning specialist Abt Sportsline - best known for its hyper-powered takes on Audi's RS-badged performance models. Key modifications include an upgraded cooling system, new fuel injectors and a bespoke ECU tune. 

Donkervoort has offered no precise performance figures, but subtle improvements over the 415bhp D8 GTO-JD70 that it succeeds are to be expected, for a 0-62mph time of around 2.6sec and an approximate top speed of 180mph.

Donkervoort d8 gto individual series exterior 14

"Not even Audi Sport extracted this much performance from this version of the 2.5-litre engine," said managing director Denis Donkervoort. The latest iteration of the Audi RS3, which uses this motor, pumps out 395bhp.

The firm has confirmed, for reference, that the Individual Series is 7mph faster at the end of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit's Kemmel Straight than the JD70 and shaves 1.4sec from its lap time as a result. 

The design changes for the Individual Series are subtle and aimed primarily at giving a "cleaner" look: the nose-cone flaps, air scoops and vents have been removed and the brand's logo has been moved from the nose to the grille.

But more significantly, Donkervoort is promising that the final-edition D8 GTO gives "total customer freedom". The base car is priced from €162,900 (£140,000) before taxes, but a raft of new options and services mean it can be configured to meet the owner's preferences, "whether their needs lean towards the track, touring, design or luxury".

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The company can create individual components for the car, supply matching luggage and clothing, trim the seats in whichever material the owner specifies and even let the owner "invent" their own exterior paint. 

Standard equipment includes a reversing camera and parking sensors. 

Donkervoort claims that the Individual Series "can be a (relatively) relaxed cruiser", depending on its specification, but notes that the car's hardcore nature means it "isn't always appropriate for longer journeys". 

Chassis-wise, the final D8 GTO comes with Tarox wave-form brake discs all round and can be fitted with a Bosch anti-lock system for track use. A faster steering rack is also available, as is a six-speed sequential gearbox and a raft of different suspension options. 

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Felix Page

Felix Page
Title: Deputy editor

Felix is Autocar's deputy editor, responsible for leading the brand's agenda-shaping coverage across all facets of the global automotive industry - both in print and online.

He has interviewed the most powerful and widely respected people in motoring, covered the reveals and launches of today's most important cars, and broken some of the biggest automotive stories of the last few years. 

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Peter Cavellini 9 September 2021

That's right!, I've never seen one in the metal, they look like expensive kit cars, I'm sure it's an absolute big cheesy grin machine.

5cylinder 9 September 2021
Would "total customer freedom" extend to specifying right hand drive?
Just Saying 9 September 2021
A great toy for those that can...