Donkervoort P24 RS pairs low weight with big power

Canadians can buy the supercar but it is limited to 150 units worldwide with more than 50 sold even before the car was publicly revealed.

A low-volume European automaker is mixing in driving enthusiasts’ favourite ingredients in a car: light weight, big power, rear-wheel drive, stick shift, and no mandatory electronic meddling.

That is the Donkervoort P24 RS.

The car is limited to just 150 cars worldwide, and, luckily for us, Canadians can buy it.

More than 50 of the first examples of the car were already sold before the car was publicly revealed.

The car starts at around 300,000 euros, which works out to $484,110 of our Canadian dollars.

Donkervoort P24 RS side — *The Donkervoort P24 RS weighs less than 1,000 kilograms. – Donkervoort Automobielen photo*

About Donkervoort

Donkervoort Automobielen is a family-owned automotive brand based in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1978 by Joop Donkervoort.

The automaker specializes in hand-built and ultra lightweight sports cars.

Donkervoort P24 RS doors open — *The Donkervoort P24 RS is shown here with the optional removable aero kit. – Donkervoort Automobielen photo*

About the P24 RS

The company said the P24 RS has a dry weight of 780 kilograms (1,719 pounds). To put that weight into perspective, that’s lighter than a Mazda MX-5 (Miata).

The lightweight sports car is powered by a twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 engine producing outputs of 591 hp (600 Euro horses) and 590 lb.-ft. of torque (800 Nm). To put that into perspective, that’s more than three times the power of a Miata. Drivers can use the car’s engine management software to select power outputs of 400, 500 or 600 Euro horses.

Donkervoort said this is the only supercar with more than 600 horses under 1,000 kilograms.

Power is sent to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual transmission with a Torsen limited-slip differential and lightweight driveshaft.

The company said it chose a smaller five-speed gearbox in an effort to save weight. The transmission includes rev-matching technology, which drivers can switch off.

The car is said to accelerate from zero to 200 km/h in 7.4 seconds and tops out beyond 300 km/h.

Donkervoort P24 RS steering wheel — *Occupants of the Donkervoort P24 RS better hang on while cornering as the car is capable of incredible turning G-forces. – Donkervoort Automobielen photo*

Driving dynamics

The company said the car can corner at an incredible 2.3G.

The all-aluminum engine uses dry-sump lubrication to lower the centre of gravity, which also helps optimize lubrication right up to the cornering limit.

The company said the car has a driver-first philosophy and no electronic filters to censor feedback from the tires to the driver.

The car doesn’t have standard skid-control, torque-vectoring, power-steering or automatic brake-assist systems.

“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,” Donkervoort CEO Denis Donkervoort said in a news release.

“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.”

Tall drivers will be happy to know they’re not excluded from the experience. The cabin accommodates drivers up to 2.05 metres (six-foot-eight), and that includes when the removable Twin Targa carbon-fibre roof is attached. The car’s small hatch has a cargo capacity of 298 litres.

The P24 RS has an optional removable aero kit for track use, as well as swing-out headlights.

Customer deliveries of the P24 RS are expected to start in April.

Canadians who want one should get in touch with Donkervoort directly.

For complete vehicle details, visit the company’s website.