- Olga Kokorina
- Translated by Olga Apetenok
- Ru Fr He
F22 Supercar. The most powerful Donkervoort
The F22 supercar is the most powerful Donkervoort to date, with a 500 hp engine. But if it seems to you that the index F22 is borrowed from a fighter, it is not: an incredibly beautiful car is named after the initial letter of the name and date of birth of a little girl. In 2021, the Dutch company Donkervoort is led by a new CEO, Denis Donkervoort. On May 22, 2022, Denis had a daughter Philippa, the first child of a proud father. It is therefore logical, but still very touching, that the brand’s brand new supercar, presented in December 2022, was named in honor of the granddaughter of the company’s founder, Joop Donkervoort.
Donkervoort is a Dutch manufacturer of retro supercars based on the legendary Lotus 7 sports car. The brand's cars are among the fastest in the world, they have set lap records on several famous circuits. The company has been around for about 44 years and has only managed to produce about 1,500 cars (50 cars per year), and each is assembled by hand and has been around for a long time in different variations and modifications. The penultimate development of the company, the Donkervoort D8, appeared in 2005 and lasted until 2022 with a noticeable evolution.
The planned batch of the Donkervoort F22 has already been sold out: it was planned to release only 50 cars, but everyone was ready even before the premiere. And this despite the fact that the price of a supercar starts from 245,000 euros. The manufacturer decided to increase the batch to 75 units, which is quite a large series for a manufacturer engaged in manual assembly! Deliveries to customers will begin in January 2023.
Exterior
It is known that the new Donkervoort F22 does not have a single part in common with the old D8 GTO model and will become its replacement in production. The supercar is not only different from previous Donkervoort cars, but also larger than its predecessors. Thus, the length of the body is 4,039 mm, the width is 1,912 mm and the height is 1,105 mm. The model is based on a steel frame, reinforced with Ex-Core’s own carbon fiber panels. The body parts are made of the same material, while the torsional stiffness of the body is twice as high as its predecessor, 40,000 Nm/deg.
The car has an unusual body. In addition to the bewitchingly beautiful contours, it has amazing solutions: a huge part, under which the front engine is located, rises, but it cannot be called a hood: the area is too large and the headlights are located right on it. The doors are also lifting. The driver and passenger cockpit is located right in the middle of the car, because the engine compartment is so large. Moreover, the car kept its original front wheels. The roof of the coupe is removable and divided into two parts, which are attached to the doors and open with them, facilitating access. It’s even surprising that this ferocious supercar has a real boot with a volume of 298 liters!
Interior and equipment
The small 2-seater passenger compartment has become more spacious than previous Donkervoort models, 8 cm wider and 10 cm longer. The F22 features Recaro sports seats with 6-point seat belts. In order to follow the progress, but also not to fail the principle of moderation, a front panel multimedia system has been replaced by the iPad Mini. Another screen appeared on the dashboard. As for the driving assistants, the supercar has only an anti-slip system with different modes of operation. Such simple systems as ABS and electric power steering are optional. The options also include forged wheels weighing 8 kg (instead of 12 kg for ordinary alloy wheels) or weightless carbon fiber wheels weighing only 5.4 kg.
Powertrains
The new 2023 Donkervoort F22 is powered by a 2.5-liter Audi TFSI turbo 5-cylinder engine used by the previous D8 model. But if earlier the engine produced 340-380 hp, then the F22 produces 500 hp and 640 Nm. The engine works with a simple, light and compact Tremec TKX 5-speed manual gearbox. The model is rear-wheel drive with a Torsen self-locking differential. The suspension contains an innovation - electronically controlled shock absorbers with the possibility of increasing the ground clearance by 35 mm. The car features double wishbone suspension at the front and rear.
Dynamics
The F22 supercar weighs just 750 kg as standard and has a power-to-weight ratio of 667 hp per ton. It can accelerate to 100 km/h in just 2.5 seconds, to 200 km/h in 7.5 seconds. The maximum speed is 290 km/h. Safety is also guaranteed by AP Racing brakes, more efficient than before.
