Donkervoort D8 GTO Nearing Debut

Dutch outfit Donkervoort is nearing completion of its D8 GTO, a monstrous new open-top sports car that makes the Lotus-based Caterham 7 look like a Sunday cruiser. 

The new car arrives on the heels of 2008's D8 GT, a 1.8 litre Audi-powered hardtop sportster with 200kW and a 3.6 second 0-100km/h sprint in its bag of tricks. 

This one, the D8 GTO, will feature Audi's much-loved 2.5 litre five-cylinder turbo engine, in two states of tune: 255kW and 300kW. 

In entry-level 255kW trim, Donkervoort reckons the D8 GTO will hit 100km/h in a very speedy 3.0 seconds flat. Performance figures for the more powerful option haven't been released.

Only 25 of the D8 GTO cars will be built, and pricing in Europe is expected to top $140,000.