Oprah without makeup?....EWE Gross!!!!!!!

 

Fourteen hundred thirty pounds...! Even with me in it, it's still well under a ton...!

I don't know about you guys, but I've had gobs of fun in a ton-and-a-half car with 140 horsepower. Even with "just" 180, at under a ton this thing is going to be 'go-to-jail' fun.

 

That sounds like it would produce pretty good offspring actually.

Personally I have never driven a Donkervoort but AFAIK, 270 bhp in a car that light is plenty. There's a reason it holds the record at the 'Ring. Plus, shouldn't that 0-60 time be more like ~3 seconds?

 

Very good point. I just questioned the power figures because I thought Caterham released a V8 model with 500 hp not too long ago. Maybe I was wrong, but I just figure that if Caterham can do it, why can't Donkervoort? Then again, I also thought Donkervoort had a V8 model out at one point.

Maybe I'm just thinking too much like Jeremy Clarkson because I just want more POWAAAAA!!!

 

I wasn't questioning your questioning - and I definitely can appreciate the endless lust some people have for more power. But I revel in Lotus's mantra: 'add lightness', and I'm the kind of guy who would take a base model Elise over a ZR1 any day of the week.

Quite honestly, if you gave me 500hp and a hairpin turn, I'd be on a gurney or in a coffin. I can get myself into more than enough trouble with 200 horses - the other three hundred will just get me into that trouble a whole lot quicker.

 

huh...how much do these run for?

 

In europe it will be at around 90.000 € or even more . SO at least 115.000 $ at actual change rates

I think an Ariel Atom 3 with supercharger is less expensive, and more fun . And the V8 500BHP version of the Aton should come too !

 

Here are some more pics







Autogespot - De verzameling van bijzondere auto's gespot door jullie in het wild!

 

To quote Richard Hammond "this thing does look like a boil on the buttock of a baboon, but on the track it all starts to make sense"

The V8 500hp Caterham you are referring to is the Caterham Levante and it has a powertec 2.6 litre, supercharged V8 that makes 550 HP!!!! Powertec is a company based out of the UK Powertec Engineering - race-winning engines that makes racing motors for lightweight racers (ie Radicals, etc) using mostly Hayabusa blocks and heads. That V8 is essentially two 1,300cc Hayabusa heads mated to one purpose built block/crank assembly. For engineering geeks/nuts like me (and you too Al) their website is a great place to visit.

The Caterham Levante is a limited edition (12 units I think), very expensive (about 115k pounds), absolute BEAST of a car that is practically impossible for anyone but a professional racing driver to handle. In fact, Caterham makes the lucky buyers of the Levante take a specific two-day driving course just to learn how to handle the BEAST without wrecking it. I want one in a big way. Just look at it!!! All carbon fiber, stunning!!!!

The moral of that story is that 550 hp in a 1,400 lb car is way too much. Its beyond the point of usability. That type of power-to-weight ratio really only works in formula cars that operate at 100+ mph and generate significant downforce while doing so. If anyone has driven or ridden in a Caterham CSR 260 (I have not) or an Ariel Atom Supercharged with 240 or 300 hp (I have) you will agree that 300 hp in a car like that is already bordering on sheer lunacy!!!!!

As far at the Donkervoort goes, a 350 hp version of that car (with the 1.8 turbo audi motor) held the production car Nurburgring record for some time around 2005, 15 seconds faster than the previous production car lap record holder, the P-car CGT. I saw a Discovery Channel show about Donkervoort and was amazed to see that every one them are hand-built. Every body panel is hand-formed. Amazing quality and craftsmanship. I think this post is long enough now

 

^^^ Thanks for posting that! Powertec builds some beautiful engines! I wish I could incorporate one of those V8s into the Formula SAE car I've been helping some friends build.