Donkervoort F22 2023 Review | First Drive

Just off the A6, surrounded by the billiard flat plains of Lelystad to the northeast of Amsterdam and protected by the Afsluitdijk (a man-made barrier between the Netherlands and the North Sea), you'll find the neat but unassuming HQ of Donkervoort.

Behind its walls, you’ll find another force of nature that can match the sea for power – it's called the Donkervoort F22 and it’s one of the craziest machines we've ever driven. 

But first, a history lesson. It was back in 1978 when Joop Donkervoort, seduced by the delights of a simple, lightweight sportscar, bought the rights to sell the Lotus Seven in the Netherlands, only to be thwarted by Dutch regulations that deemed it unregistrable for the road.

Unperturbed, Donkervoort set about modifying the car so that it could pass the all-seeing eye of the testing authorities – the result was the 90PS (66kW) 525kg S7, the only lightweight sportscar at the time to receive European-type approval. The S7 evolved into the S8 and later the S8A before, ten years after starting out, the D10 was born – a windscreen-less, 190PS sportscar capable of 0-62mph in just 3.2 seconds. By 1992, Donkervoort had moved from a small-scale setup in Tienhoven to larger premises in Loosdrecht, while the Ford engines had made way for Audi power after a chance encounter with the German company's CEO.

However, the later tenure of Martin Winterkorn at Audi could have spelt disaster for Donkervoort. He brought engine supply to a halt – and with it, the Dutch companies' plans – in the 2000s. But careful stewardship (and more understanding Audi execs) mean that Donkervoort remains a healthy business in a market that has claimed notable low-production scalps such as TVR, Wiesnam and Spyker. 

Now, Donkervoort finds itself in rude health with a passionate customer base and expertise in carbon-fibre that has seen it step into the world of aviation, Le Mans and F1.

The Donkervoort F22 could result from a mating programme between a Lamborghini Murcielago and a Plymouth Prowler, with doors from the Lambo and hot rod shape of the Plymouth.

But the Aston Martin-style frameless lower grille immediately puts paid to that theory, and it's around this point you realise it's best not to pigeonhole the F22 against any other car as its performance will soon clarify.

The F22's open front wheels are a trademark of the brand, and the bonnet resembles the endlessness of an infinity pool. Huge sills hint at the strength of the carbon-fibre and steel chassis and, on the offside, accommodate the Donkervoort's cannon-like triangular, side-mounted exhaust.

Closer examination reveals 18-inch wheels up front and 19s at the rear shod in Nankang AR1s specifically made for the F22 (off-the-peg options were too stiff for this featherweight), measuring 235/40 and 275/35, respectively. The rear wheel's huge hunches flow into a stubby back end, with LEDs and a substantial carbon-fibre rear diffuser.

Carbon-fibre is on show everywhere. Donkervoort's Ex-Core process, which uses self-expanding foam to press the material from the inside out, allows for complex shapes and means the company can choose from featherweight light to structurally strong depending on the application.

In a time when two-tonne EVs regularly break the 1,000PS barrier, the Donkervoort F22 is a timely reminder of how ferociously quick 500PS (367kW) feels in a 750kg sportscar.

The theatre starts before you even get on the move. To get in, you aim your right foot at the pedal box, wedge your back against the seat and let gravity do the rest – the removable steering wheel ensures there is plenty of space to get in and, once you've strapped the six-point harness, it's time to start the engine.

Fittingly, doing this is like beginning the launch procedure of a guided missile. You need to hit 'unlock' on the key fob, press the engine 'Start' button, press down on the brake and clutch, and then press and hold the 'Start' button again until the engine cranks and settles into the menacing offbeat warble we know and love as an Audi five-cylinder – only a lot louder.

But while the noise is weapons-grade, the Donkervoort reveals itself to be incredibly docile. Its unassisted steering is surprisingly light even at parking speed, and the same is true of the clutch, which is perfectly easy to modulate. There's such an embarrassment of power that the F22 will happily set off in the third gear of its rifle-bolt action five-speed Trimac gearbox.

The tractability is impressive, but stick it into first, be brave, and keep your foot welded to the floor, and it will deliver performance few can match. It fires itself from 0-62mph in 2.5 seconds and 0-124mph in 7.5 seconds, as the standard limited-slip differential lays a pair of black lines down on the road as it goes.

Performance is life-affirming at all engine speeds, but the F22's top end is phenomenal, like engaging hyperspace on the Millennium Falcon as the Dutch countryside streams past us in a blur.

But the Donkervoort's cornering is just as impressive. The F22's lightweight, incisively quick steering and Nankang AR1 semi-slick tyres were developed specifically for the F22, meaning it can change direction like a hummingbird, pulling over 2G with seemingly no inertia. The roomy pedal box means you're soon heel-and-toeing just for the sake of it, and the power of the unassisted, four-pot AP brakes gives you the confidence to dig deep into breaking zones.

There's little body roll to speak of, even with the dampers set in the loosest of their six settings, and the ride quality is excellent, making up for the fact that the Donkervoort is an NVH assault on the senses at pretty much all speeds.

Alcantara wraps the cabin parts not made from beautifully finished carbon-fibre weave, including the steering wheel and carbon-fibre Recaro seats with six-point race harnesses.

An iPad mount does an excellent job of replacing the infotainment screen you get in less paired-back machines and provides sat-nav via a hotspot connection to your phone. It's an ideal solution for a low-volume car maker.

The digital instrument binnacle provides yet more screenage. Its crystal-clear display is easy to read with a large rev counter, central speedometer and change-up lights you can see in the corner of your eye as the revs crash into the limiter.

Coming from the tallest nation in the world, the F22 has plenty of head, leg and elbow room, and the seats are comfortable – despite not amounting to much more than strategically placed padding on a carbon-fibre shell. Factor in a roomy pedal box, and the Donkervoort is one lightweight sportscar that won't have you cursing the motorway before you hit the fun roads.

Sure, there's not much interior storage to speak of, but the seat cushions act as an ideal key holder and – if you want to take your 507PS sportscar anywhere near snow – you could potentially feed a pair of skis between the front seats through an opening in the boot.

The boot itself is impressively capacious. There's room for soft bags. Even with the roof stowed and roof up, you get an impressive 298-litre capacity.

If you're expecting Mercedes S-Class levels of features from your Donkervoort F22, you're going to be a little disappointed. It has everything you need, though, including air conditioning, heated seats, a reversing camera and… well, that's about it. There are no electric windows (they don't open at all), the mirrors are manually adjustable, and the panoramic sunroof takes the form of an easily removable carbon-fibre roof.

Like vinyl in a digital world, the Donkervoort F22's idiosyncrasies are as big a part of its appeal as its outrageous performance and mind-bending handling. It looks like nothing else on earth, performs in a way few can match, and is an automotive repost to fast EVs' impressive (but emotionless) performance.

In a time when even Lotus will soon only sell electric cars, the F22 could act as a guiding light to the UK's dwindling car industry, securing the likes of BAC, Morgan and Ginetta far into the future, making full use of the EU's exemption from the ICE ban for manufacturers building fewer than 1,000 cars per year.

You'll not be disappointed if you're one of the 100 owners with your name down for an F22.