Donkervoort Announces End of DAZA Audi 5-Cylinder Era for Their Dutch Supercar

Editor’s Note: The cottage Lotus Super 7 business was never quite the same after Dutch manufacturer Donkervoort arrived on the scene. The brand set the mark with its reinterpretations of Lotus’ iconic purist sportscar, and went so much further as it evolved its cars into the future, first adopting Audi power with a 1.8T 25 years ago, evolving further and culminating with the 2.5 TFSI and now DAZA variant of that in its latest cars, while embracing Colin Chapman’s themes of adding lightness the whole time. Despite its simplicity, today’s Donkervoort is by no means retro, and alas their pursuit of evolution means a break from Audi after 25 years.

Donkervoort released news this week announcing their plans, and promoting its “Final Five” series of bespoke builds planned as they end production on the 5-cylinder era. Thus far, they haven’t said where they’re headed for an engine, but they did reveal they’re not going electric just yet.

Why the change from Audi? They haven’t stated that either, but if we had to guess then it’s probably that Audi has signaled no plans for the DAZA 5-cylinder beyond this latest generation RS 3 and possibly next-generation RS Q3 that is due out soon. There’s no longer a TT RS or a Cupra Terramar V75. Without new projects to account for production units within the Volkswagen group, or projects outside the group such as the Donkervoort or the still-in-production KTM X-bow GT-XR, it would seem that the days for the DAZA are numbered.

Read the full Donkervoort press release below.

Farewell to Audi. Hello To…

[source: Donkervoort]

There’s an old saying: if you’re onto a good thing, stick to it. We did exactly this after switching to Audi’s four-cylinder power 25 years ago, and it culminated in the best five-cylinder car the world has ever seen. 

In 2011, we launched a car tailored around Audi’s five-cylinder, 2.5-litre turbocharged engine.

With that one powerful leap, the D8 GTO catapulted Donkervoort from a Dutch boutique brand to a serious contender on the international supercar stage. 

This brilliant supercar added a fresh chapter to the legend of Audi’s five-cylinder engine, joining the illustrious Group B rally Quattro in automotive folklore. 

This engine transformed an already-quick Donkervoort into something exceptional: the perfect car for Living the Drive. It could rocket from 0 to 100km/h in just 2.8 seconds, raising the top speed from 245km/h to 270. 

Initially, the D8 GTO delivered 280kW of raw power, but by the time the F22 arrived at the end of 2022, that same engine was pushing 367kW. 

The F22’s rich torque curve allows it to cruise effortlessly, shifting into taller gears without losing its punch. The deep and menacing engine fire-up blast creates a feeling of overwhelming power even before the wheels turn. 

Its distinctive five-cylinder off-beat idle, turbocharger whistle and ever-evolving timbre make it a visceral experience. Each slight increase in rpm takes it from a deep idle to a silky bellow, then to a fierce howl at high revs. 

It’s an open-air operatic theatre as much as a performance engine. It is also reliable, light, and forgiving, allowing Donkervoort to trade just 45kg for unmatched performance gains. 

Every five-cylinder Donkervoort is highly sought after, and each one has an owner, including some that haven’t been built yet. While all F22 owners have finalised their specifications, a significant number have yet to be delivered. 

…Except, we wouldn’t be Donkervoort if we hadn’t created a unique opportunity for the final five Audi-powered Donkervoorts.

We kept exploring the F22’s potential, even when it was a sold-out production run, and that’s why a select few will have the ultimate tribute to the five-cylinder era with the F22 Final Five. 

This ultimate edition will feature carbon-ceramic brake discs, cutting 2.5kg per corner, a titanium exhaust that reduces another 4kg, and ultra-light carbon rims to trim even more weight. 

Additionally, a new, exposed carbon-fibre body — typically seen only on multimillion-dollar hypercars — will clad the Final Five. 

This leads to an impressive reduction of 34 kg in the overall weight from the F22’s kerb weight of 750 kg to just 716 kg.

While the D8 GTO lifted Donkervoort into the supercar realm, the F22 Final Five marks an undeniable transition toward hypercar prestige. 

And, true to our family philosophy, the first Final Five has already been delivered to a Donkervoort Ambassador, while others have locked in their specifications to personalise their F22 Final Fives to reflect their unique styles. 

These last five Audi-powered Donkervoorts are the ultimate evolution of the five-cylinder legacy — an unbeatable combination of power, rarity, precision and automotive history in the making — the F22 Final Five.

As much as the five-cylinder engine has defined Donkervoort, another saying holds true: when one door closes, another opens. 

It has.

And we’re stepping through it. Soon, the exclusive club of hypercar brands will have something new to worry about and, for you, something new to dream about… 

(Spoiler alert: it’s not electric, nor is it a multimillion-dollar car.)

Watch this space.