Dutch boutique car maker Donkervoort has introduced the D8 GTO-RS, a model that blurs the line between a race car and a street car.
The RS is based on the standard D8 GTO, which is already one of the most extreme street-legal cars offered in Europe. It’s equipped with an Audi-sourced turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine that has been tweaked with input from Bosch to deliver more power and faster acceleration. Technical and performance specifications are being kept under wraps for the time being.
Donkervoort developed a brand new brake system to keep the additional power in check. The D8 GTO-RS also benefits from a revised suspension system, and a wider front track that provides the front axle with more grip. The GTO-RS is consequently much faster around a track than the standard D8; in fact, it’s the fastest GTO the company has ever built.
The GTO-RS’s body is wider than the D8’s, and it receives a redesigned front end with a new four-slat grille, sharp-looking LED headlights, and massive air ducts that help cool the brakes. Once inside, the driver is treated to a three-spoke steering wheel wrapped with Alcantara, a short-throw gear lever that sticks out from a transmission tunnel made out of carbon fiber, and an airplane-like instrument cluster with a bevy of toggle switches and analog gauges.
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The Donkervoort D8 GTO-RS will make its full debut towards the end of the summer. Want one? If you live in the United States you’re out of luck, because the GTO-RS won’t be sold here. Even if you’re in Europe you need to act fast, because production is limited to just 40 examples and over half of them have already spoken for. Pricing starts at €151,173, a sum that converts to approximately $173,000.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.