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Dutch supercar-maker Donkervoort mid-December revealed its newest model, the F22 — a track-ready titan with almost 500 horsepower, courtesy a souped-up Audi engine. The F22, a successor to the D8 model the company’s built for a decade, has a power-to-weight ratio of more than 600 hp per tonne – better than the original Bugatti Veyron – and comes driven by an Audi-sourced 2.5-litre engine inline-five tuned to 492 horses. Moreover, it has a five-speed transmission that drives power to the rear wheels through a limited-slip Torsen differential, allowing it to top 62 mph (100 km/h) from a standstill in 2.5 seconds.

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Its design comprises a tubular steel and carbon-fibre section with a removable roof. Donkervoort builds its via its production process — Ex-Core — which uses foam to apply pressure to carbon-fibre layers in a self-heating mould. From there, software and removable heat cartridges with built-in sensors ensure that heat is evenly distributed during moulding. The process costs 30 to 50 per cent less than traditional carbon-fibre processes, ostensibly.

“We made use of Ex-Core and added strength and created an integrated design that links to our heritage while advancing the F22’s design,” Jordi Wiersma, a Donkervoort design team lead, said in a statement. “We tried to…