Page 1 of 1 For many years, the only manufacturer of note in The Netherlands was Donkervoort, who continue to produce their high quality Lotus 7 inspired machines to this date. More recently they have been overshadowed by the country's first supercar producer; Spyker. That flamboyant company now looks set to get some serious competition from a compatriot. Founded by Giel Hansen, the Hansen sports cars company has revealed the first details of their upcoming mid-engined supercars, powered by a five litre V10 engine. The line-up will consist of the track oriented GT-R and the road going GT models. The first of these to see the light of day will be the GT-R, but we expect both to differ only in detail.
The heart of the GT-R is formed by a monocoque centre section created from aluminium, steel honeycomb and composite. On both ends subframes are bolted on to provide the mounting points for the front and rear double wishbone suspension, as well as the drivetrain. The engine of choice is a five litre V10, expected to produce over 500 bhp and 500Nm. Power is transferred to the rear wheels through a six speed manual gearbox. Stopping power is provided by vented discs all around. Thanks to the use of aluminium and composite materials throughout the car, the weight is kept down to 1100 kg, which should help give the Hansen very impressive performance figures.
For the exterior design Hansen sports cars has employed the services of the little known Portuguese design company Luso Motors. They specialize in producing machined suspension and gearbox parts. They have also produced a variety designs, but as far as we can tell, none have been turned into metal/carbon fibre yet. This is about to change with the two-door coupe body designed for Hansen. The curvaceous and compact design looks very purposeful. One of the most striking features is the transparent roof that should give the cockpit a very airy feel.
In the summer of 2007, the development phase was almost completed and preparations for the production of the first fully functional prototype were well under way. This should be ready before the end of the year. Page 1 of 1
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For many years, the only manufacturer of note in The Netherlands was Donkervoort, who continue to produce their high quality Lotus 7 inspired machines to this date. More recently they have been overshadowed by the country's first supercar producer; Spyker. That flamboyant company now looks set to get some serious competition from a compatriot. Founded by Giel Hansen, the Hansen sports cars company has revealed the first details of their upcoming mid-engined supercars, powered by a five litre V10 engine. The line-up will consist of the track oriented GT-R and the road going GT models. The first of these to see the light of day will be the GT-R, but we expect both to differ only in detail.