- De Tomaso unveiled the production-ready P72 supercar today, more than six years after first debuting the car at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
- The P72’s grandiose cabin is free of touchscreens and features a six-speed manual transmission with an exposed linkage.
- The supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 engine produces 700 horsepower and continues De Tomaso’s tradition of pairing gorgeous Italian bodywork with American V-8 power.
In 2019, the De Tomaso name reemerged, after more than a decade of dormancy, on the beautiful P72 supercar. The revived company announced plans to build 72 units, but other than trotting the P72 out at car shows, things have been pretty quiet in the ensuing six years. Now De Tomaso has revealed the P72 in its final production specification, giving us another opportunity to fawn over its curvaceous bodywork, ornate interior, and combination of eight-cylinder power and a manual transmission. De Tomaso says deliveries will begin later this year.De Tomaso AutomobiliThe P72 is built around a carbon-fiber chassis, and while the company claims it is all new, previous reporting has suggested the chassis is shared with the Apollo Intense Emozione, another limited-production supercar overseen by the same man who led the comeback of De Tomaso, Norman Choi. The eye-catching body is also fashioned entirely from carbon fiber and features swooping fenders, deep side intakes, and an overall look that recalls endurance racers of the 1960s. The cabin is a marvel. There are no touchscreens or infotainment system, with the dashboard instead holding a series of gauges and physical controls, all housed in milled aluminum with a copper-colored finish. De Tomaso did sneak in a phone mount, in case you need to consult a map for directions, but there is no way to digitally connect the device to the car. It also seems as if the P72 may eschew speakers, with De Tomaso stating “the engine is the soundtrack.” The only screen in the car is the digital rearview mirror, required by law to display the backup camera.De Tomaso AutomobiliYou will also have noticed the manual shifter, a rarity in modern supercars. It features an exposed linkage—similar to the Lotus Emira—that emphasizes the human-machine connection. Like the gauges, the shift knob sports a series of crisscrossing lines that create a jewel-like appearance. The six-speed manual gearbox is hooked up to a supercharged 5.0-liter V-8. While De Tomaso says the engine is “developed exclusively” for the P72, TopGear reports that this is a Roush-tuned Ford Coyote engine, also found in a variety of Mustang and F-150 models. This may seem a bit pedestrian for an exclusive and no doubt expensive supercar like the P72, but De Tomaso has a long history of pairing Italian styling with American-made V-8s, with the famous Pantera using Ford V-8s during its production run from 1971 to 1992.De Tomaso AutomobiliDe Tomaso AutomobiliDe Tomaso says that “bespoke forged internals” and a De Tomaso–specific supercharger allow the V-8 to produce 700 horsepower and 604 pound-feet of torque. No performance figures were quoted, and De Tomaso says the engine is not tuned for top-speed runs, with the short gear ratios instead emphasizing a focus on driver engagement. Other technical details include a pushrod suspension and three-way manually adjustable dampers.The example seen in these photos is an “internal production specification unit,” meaning it will not count toward the 72-unit production run. Each of the 72 units delivered to customers will be highly bespoke, De Tomaso says. There’s no word on pricing, but we have to imagine the P72 will require well over $1 million.More Crazy SupercarsCaleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.
Source: caranddriver.com
