The De Tomaso P72 Will Be Powered By A 700BHP Roush Tuned Ford V8

The original De Tomaso Pantera came across like an American had looked at a Lamborghini and said, “no, that’s not good enough, this needs less pasta and more bacon.”

It was a muscle car with a mid-mounted heart and sounded like hell fire, and as the Ford GT left an opening in the market, it was quite happy to sit there and reap the rewards. While its sales didn’t blow anyone away, it lasted a good long ten years on the market and firmly imprinted the name onto the minds of petrol heads.

Now, De Tomaso is making a return with a spiritual successor to the P70, while taking hints from the Pantera’s longed after powertrain. Just like the Pantera, the car will be powered by a mid-mounted Ford Coyote V8, but with some Roush magic enabling it to be taken to the next level.

With “around” 700bhp and over 600lb ft or torque, this Italian-American hybrid will certainly turn heads when it reaches its maximum rpm of 7,500. According to De Tomaso, it will have “a world-class engine that provides a unique soundtrack reminiscent of the days of old”. Staying within that mantra, this car will only be built with a 6-speed manual. Hurrah! And if you can’t drive manual then no fear, you can still sit in the car admiring the perfectly engineered exposed linkage.

Despite the car sitting on the same LMP-derived chassis as the Apollo Intensa Emozione, this car will have more focus on luxury with fields of quilted leather washing through the interior and gorgeously cast metal trim. The inside of the car really does look spectacular, matching the exterior’s swooping curves and angles.

While previous attempts at putting De Tomaso back on the map weren’t so successful, we have a feeling that this might just catch on. Watch this space.