Despite the ultra-wealthy having more options for toys than ever before, we do seem to be thin on pretty supercars. Striking and aggressive, sure but pretty? That’s a trickier thing to find. Thankfully, there is a new answer. The De Tomaso P72 is gorgeous, and while it has taken six years to come to market, it still has quite the visual impact.
In case you’re wondering about how this iconic automotive brand made a comeback, De Tomaso is now owned by Hong Kong-based Ideal Ventures, the same company that bought Gumpert after it entered liquidation and rebranded it as Apollo. This means there may have been some resource sharing going on underneath the surface of the branding, but it also means De Tomaso is back from the dead.
Anyway, back to the P72. Its name is inspired by an open-topped Can-Am car, but the shape really seems to have more Le Mans of the ’60s to it, just stretched over a far larger, vastly more modern architecture in a more graceful manner than the reborn Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale. Sure, the rear fenders are tall and some details like the door surfacing are a touch busy, but the P72 absolutely has bite-the-back-of-your-hand angles. What’s more, functional changes that affect appearance seem to be minor. The fuel cap’s no longer flush, there’s a lump on the top for an antenna, a center high mount stop light makes an appearance, and the mirrors seem to have grown in size, but that’s about it.
Under the skin, the P72 features a monocoque that De Tomaso claims is made from one giant sheet of carbon fiber, which sounds incredibly fiddly in practice but delightfully simple in spirit. Speaking of simple, instead of fancy adaptive dampers, the P72 features three-way adjustable dampers, a touch of the aftermarket in an OEM application.
Under the rear clamshell of the P72, you’ll find a supercharged five-liter V8, and De Tomaso has previously stated that it starts as a Ford Coyote engine and then goes to Roush for some more work, though it’s not clear if Roush is still involved.
Mated to a proper six-speed manual transaxle, it pumps out an entirely reasonable-by-supercar-standards 700 horsepower, 50 fewer than initially forecast. Even though 700 horsepower isn’t quite up to expectations, it’s plenty, and a whole lot more sensible than a power figure with a comma in it. A 700-horsepower car is still bonkers quick, but compared to the most potent vehicles on the road today, it should still be somewhat usable.
More importantly, pure performance isn’t the focus here. From the relatively reasonable output to the row-your-own transmission to the lack of infotainment and drive modes, the De Tomaso P72 seems like a road car, a supercar that shouldn’t require a closed course to have some modicum of fun without a near-guarantee of going to jail.
As it stands, pricing for the De Tomaso P72 hasn’t been announced yet, but deliveries are said to start soon. It’s certainly going to be expensive but it seems like a more imaginative choice than something like a Lamborghini Revuelto. Of course, with any low-volume automaker, especially a new one, things might not go smoothly (and the status of the lawsuit over the car remains unclear), but come on, doesn’t this look more attractive than a modern Lamborghini?
Top graphic credit: De Tomaso
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Interesting car even though supercars usually sort of bore me most of the time (too far out of my price range to expend too many brain cells on 😉 ). I like the ‘reasonable’ 700 HP, and the lack of a big screen, etc… I also dig the use of copper plating on instruments, etc… though it looks perhaps a bit busy/overdone ala Spyker Car’s baroque, Jules Vernesque interiors. Also, I hope that any actual copper-plated items have been clear coated on top so as not to tarnish. Not to quibble further, but I don’t see ANY screen on the dash at all (maybe there’s a small one inside one of the round instruments?) so not sure how they’re going to abide by the required reverse camera in the US (now in the EU too? I dunno) Finally, over-the-shoulder rear visibility looks like it might be abysmal with that long vertical slit of a rear window… and no sign of cameras in the side view mirrors either… I guess you just turn on your signal, step on the gas, say a little prayer, and hope for the best when changing lanes? 😉
Rather than white, I’d spec mine (were I a millionaire) in something other than white though… maybe try to find a shade of light-medium blue that worked with the copper on the exterior.
It Looks Like The Stunning De Tomaso P72 Is Finally Ready For The Road.
And by “road” you mean the short trip from the enclosed trailer to the concourse?