De Tomaso Automobili has unveiled the production specification P72, which celebrates De Tomaso’s 65 years of heritage. Inspired by the 1965 De Tomaso P70, a collaboration between Alejandro De Tomaso and Carroll Shelby, the P72 features at its heart a hand-assembled 5.0L supercharged V8.
De Tomaso V8 power
Developed exclusively for the ‘P’ platform and featuring bespoke forged internals and a new De Tomaso supercharger, the engine produces 700hp and 820Nm of torque. With short gear ratios, the powertrain is tuned not for top-speed dominance, but for in-gear performance.
Beneath the carbon monocoque is a push-rod suspension system. The three-way manually adjustable damping system enables drivers to tailor the car’s behavior to their preference.
Engineered from the ground up
First revealed as a concept at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed, beneath the P72 lies a clean-sheet carbon fiber chassis, woven entirely in 4×4 twill weave, extending from the central monocoque through the front and rear subframes. At its core is a unibody monocoque, formed from a single piece of carbon fiber, with no bonded sections, to enhance rigidity and reduce weight.
Rather than adapting an existing architecture, De Tomaso pursued a ground-up solution to enable precise control over suspension geometry, mounting points and overall chassis balance. The final structure was tailored to support the P72’s low-slung driving position, while centering the powertrain at the lowest possible point within the chassis. The platform is said to deliver optimal weight distribution and a low center of gravity.
Encasing the structure is a full carbon-fiber body. At its center is an exposed linkage shifter that connects the driver to the six-speed gearbox.
“The P72 was our promise to faithfully revive a historic marque,” said Norman Choi, CEO of De Tomaso Automobili. “This first production-specification vehicle embodies everything we stand for: a mechanical soul, timeless beauty and a driving experience that rises above modern convention. It is our echo through time—now made real.”
In related news, Budapest-based Kammanufaktur has said it will debut the first customer-ordered 699kg, full-carbon 912c in the UK at the Megaphonics event at Boxengasse in Oxfordshire in August, and that its 750kg, 182bhp semi-carbon Kamm 912c restomod will feature at a range of US shows this summer, including the prestigious Greenwich Concours, through partner HK Motorcars. Click here to read the full story
