The De Tomaso P72 Proves Not All New Supercar Revivals Are Vaporware

It’s been a long time coming, but the production version of De Tomaso’s P72 Mustang-powered supercar has finally been revealed – and it’s every bit as stunning as the original concept first shown at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

With its sultry lines blending retro and modern cues, the P72 will definitely stand out amid the sea of mundane SUVs. Sadly, seeing one in person will be rare, as only 72 examples of the supercar will be built. Deliveries of the first cars are slated for late 2025, De Tomaso has confirmed. While a price wasn’t announced, the company previously indicated a starting tag of €1.6 million (about $1.78 million).

Inspiration From A 1960s Race Car

The P72 isn’t a spiritual successor to classic De Tomaso sports cars like the Pantera and Mangusta, but instead pays homage to the P70 sports prototype race car (also known as the Sport 5000) developed by De Tomaso founder Alejandro de Tomaso together with Carroll Shelby back in 1965. Shelby pulled out of the project before it was completed to focus on Ford’s GT40 effort, but de Tomaso pushed ahead. However, after some unsuccessful races, he canceled the P70 project after just one year, and later used the parts for the Mangusta.

Responsible for the lines of the original P70 was design legend Peter Brock, and the P72’s designer, the talented Jowyn Wong, has managed to recapture the race car’s curves on the P72 while further emphasizing them. The end result is a design that looks both functional and pure automotive sculpture.

An Interior Filled With Automotive Jewelry

The P72’s cabin is equally striking, featuring machined metal accents and diamond‑patterned leather. Its vintage‑inspired switchgear and round analog gauges draw directly from the classic design language of the 1960s and ’70s, and continuing the analog theme is a 6‑speed manual transmission with an exposed linkage and short gear ratios.

Don’t look for any screens, as there are none. If a digital connection is a must, De Tomaso has installed a discreet phone holder. And in contrast to the way things are usually done today, there isn’t a drive mode selector. That means you get the full performance all the time. The suspension, a push‑rod setup, is still adjustable, but you’ll have to do this manually.

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The P72 was originally designed around a carbon fiber central tub borrowed from Apollo, the maker of the Intensa Emozione and Project Evo supercars. Apollo’s founder, Norman Choi, purchased the rights to the De Tomaso name in 2014, after a previous attempt to revive it failed. However, De Tomaso later decided to develop a new tub for the P72, which, together with the pandemic and other setbacks, resulted in the six‑year gestation for the car.

The P72’s tub is formed from a single, uninterrupted piece of carbon fiber, which De Tomaso said enhances rigidity while also saving weight compared to using bonded sections. The P72’s body is also made from carbon fiber, which buyers will be able to leave exposed.

A Modern-Day Ford Connection

A peak output of 700 horsepower and 605 lb‑ft of torque comes from a supercharged 5.0‑liter V8. The engine is Ford’s versatile Coyote, tuned for the P72 by Roush. Remember, early De Tomaso models ran on Ford engines, and Ford even held ownership of the marque for a short time.

Another partner for the P72 is Germany’s HWA, which helped with development and has also been tasked with production. The Affalterbach‑based company, founded by AMG co‑founder Hans Werner Aufrecht and also responsible for the roadgoing version of the Mercedes‑Benz CLK GTR race car, also helped Apollo with its recent supercars.

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Listen To The Incredible Sound Of The De Tomaso P72 At Full Throttle

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This first P72 will be used for final validation and certification and is outside the 72‑unit production run, De Tomaso said. Interestingly, the company has previously said that 72 coupes would be built, perhaps leaving the door open for an additional run of open‑top P72s at some point. The company has also indicated that it may launch a more extreme version dubbed the P900. One can hope.