MotoringPREMIUM

Limited-production De Tomaso P72 unveiled

The car harks back to simpler, beautiful times with tactility, a V8 engine and zero digitalisation

The P72 is shape and sculpted imaginations of 60s sport cars including the Carroll Shelby designed De Tomaso P70. SUPPLIED
The P72 is shape and sculpted imaginations of 60s sport cars including the Carroll Shelby designed De Tomaso P70. SUPPLIED

De Tomaso Automobili has unveiled the production specification P72. Described as flowing lines and an analogue soul, it’s a tribute car to the Italian company’s 65 year heritage and inspired by the 1965 De Tomaso P70 created in collaboration with Carroll Shelby.

The P72 is built using a carbon fibre chassis, and a unibody monocoque for reduced weight, structural purity and a low-slung driving position. It’s available in a curated range of heritage-inspired paint finishes, or as a carbon exterior.

De Tomaso says the inside of the P72 rejects the digital age in favour of mechanical intimacy. There are no infotainment screens or other distractions. Not even a Bluetooth connection to a mobile device is spared.

The cabin is crafted analogously using high quality, hand-made materials with an artistic gear lever as the centre piece. Picture: SUPPLIED
The cabin is crafted analogously using high quality, hand-made materials with an artistic gear lever as the centre piece. Picture: SUPPLIED

Occupants are welcome by traditional analogue dials, bespoke switchgear and a sculptured six-speed transmission lever with exposed linkage shifter in polished metal. Tactility, artistry and emotion are the currency, as are hand-stitched leather and individually milled aluminium components as part of the expensive look and feel.

A hand-assembled, 5.0l supercharged V8 engine developed exclusively for the “P” platform with forged internals and supercharger powers the car. It produces 522kW and 820 Nm, and it’s just as pure, devoid of modern expectations such as driving and chassis modes.

De Tomaso says the power train is tuned not for top-speed dominance, but for exhilarating in-gear performance, immediate, response and emotional driving rewards. A pushrod suspension system is equipped for classical driving feel while a three-way, manually adjustable damping system enables drivers to tailor the car’s behaviour to their preference.

The vehicle shown is one of only 72 allocations. Each car will be individually commissioned and crafted. “The P72 was our promise to faithfully revive a historic marque,” says Norman Choi, CEO of De Tomaso Automobili.

Deliveries will commence in late 2025, though the company hasn’t released the pricing details.

mpaynep@businesslive.co.za

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