THE DE TOMASO P72: A 1965 DREAM REBORN FOR 2025 - NOW PRODUCTION READY.
When emotion shaped engineering and artistry led design, this is what it looked like. De Tomaso Automobili has officially lifted the wraps on the production-spec P72 - a rolling sculpture that rewinds the clock to 1965 and reimagines it for today’s most discerning purists. Inspired by the legendary De Tomaso P70, a passion project between Alejandro De Tomaso and Carroll Shelby, the P72 is a soul-stirring tribute to a golden age of motoring, one where human touch trumped algorithms and machines roared with mechanical poetry. Originally revealed as a concept at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the P72 has now evolved into its final road-ready form - exquisitely faithful to its original vision, unapologetically analogue, and breathtaking in both presence and purpose. At its core lies a feat of engineering as ambitious as its design. The P72 rides on an all-new, clean-sheet carbon fibre chassis - no borrowed bones here. Wrapped in 4x4 twill weave carbon and formed as a single, seamless monocoque with integrated front and rear subframes, it’s a masterclass in structural purity. No bonding. No patchwork. Just uninterrupted strength and a foundation purpose-built for balanced dynamics and low-slung drama. Every millimetre of this architecture was tailored through years of obsessive development, giving De Tomaso total control over suspension geometry, weight distribution, and the centre of gravity. The result is a chassis as emotionally rewarding as it is structurally advanced. Draped over this platform is a full carbon fibre body, available either in rich, heritage-inspired finishes or left raw in its visual carbon glory - a nod to the raw truth beneath its curves. Beneath the elegant silhouette beats a bespoke supercharged 5.0-litre V8, hand-assembled and purpose-built for the P platform. With forged internals and a unique De Tomaso-developed supercharger, the engine pushes out 515 kW and 820 Nm of torque - tuned for response, not top-trumps numbers. Short ratios mean it pulls like a freight train in every gear, delivering the kind of feedback you feel in your spine. A 1960s-style header system gives it a raw, operatic note that’s as spine-tingling as it is unmistakable. No drive modes. No fake engine noise. Just pure, unfiltered combustion-fed glory.
Underneath, the P72 features a push-rod suspension setup, paired with a three-way manually adjustable damping system. No electronic nannies here — just mechanical honesty, tuned to evoke that classic road feel and let experienced hands find their perfect setup. It’s a car that rewards bravery, rewards precision, and starts a conversation between driver and road every time the wheels turn. Step inside, and you’re transported to a time before touchscreens diluted the drive. The P72’s cockpit is a sanctuary of mechanical intimacy - no screens, no infotainment, no bongs or pings. Just you, the machine, and the moment. Traditional analogue dials, hand-machined switchgear, and sweeping surfaces all converge around the driver. The crown jewel is a polished exposed gear linkage suspended like a mechanical sculpture, connecting the driver to the gearbox with pure tactility. No paddles, no algorithms. Just click, clack, go. The cabin is drenched in old-world craftsmanship: hand-stitched leathers, polished metals, individually milled aluminium accents in bead-blasted, brushed, or mirror-finish treatments - each one handled by artisans with the reverence of horologists. There’s a phone holder - discreet and practical - but no digital integration. In the P72, the road is your display, and the V8 is your soundtrack. “The P72 was our promise to faithfully revive a historic marque,” says 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.” The car shown here is De Tomaso’s internal production specification prototype — a preview of the standard to be delivered to the 72 future custodians of the P72. Every single production car will be tailored to its owner, each one a bespoke creation infused with De Tomaso’s signature blend of emotion, artistry, and authenticity.
Take a look at the YouTube video from the crew at Top Gear, who we fully expected to have a proper video up and ready to just as De Tomaso revealed the production version of the utterly amazing P72 to the rest of the motoring world: FIRST LOOK: De Tomaso P72 – 700bhp, £1.6m… Work Of Art? | Top Gear
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