AFFALTERBACH (Germany): De Tomaso Automobili revealed on Wednesday the production specification of its P72, marking a return to its 1960s roots and celebrating 65 years of marque heritage.
Drawing inspiration from the 1965 P70 collaboration between Alejandro De Tomaso and Carroll Shelby, the P72 preserves the emotional artistry of the era, favouring sculpted form and tactile engagement over digital intervention.
At the heart of the P72 lies an all-new carbon-fibre chassis, crafted from a single-piece monocoque through to the front and rear subframes.
This unibody structure, devoid of bonded sections, delivers enhanced rigidity and reduced mass, enabling precise control of suspension geometry and mounting points.
The platform has been optimised for a low driving position and centralised powertrain placement, yielding ideal weight distribution and a low centre of gravity that underpin the car’s analogue handling ethos.
Encasing the chassis is a full carbon-fibre body, offered either in a selection of heritage-inspired paint finishes or left in raw carbon for a modern twist on period styling.
Every exterior surface is handcrafted, reflecting the marque’s commitment to mechanical purity and artisan craftsmanship.
The cabin eschews screens and electronic interfaces in favour of traditional analogue instrumentation and bespoke switchgear.
A suspended, exposed-linkage shifter provides direct mechanical feedback to the driver, while machined aluminium components—each bead-blasted, hand-brushed or polished—recall the attention to detail of fine watchmaking.
Even the lone concession to modern convenience, a discreet phone holder, remains disconnected from the car’s mechanical systems, reinforcing the principle that the road itself is the interface.
Powering the P72 is a hand-made 5.0-litre supercharged V8, delivering 700hp and 820Nm of torque through short-ratio gearing in a six-speed manual designed for exhilarating in-gear response rather than outright top speed.
The engine’s header design, reminiscent of the 1960s original, transforms exhaust note into a raw, emotive soundtrack.
Absent are drive-mode selections or electronic aids; the car relies on its push-rod suspension and a three-way manually adjustable damping system to allow drivers to tailor ride and handling characteristics to personal preference.
This internal production unit represents the final specification that each of the 72 custodians will receive.
Every vehicle will be bespoke, with individual commissions and aesthetic options reflecting De Tomaso’s core values of beauty, tactility and emotion. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in late 2025. Pricing starts from US$1.7mil (RM7.3mil).
For context, an unresolved lawsuit over the car may yet put a spanner in the works.
De Tomaso Automobili CEO Norman Choi described the P72 as the fulfilment of a promise to revive the spirit of a historic marque.
In an age dominated by screens and silence, the P72 reasserts the power of human touch, offering an unfiltered connection between driver and machine.
De Tomaso is also believed to be working on a more extreme P900 model that uses a V12 engine, capable of making 888hp.
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/h7Tw8lJKr34
