Forgotten supercar makers are having quite the week. Yesterday, Noble was convincing us all it still existed with a new supercar, and now De Tomaso has come out of the woodwork with news of a new factory and plans to start production of its gorgeous P72 concept.
That’s right, the Italian brand behind the Mangusta and Pantera supercars is back and ready to put its new model into production. That’s all thanks to a new strategic partnership that De Tomaso has undertaken with engineering firm Capricorn.
While that name might not be synonymous with high-performance supercars in the minds of most onlookers, Capricorn brings some serious racing pedigree to De Tomaso.
The firm is responsible for building some highly successful chassis for motorsport series around the world. In fact, it was Capricorn Group that helped develop the Le Mans winning Porsche 919 LMP1.
So, De Tomaso has a good partner on board to assist with the construction of its new car, but what will it be?
Well, the P72 was initially unveiled in 2019 as a stunning throwback supercar. Limited to just 72 examples, the P72 will be built with a projected base price of EUR750,000 ($846,000).
For that, you’ll get the fantastically complex-looking Capricorn chassis you see above, and a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine. That hefty motor has been developed in partnership with engineering company Roush and should produce around 700 HP.
Now, the P72 just has to undergo a few final aerodynamic tests before production can begin at De Tomaso’s brand new factory.
Which also, actually, has to be built first.
That’s right, as part of the new collaboration between De Tomaso and Capricorn, the pair will construct a brand new factory in which to build the P72.
Despite De Tomaso’s claims that it would move to the U.S. to save the American auto industry, the new factory will instead be built in Germany. Specifically, Capricorn and De Tomaso will set up shop at the famous Nürburgring racetrack.
In a press release sharing the news, the firm also attributed the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason that it didn’t follow through with its plans to construct the P72 in America.
In the release, Norman Choi, Chairman of De Tomaso, said:
“Our P72 will not only be developed on, but also produced at the legendary Nürburgring, providing unrivaled experience, quality and value for our clients.
The firm hopes construction of its new factory will finish “in summer 2022” and, after that, it will be ready to begin production of the P72.
De Tomaso said that while it awaits the completion of its new facility, it will finalize the P72’s pre-series prototypes and complete the vehicle development and crash testing.
The firm hopes to begin deliveries of the P73 in the first half of 2023.