Photo: De Tomaso Automobili
Just in time for Christmas, De Tomaso Automobili launched the P900 hypercar, a wild beast that can easily shake off the boring life of any billionaire. With a price tag of $3 million and the exclusivity afforded by the 18-units production run, this is the ideal gift all sheiks with track skills dream about.
Those unfamiliar with the De Tomaso name might consider the above figures exaggerated. The Italian brand used to be famous for racecars and limited-production sports cars, but its fate took a turn for the worse in 2004 when De Tomaso went into liquidation. Although a buyer was found, it didn’t end well, and the company was again for sale in 2012. Two years later, the De Tomaso name was bought by Norman Choi of Ideal Team Ventures, which also owns Apollo Automobili.
Under the new ownership, De Tomaso presented the P72 supercar in 2019, based on the Apollo Intensa Emozione. Three years later, we have another P-branded hypercar launched, named P900. While the P72 owned its name to the 72-unit production run, the track-only P900 name reflects the metric power of its V12 engine and also its weight in kilograms (which translates into a cool 1,984-lb weight across the pond). It’s a fitting name because the P900 is little more than an engine on wheels, with a couple of aerodynamic parts to keep it from taking off the track.
The 6.2-liter V12 is a naturally-aspirated beast built by the German engineering firm Capricorn. It only weighs 220 kg (485 pounds), which partly explains how De Tomaso managed to keep the weight in the guidelines of its name. The engine can rev up to 12,300 rpm for a glorious sound and exhilarating performance, thanks to its 888 hp (662 kW/900 ps). Power goes to the rear wheels via a bespoke Xtrac sequential transmission.
As impressive as it sounds, this powerplant is still in development and won’t be ready until 2024. Since the P900 will make its public debut in the summer of 2023, De Tomaso offers an alternative solution to power the hypercar. This comes from a Judd V10, which De Tomaso says it’s related to the 1997 Benetton B197 F1 single-seater engine. Back in the day, it made 750 horsepower, but modern technologies could’ve convinced it to push out more. Certainly, not more than the 888 horsepower of the Capricorn powerplant.
Design-wise, the De Tomaso P900 is pure car porn, with the body made entirely of carbon fiber. It’s been styled by the same team that gave us the Apollo Intensa Emozione, so this kind of explains the wild curves and in-your-face aerodynamic details. Some body parts are sourced from the road-going P72, but most of the P900’s bodywork is new. The sculptural shape starts close to the P71 up front but gets wild at the rear, where the massive wing features active aero technology. The aerodynamics are optimized in an F1 wind tunnel, says De Tomaso, and we tend to believe it.
Under the new ownership, De Tomaso presented the P72 supercar in 2019, based on the Apollo Intensa Emozione. Three years later, we have another P-branded hypercar launched, named P900. While the P72 owned its name to the 72-unit production run, the track-only P900 name reflects the metric power of its V12 engine and also its weight in kilograms (which translates into a cool 1,984-lb weight across the pond). It’s a fitting name because the P900 is little more than an engine on wheels, with a couple of aerodynamic parts to keep it from taking off the track.
The 6.2-liter V12 is a naturally-aspirated beast built by the German engineering firm Capricorn. It only weighs 220 kg (485 pounds), which partly explains how De Tomaso managed to keep the weight in the guidelines of its name. The engine can rev up to 12,300 rpm for a glorious sound and exhilarating performance, thanks to its 888 hp (662 kW/900 ps). Power goes to the rear wheels via a bespoke Xtrac sequential transmission.
As impressive as it sounds, this powerplant is still in development and won’t be ready until 2024. Since the P900 will make its public debut in the summer of 2023, De Tomaso offers an alternative solution to power the hypercar. This comes from a Judd V10, which De Tomaso says it’s related to the 1997 Benetton B197 F1 single-seater engine. Back in the day, it made 750 horsepower, but modern technologies could’ve convinced it to push out more. Certainly, not more than the 888 horsepower of the Capricorn powerplant.
Design-wise, the De Tomaso P900 is pure car porn, with the body made entirely of carbon fiber. It’s been styled by the same team that gave us the Apollo Intensa Emozione, so this kind of explains the wild curves and in-your-face aerodynamic details. Some body parts are sourced from the road-going P72, but most of the P900’s bodywork is new. The sculptural shape starts close to the P71 up front but gets wild at the rear, where the massive wing features active aero technology. The aerodynamics are optimized in an F1 wind tunnel, says De Tomaso, and we tend to believe it.
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