De Tomaso Revival Unveiled

The moment those with a thing for the past were waiting for has arrived: Gian Mario Rossignolo, the man who took it upon himself to bring back to life an Italian icon revealed today the model which he will bring to Geneva, the De Tomaso SLC concept. Built as a luxury sports crossover (for the record, a type of car the brand had previously no experience with), the SLC is powered mainly by a V8 engine which develops 524 horsepower. Optionally, when the model will enter production at the Grugliasco plant, it will also be offered with a V6 diesel good for 247 horsepower. Other than that, there are no info available on the model, at least as far as standard features and such go (for now, we reckon). To be priced at around $115,000, the De Tomaso crossover with no pedigree whatsoever hopes to conquer the hearts, minds, and pockets of around 3,000 people a year, starting 2012. Price and engine choices aside, we're only left with the question: was this what we were hoping for in 2009, when Rossignolo announced the revival of the brand? After all, revival means bringing back something and, as far as we know, a crossover never wore the De Tomaso badge. On the other hand, Rossignolo is a business man, and a successful one, too. One who knows that crossovers are what people like and buy these days... autoevolution will be attending the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, so stay tuned for some real up close and personal shots of the vehicles, as well as for first-hand details of the motorized contraptions presented at the event.