The Track-Only De Tomaso P900: The Lightest V12 Ever With 888 HP and a 12,300 RPM Redline

From the humble beginnings of its first road-going production model, the Vallelunga, to the stunning Mangusta and the outrageous Pantera, De Tomaso has always been regarded as a major player in the supercar industry. Even more, the unique examples that left its factory gates have also been featured in movie production assignments and television, also being the preferred vehicle of choice of many renowned racing drivers.

Although widely acclaimed, the company's past has not been a bed of roses, its evolution over the years being sprinkled with less enjoyable circumstances, such as the 2004 voluntary liquidation following the death of Alejandro de Tomaso, the brand's founder, one year earlier, or the financial bankruptcy of 2012.

The last decade witnessed the reborn of the company under its latest ownership, which started in 2014, in the hands of Norman Choi, the chairman of the Hong-Kong based Ideal Team Ventures, which, in the meantime, also acquired Apollo Automobili. These strategic efforts culminated with the 2019 birth of the De Tomaso P72, a supercar based on the LMP1 platform shared with Apollo Automobil's Intensa Emozione, first shown to the public during that year's Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The P72 was envisioned as a limited-edition homage to the P70 racecar built by the late Caroll Shelby in the 1960s and was co-developed alongside American tuning company Roush which provided a 5.0-liter supercharged Ford Coyote V8 engine fitted with a Roots-type supercharger and mated to a six-speed manual.

Recently, De Tomaso disclosed their latest project, the P900, a hypercar inspired by Alejandro De Tomaso's own drawings from the 1960s, which dreamed of creating the ultimate V12-powered naturally aspirated machine. Aiding in the engineering and development phases, the automotive company partnered up with a reputed German engineering firm named Capricorn GmbH, headquartered in Nurburgring. They assisted De Tomaso in creating a masterfully designed all-new powerplant in the form of a 6.2-liter 60-degree twelve-cylinder unit, capable of producing 888 hp (900 PS) while boasting a mesmerizing 12,300 rpm redline and still capable of running on synthetic fuels.

Thanks to Capricorn's advanced technical expertise, the P900's V12 is set to become the world's lightest and shortest engine of its kind, as when mated to the Xtrac sequential transmission driving the rear wheels only, the entire powertrain assembly tips the scale just around 485 lbs (220 kg). Moreover, the hypercar's nameplate does not speak only for the engine's mind-boggling power output, but also for the vehicle's dry weight of only 900 kg (1,984 lbs). In turn, it grants the P900 an admirable power-to-weight ratio of 1:1.

Unfortunately, this bespoke engine setup will still be under development for a few more years, at least until 2024. Customers who cannot endure the long wait have an alternative powertrain option, available from summer next year, in the form of a Judd V10, closely related to the unit that powered the Benetton B197, piloted by Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger during the 1997 Formula 1 season. Although performance stats have not yet been released, the manufacturer assures that the P900 will be almost as quick as an LMP racing car.

The exterior appearance of the vehicle is undoubtedly spectacular and bears a close resemblance to the Intensa Emozione. The P900's exterior and underbody aerodynamic elements have been painstakingly tested inside an F1 wind tunnel, where, alongside many other features, the hypercar borrowed an active rear wing from its racing counterparts capable of DRS-like operation.

Sadly, De Tomaso announced it will produce only 18 examples of the P900, at a starting price of $3 million each. The official unveiling is set for the summer of 2023. In the meantime, future and past buyers can enroll and participate in the "De Tomaso Competizione," a customers-only driving series that aims to assist owners in operating their beloved vehicles at racing track events in a professionally organized manner.

As a side note, the P72 is almost ready to go into production, with the first units expected to be delivered to their customers in a few months' time, in the spring of next year. The Germans at Capricorn also helped hone the P72 to its best form possible, as the model will get a brand-new carbon fiber chassis and reworked suspension.