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From its Le Mans racecar-inspired body to its classic-looking wheels and 700 rampaging horses, the P72 is a stunning piece of automotive history.

De Tomaso has quite a history behind it, but the biggest news of the last few years is that the company is finally back in all its Argentinian-Italian glory. Well, by ‘back’ we mean a limited run of 72 cars for a model called the P72.

The De Tomaso P72 was teased in videos and on social media before being unveiled to the world at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed. It was a prototype, but De Tomaso assured the world it was production ready. The new car followed the old Mangusta, Pantera, and Guará’s design philosophy of having an elegant Italian-inspired body and interior, with the roaring heart of an American V8 muscle car. While unveiled in 2019, the car will only be produced from the end of 2022 due to various reasons and will only be limited to 72 cars overall – hence the number in the name.

The P72 is a gorgeous piece of automotive design featuring a Le Mans racecar-inspired body, classic-looking wheels, and 700 rampaging horses just behind the occupants. Here are ten things you probably didn’t know about the new De Tomaso P72 supercar.

De Tomaso was founded in 1959 by Argentinian-Italian Alejandro de Tomaso and originally set about building racing cars and prototypes. De Tomaso even built the 1970 Formula One car used by Frank Williams. Ford bought most of the company in 1971, only for Mr. de Tomaso to buy it back in 1974.

De Tomaso continued producing cars such as the Mangusta, Pantera, and Guará, before shutting down altogether. The company remained in stasis until 2014 when it was acquired by Ideal Team Ventures, a Hong Kong-based corporation. Over the years, De Tomaso owned and operated rival automakers such as Innocenti, Moto Guzzi, and Maserati.

Related: 8 Fast Facts About Alejandro De Tomaso

In 2019, De Tomaso unveiled their first product since being bought by Ideal Team Ventures Limited, called the P72. It was an all-new vehicle designed to show the revival of the De Tomaso brand – using all the same traditions as the original Pantera and Mangusta.

The P72 is slated for a production run of 72 units – all built to the owners’ specifications. The P72 was shown-off in 2019, but due to some extra testing, supply chain issues, and the COVID-19 pandemic, the production version will only start manufacturing near the end of 2022.

The P72’s main inspiration was the P70 race car used in the 1970s, along with the general shape of the Le Mans cars of the same era. The P72 even features exhaust exits mounted on the top of the rear deck, rather than protruding out the rear bumper.

Interestingly, the P72 shares most of its design with the Ferrari P4/5 – itself a modernized version of the 1970s-era Le Mans racecars. Whereas the P4/5 is angular and sharp, the P72 features flowing lines and elegant bulges, accentuating the car’s supercar performance.

The De Tomaso P72 is not a fully unique vehicle but is rather based on the Apollo Intensa Emozione – as Apollo is also owned by Ideal Team Ventures Limited. The P72 team made substantial modifications to the Apollo IE’s carbon monocoque chassis, but the basic design is quite evident between the two cars.

The De Tomaso P72 is first and foremost designed to be a grand touring supercar, rather than a full-on supercar with enough aero parts to rival a racecar. In addition, the Apollo features a 6-speed sequential transmission, whereas the De Tomaso has a traditional 6-speed manual.

Related: De Tomaso Collaborates With A German Motorsport Genius To Build The P72 Supercar

Unlike the Apollo IE which uses Ferrari’s 6.3-liter naturally aspirated V12, the De Tomaso P72 continued the trend of borrowing engines from Ford. This time around, the De Tomaso supercar uses a supercharged version of the Coyote V8.

De Tomaso didn’t want to go overboard with their performance, so the P72 produces around 700 hp and 600 lb-ft of torque sent to the rear wheels only. This is quite the way off the current crop of supercars and hypercars in the P72’s segment and price class.

The De Tomaso P72 is a fantastic car, but the highlight is the interior. From what we saw in 2019, the interior will be available in multiple colors and various choices of metals and leather. The Goodwood car was finished in beautiful tan leather, with all the metallic parts made of solid copper.

From the steering-wheel inserts to the instrument dial surrounds and the gear lever, everything is stunning to look at. De Tomaso has also shown off a blue version of the car, which has an off-white leather interior accentuated with brushed aluminum metal parts. It is definitely up there with the most beautiful interiors ever made.

The exterior of the P72 is the first bit of the car seen, so it must make a statement, and the car accomplishes this goal. The car looks angry and aggressive, yet elegant and beautiful. Both cars shown off have the same designs, just in different colors. The wheels are specially designed for the P72 and hark back to not only the Le Mans cars’ wheels but also the original Pantera’s.

The P72 may be more designed for cruising, but it won’t be very practical. The trunk is tiny, meaning any luggage would need to be stored in the cabin with the driver and passenger. Golf club parking lots probably won’t see many P72s.

Related: 10 Things We Just Learned About De Tomaso Automobili

The De Tomaso P72 can be seen as a bit of an automotive renaissance in this current era. Where most automakers are going for hybrids and electric cars, De Tomaso went for a pretty uneconomical V8. Where supercar and hypercar makers use twin-turbos and electric motors to get the desired performance, the P72 has a conventional supercharger.

The P72 is like a love letter to automotive trends of the past. Where almost every manufacturer is looking to the future, De Tomaso used what was learned in the past and made a car with the best bits in it. So, while the chances of actually seeing a P72 in the wild are pretty slim, at least it exists for us motoring enthusiasts to dream about.

Michael De Kock is passionate about cars and everything from avocados to particle accelerators. He has studied psychology and knows a little bit about fixing cars (old Land Rovers mostly). He also blogs and has a book, 125 Creative Writing Prompts for Petrolheads, available on Amazon. His philosophy in life: Stop the hate - Adopt a V8.