DE TOMASO

De Tomaso 900: an authentic super sports car

There was a time when hypercars were scarce, but now it seems like every week there's a new ultra-powerful monster with a sky-high price tag. De Tomaso Automobili presents the P900, a track-only machine that breaks the trend by avoiding electrification.

Limited to 18 cars at €3m each, it is promoted as a carbon neutral vehicle thanks to a newly developed V12 engine designed to run on synthetic fuel.

The engine stands out as an engineering marvel, as De Tomaso claims it is the smallest and lightest V12 block ever developed, weighing in at just 220kg. It reaches 12,300 rpm, that is, 200 rpm more than the V12 Cosworth that equips the Gordon Murray T.50.

This naturally aspirated mechanic produces 900 hp in a vehicle with a dry weight of 900 kg. It doesn't take a mathematician to prove that the power-to-weight ratio is just 1:1, similar to the historic Koenigsegg One:1.

All that power is channeled exclusively to the rear axle through an Xtrac sequential transmission, but it should be clarified that this powerful V12 engine will not be ready before the end of 2024.

Impatient customers could have the car as early as next summer if they are willing to settle for a Judd V10 engine, linked to the block used by the single-seater Benetton B197. If the name sounds familiar to you, it was that Formula 1 car driven by Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger during the 1997 season.

In terms of aesthetics, it's almost as extravagant as the Apollo Intensa Emozione (IE). This is not a coincidence, as both cars are the work of the same design team. The P900's profile was perfected in a wind tunnel used by F1 cars. Of them, the De Tomaso adopted an active rear spoiler with DRS system.

Performance figures are yet to be revealed, although the company claims the P900 will be as fast as an LMP race car. In other words, it should be a worthy competitor to the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro, another unlicensed hypercar. As a complement to the model's debut, it looks like it will be organized by De Tomaso Competizione, where P900 owners will be able to enjoy themselves in customer races.

The images that appear below are official. During the coming spring, De Tomaso plans to unveil its 'real' model. Of course, seen 'in the flesh' it should be really spectacular.

Autonews