The carbon chassis is shared with another special hypercar.
In case you’ve never heard of De Tomaso Automobili, this Italian marque was founded back in 1959. Originally producing prototypes and racing cars, the company once owned Maserati. After a long period of inactivity, De Tomaso once again made headlines in 2019 with the reveal of a new supercar called the P72. Despite being accused of having a copycat design, this hasn’t dulled excitement for the P72. To add to that, De Tomaso has revealed a new video of the supercar’s ultra-advanced chassis. It was co-developed with a team boasting some strong credentials.
De Tomaso says that the P72's underpinnings were co-developed and built by the people responsible for, among others, the Porsche 919 LeMans-winning LMP1. The P72 has a new “carbon chassis and suspension geometry” that is claimed to not only improve safety, but which substantially lower the car's center of gravity. That, of course, translates into superior handling dynamics.
The company says that the subframes and crash structures adhere to respective FIA LMP safety requirements, and the carbon mono-cell also provides enough protection so that a roll cage isn't necessary. In the impressive video, we can see how the passenger compartment is positioned almost exactly in the middle of the rear-mid-engined supercar. The company says that the latest carbon chassis design adds an additional 3.93 inches of headroom and 1.97 inches of legroom without changing the exterior proportions, relative to a prior chassis design. Torsional rigidity is better, and the symmetrical layout will be offered in both left- and right-hand-drive configurations. There has also been a reduction in weight compared to the prototype platform.
Based on the extreme Apollo Automobil Intensa Emozione's carbon monocoque chassis, the P72 is a different prospect from that hypercar as the P72 is intended to be more of a grand tourer. That much is clear from the simply stunning interior with its classically-styled switchgear and finely stitched leather. However, this chassis is evidence that De Tomaso's new supercar will be able to handle a lot more than high-speed cross-country jaunts.
Earlier this month, De Tomaso said that the P72 would be built at a facility based at the Nurburgring, as part of a collaboration with the Capricorn Group. Originally, it was the company's plan to develop the P72 in America. Despite it being a few years since we saw the new P72, initial customer deliveries are only scheduled for 2023. With an astronomical base price of $1,000,000 and only 72 units to be produced, it will be the preserve of only the well-heeled.
Keyword: Take A Closer Look At $1-Million De Tomaso P72's Carbon Chassis