Modern De Tomaso Pantera prototype
At March’s 2011 Geneva Motor Show, a rejuvenated De Tomaso, now run by former Fiat exec Gian Mario Rossignolo and his family, presented the controversial SLS luxury crossover concept and announced production of not just one but three distinct new models.
These were to include a new crossover, previewed by the SLS, as well as a sedan and a sports model destined to be the successor to the legendary De Tomaso Pantera.
Now, spotted outside De Tomaso’s plant in Grugliasco, just outside of Turin, Italy, is this mysterious prototype of a sports car with mid-engine proportions and a screaming V-8. A second clip, meanwhile, reveals an SLS crossover exiting the same factory, suggesting that engineers are hard at work on the new cars.
Not much else is known about the Pantera, although it’s expected to feature an LS V-8 sourced from GM, most likely the 556 horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter LSA V-8 from the Cadillac CTS-V line of cars.
The car is said to based around a special aluminum construction process called Univis, which is much less costly than regular aluminum construction as it requires much fewer dies to complete a vehicle.
As previously reported, a concept for the modern-day De Tomaso Pantera could be revealed as early as this November’s 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show.
Stay tuned for an update.
