De Tomaso unveils track-only P900 V12
A bespoke engine, 12,300rpm red line and a $3 million price tag. The P900 isn't messing around
The idea of track-only supercars seemed completely far-fetched not that long ago. Who’d spend millions of pounds on a car that can only be driven for shorts periods of time on a circuit? A lot of people, it turns out. The likes of the Ferrari FXX-K and Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro have proven there’s an appetite for limitless hypercars that can only be experienced in the confines of a racetrack – and De Tomaso wants in on the action.
So it’s created the P900: a Le Mans-style track monster based on its gorgeous P72 hypercar. Unlike the road car, which is powered by a Ford V8, the P900 gets a 6.2-litre naturally aspirated V12 producing 900hp. The name’s a bit of a giveaway. De Tomaso says it’s a bespoke engine, built in partnership with German engineering giant Capricorn, sending power exclusively to the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential gearbox and it revs all the way up to “just shy” of 12,300rpm. It’ll be an absolute screamer, then, boasting a higher rev limit than the Cosworth-powered Valkyrie and GMA T.50.
It's light, too. De Tomaso says the engine is the lightest and shortest V12 ever made, weighing in at just 220kg. Coupled with a carbon fibre tub and bodywork, it means the P900 tips the scales at just 900kg. It’s also littered with winglets, a deeper front splitter, giant diffuser at the back and a wing that’d make most Le Mans cars blush. And when it comes to the straights, there’s a DRS system the driver can deploy to activate warp speed.
Track-only specials aren’t limited to the constraints of emission laws that road cars are, but it’s still a tall order to develop a new V12 with no electrification in the current climate. But De Tomaso claims the new engine is “the worlds-first carbon neutral V12” as it can be run solely on synthetic fuels.
“As a passionate automotive enthusiast, it is difficult for me to accept a silent EV driven future”, said company chief Norman Choi. “We believe that alternatives do exist, and the development of our new platform, driven by synthetic fuels, is our solution for keeping this shared passion for the theatre of combustion engines alive. This venture into synthetic fuels, represents our commitment to the pursuit of a zero emissions mobility future without sacrificing the crucial element which we all hold so dear - the soul and symphony of an engine.”
Anything that keeps naturally aspirated V12 engines away from the scrap heap is a winner in our book. For 18 exceptionally wealthy individuals, they’ll get to experience the P900’s sky-high rev limit first hand. Each one will carry a price tag of $3 million (or £2.5 million), with storage and maintenance at the company’s new Nurburgring facility available for those who need it. For us mere mortals, we should be able to see it – and hear it – at one of the major motor shows next summer. Better book those 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed tickets pronto.
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