In an automotive landscape obsessed with electrification and forced induction, De Tomaso has just delivered one of the most gloriously defiant engine reveals in recent memory. The revived Italian automaker has released final production specifications for the naturally aspirated 7.0-liter V-12 that will power its track-only P900 hypercar. The numbers are sensational.
The engine produces 900 horsepower and redlines at a spine-tingling 10,200 rpm — all without a single turbocharger, supercharger, or electric motor in sight. Developed under the direction of Italian powertrain specialist ItalTecnica, the P900 project kicked off in 2022. This latest reveal marks a significant milestone as De Tomaso confirms the definitive specs of its production-ready powerplant.
The V-12 features 65-degree banks, each housing dual overhead camshafts per side, with every cylinder fed by four titanium valves. The crankcase is milled from solid billet aluminum, and the carbon intake system also benefits from billet construction. Connecting rods are forged, and the pistons are described as ultralightweight — every gram ruthlessly accounted for.
Rather than relying on conventional belts or chains, De Tomaso drew inspiration from Formula 1 by employing a full gear-driven cascade. An eight-stage dry-sump lubrication system ensures consistent oil delivery under the kind of extreme cornering loads a dedicated track car will routinely endure. Despite this mechanical complexity and sheer displacement, the entire engine unit is claimed to weigh less than 400 pounds.
Previous teasers had already hinted at the engine’s exotic character, including images of a striking 12-into-1 exhaust manifold that looks more like contemporary sculpture than automotive engineering. Now that the final numbers are confirmed, the P900’s powertrain stands as one of the most technically ambitious naturally aspirated engines built for a road or track car in the modern era.
De Tomaso has indicated that the P900 will debut further visual and aerodynamic updates later this year. That should also bring the first real opportunity to hear the V-12 at full cry. A 10,200-rpm naturally aspirated twelve-cylinder howling through that extraordinary exhaust manifold promises to be an event in itself.
The P900 is positioned exclusively as a track machine, placing it in direct competition with the likes of the Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro and the Gordon Murray T.50s Niki Lauda. De Tomaso has reportedly hinted at a future road-legal variant, which would make this extraordinary engine accessible — in the loosest sense of the word — to public roads.
With production numbers severely limited and a price point estimated around the $3 million mark, the P900 will remain the preserve of a very select few. But as a statement of intent from a resurrected brand, it proves the naturally aspirated combustion engine still has extraordinary heights to reach. That alone makes it a magnificent and deeply encouraging achievement.
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