Reply to "2011 DeTomaso Automobili Pantera"

To my mind, there are two sayings that go to the heart of what a Pantera is:

1.

"Panteras are easily the baddest ride you can buy. No quirky purists either. These aren't toys to impress the boys at the golf club, these are evil machines meant to be driven, spanked and put away with the aroma of burnt rubber, high octane gas and a pair of panties on the floor.”

2.

"Driving a Ferrari is like being married to a prima ballerina. Driving a Pantera is like dating a hooker."


As long as any new Pantera were to be true to this testosterone-soaked philosophy, it would always have its own niche in the marketplace and succeed. The car should be raw, rugged, head-turning gorgeous and, above all, it should pull like a freight train throughout the power band. The top speed wars are good only for bragging rights at the golf club; a Pantera is all about real world performance which means it should have a world-beating 1/4 mile time and excel as a true Grand Touring sports car.

A big Ford V-8 would be a logical choice in the De Tomaso tradition, maybe built by Roush, although building the car on the Ford GT chassis and using its drivetrain would be the easiest solution (in the unlikely event that Ford would be willing to cooperate).

It should also remain true to the original concept as described by Tom Tjaarda, which is that it should look like a haunched panther, with the hips emphasizing the mid-engine arrangement. It should be timelessly beautiful in the Italian tradition of design. Just don't make it a characterless aeroblob. We have enough rolling suppositories clogging up our roads as it is.

From what I have read about the new owner of the brand, however, I sincerely doubt we will see anything like a new Pantera anytime soon. It's fun to dream, though...