Who can forget the gorgeous De Tomaso Pantera, the Italian built and American (Ford V8) powered sports car? Feline and ferocious, it bore a certain panache and style that was fresh at its inception into the sports car world in the 1970s. It certainly adorned this author’s wall in poster form in the 80s. But you don’t remember much about its more classically designed predecessor, the Mangusta. Long, lean and beautiful, the Mangusta was a sight to behold, but it lacked some of the aggressiveness of the Pantera.
Design student Maxime de Keiser decided to recreate it for the 21st century and we like what we see in his De Tomaso Mangusta Legacy Concept. Though it clearly steals some of its rear quarter panel work from the Lamborghini Diablo, the overall execution works well. The crazy flat hood and the aggressive angry-eyebrow headlight and taillight treatment give the car a cat-like appearance and the massive air intakes and wide platform give it the requisite supercar aesthetic. For now, it’s just a 3D model and the birth of an idea from a talented designer, but it could potentially be the start of a resurgent brand if it found the proper funding. We envision a carryover of the original powertrain manufacturer, perhaps dropping in the 5.4L supercharged V8 from the Ford GT. Oh, to dream.
