De Tomaso Pantera GTS

In this video we try a De Tomaso Pantera GTS. It has a great sound and, despite its age, keeps up well with the newer, younger sports cars. Turn up your speakers and enjoy the lovely sound from the De Tomaso Pantera GTS.

Our De Tomaso Pantera GTS onboard video is unfortunately a bit shaky this time. Hope you'll enjoy the video anyway.

Sportscar Event at Jyllandsringen in Denmark is a charity event that raises money for Børnecancerfonden. You can buy a co-driver experience in a supercar and support the cause.

De Tomaso Pantera GTS: Italian fire with American muscle power

Imagine a car that combines Italian flair with raw, American V8 power. Sounds almost too good to be true, right? But that's exactly what the De Tomaso Pantera GTS is, a seductive cocktail of European style and transatlantic muscle.

Pantera, meaning "panther" in Italian, was born in 1971 as a collaboration between the Argentine-Italian car builder Alejandro de Tomaso and the American car giant Ford. The result? A supercar that even had Ferraris and Lamborghinis nervously looking over their shoulder.

But let's talk about the GTS version, the cream of the Pantera family. Launched in 1973, the GTS was the Pantera's answer to an espresso: concentrated, potent, and with a kick that could wake up even the sleepiest car fanatic.

Under the bonnet hid a 5.8 litre Ford Cleveland V8. With its 350 hp it may not have been the strongest in its class, but it delivered torque that could make the tarmac shrink in fear. Combined with the car's low weight, it gave an acceleration that could push you back into the seat with a force that made you reconsider your relationship with gravity.

Fun fact: Do you know why the Pantera GTS had such wide rear tyres? It wasn't just for looks. The massive 285 mm wide tyres were needed to keep control of all the power the engine sent to the rear. It gave the car an aggressive stance that made it look ready to pounce, even while standing still.

The GTS stood out with its widened fenders, aggressive front spoiler and a rear spoiler that looked like it could generate enough downforce to keep the car planted on the road even in hurricane-force winds. It wasn't just decoration, these aerodynamic additions made the car more stable at high speeds, which was quite necessary considering the Pantera GTS could reach top speeds of over 270 km/h.

The interior was a fascinating blend of Italian luxury and American pragmatism. Leather, aluminium and a dashboard that made you feel like a fighter jet pilot. But be careful not to get too distracted, with a 0-100 km/h time under 5 seconds, the Pantera GTS demanded your full attention.

Production of the Pantera continued all the way until 1992, but the GTS model remains the most sought after. With only about 7,000 Panteras built in total, of which the GTS versions make up an exclusive subset, it's today a rare and treasured classic.

Driving a De Tomaso Pantera GTS is like taking a time trip back to the wildest supercar era of the 70s and 80s. It's raw, unfiltered and uncompromising, a reminder of a time when supercars were just as much about character and personality as about pure performance.

Which other classic supercar do you think deserves the same icon status as the Pantera GTS? Are there any modern cars that manage to capture the same raw spirit and character? Share your thoughts, I'm eager to hear which cars make your heart beat a little faster!