You’ve probably never heard of Ares Design, which is fair enough, but hopefully the De Tomaso Pantera occupies some space in your automotive lexicon - as a refresher, it was an Italian-made mid-engine supercar from the early 1970s made by a company with Argentinian founding origins (kinda like Pagani) and powered by an American V8.
Its distinctive wedge-like design is echoed here on the Project Panther, which the team at the Milan-based Ares Design built atop the foundations of a Lamborghini Huracan. Due to be produced in modest volume in 2018 in a new Modena facility, the car is looking to find a home with collectors who value the kind of “Bespoke Creations” that Ares Design wants to synonymous with.
Indeed, they’ve gone through great lengths to see the Panther spared no expense in its construction, making sure to meld the modern underpinnings and powertrain with a coach built body and exacting craftsmanship outside as well as in.
They haven’t left the Lamborghini mechanicals entirely untouched, though. The naturally aspirated V10 hasn’t undergone extensive modification, either, but will likely produce a measurable amount more power than the standard tune’s 426kW.
Outside these computer generated 3D models, which do provide a good amount of detail that we’ve no reason to believe would differ greatly from the final hand built version, there’s no way to really let the retro appeal of the Panther sink in too deeply.
That said, it would take a particularly cold cynic to not appreciate the various period nods to the De Tomaso original such as its flying buttresses and pop-up headlights. It puts us in mind of the passion project from a few years ago to marry an all-carbon body inspired by the Lancia Stratos (designed and built by Pininfarina, no less) with the chassis and powertrain of a Ferrari 430.
That project ended prematurely and tragically after Ferrari stepped in to block the ‘new’ Stratos from being produced in larger numbers a year after the finalised prototype made its debut - which was odd as the Maranello automaker were kept aware of the projects inception and progressive strides, at times helping the team with miniaturising the 430 into a markedly smaller package.
By contrast, the De Tomaso name belongs to the annals of automotive history - officially becoming defunct in 2015 and their last car produced more than 2 decades prior - and Lamborghini isn’t as (historically) fiercely strict about protecting the ‘purity’ of its name. That said, we hope Ares has gotten full permission to use the Huracan’s base nonetheless.
