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When you think of supercars, we bet your first thought is of a Lamborghini or a Ferrari. However, there are more supercars out there than just the two big Italian brands. Take the De Tomaso Mangusta for example. While only 401 of these cars were ever built in the muscle car era, these renderings we found on Autoblog and Car Body Designof what a modern Mangusta could look like might just change your mind about what a supercar is.
The Mangusta replaced the De Tomaso Vallelunga model in 1967. Meaning “Mongoose” in Italian, rumors had it that the Mangusta was named such as a play on the animal’s knack for killing Cobras and a potential collaboration with Carol Shelby turned dry.
Introduced in Europe with a 306hp Ford 289cui V8 and in America with a 220hp 302cui V8, the Mangusta was most distinctly known for its Italian styling. Fortunately at just 2,600 pounds, low horsepower ratings by today’s standards went a long way at the hand of a five-speed ZF transaxle while drivers had to battle low ground clearance and squirrelly handling.
Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the original Mangusta featured distinct gull wing doors over the luggage and engine compartments. Disc brakes, rack & pinion steering, air conditioning, power windows and four wheel independent suspension gave the car an edge on technology at the time. Unfortunately for fans of the Mangusta, only 401 were ever created and the model was discontinued in 1971 with the introduction of the Pantera.
Wanting to show what a modern Mangusta could look like, designer and illustrator Maxime de Keiser came up with the Mangusta Legacy Concept. His renderings of the car stay true to the car’s wide, low-slung stance and distinct styling but add design cues from modern trends.
The result is the car you see here. Lamborghini-esque, the Mangusta Legacy Concept is definitely a looker. Too bad it’s just a reinterpretation of what the odd Italian-based De Tomaso could look like if it were made today. That being said, we’d want a few more ponies than just 220 horses under the hood if it ever did make it to production.
