De Tomaso Guara V8 4.0L 1996 (1/18)

• Chassis: 00014
• 4.0 L (3,982 cc) BMW M60B40 V8 engine
• Silver with Blue interior
• Only 2091 KM
• First owner
• First paint
• Exceptional condition

52 cars built, 38 coupe's, 10 barchetta's, 4 convertible (converted by Carrozzeria AutoSport).

1 of 18 coupe's delivered new with the BMW V8 engine, and 6-speed manual gearbox.

History

The De Tomaso Guara is a sports car and the last project the founder and owner Alejandro de Tomaso put into the market. Presented at the 1993 Geneva Motor Show, the Guara was initially available in coupé body-style. Later a roadster and an open-top barchetta bodystyle became available. The latter corresponds to the coupé but without roof and proper windscreen; a small air deflector protects the passenger and the driver from the passing wind and the car had to be driven while wearing a helmet.

The Guara was designed by Carlo Gaino of "Synthesis Design" who also designed the Maserati Barchetta.

Fibreglass, Kevlar, and other composites make the body shell, fitted to a backbone chassis made from aluminium.The suspension is a reminiscent of Formula 1 and IndyCar technology with independent upper and lower wishbone with pushrod front and rear end suspension having rose-joints designed by famed Formula 1 car engineer Enrique Scalabroni. The Guara is known for its highly agile handling which makes it a bit too "nervous" for the average driver. The Guara has no luggage space at all as the area under the front is utilised by the racing-style suspension. The large, distinct wheels are manufactured by Marchesini.

Early variants of the Guara used the 4.0-litre BMW M60 V8 engine shared with the BMW 840Ci. This was due to Ford's inability to supply engines for the car. The engine was modified by De Tomaso and had different timing belt routing. The engine has a power output of 283 PS (208 kW; 279 hp). A six-speed manual transmission made by Getrag was used to drive the rear wheels and it had a gated shifter for easier gear changes. The engine has a red-line of 7,000 rpm. Later variants switched to a 4.6-litre supercharged cast-iron block V8 engine from Ford primarily because BMW phased out the engine. The Ford engine has a power output of 320 PS (235 kW; 316 hp).The brakes are from Brembo and were non-servo assisted. The brakes were similar to those used on the Ferrari F40. Like its predecessors, the Guara did not have a power-steering system as it increased weight.

The interior is upholstered in leather and has racing bucket seats with optional six-point racing harness. Most of the interior components were sourced from BMW. The Guara had the steering and pedals manually adjusted according to the owner's preferred driving position.

The Guara had a dry weight of 1,200 kg and had a power-to-weight ratio of 236 PS per tonne with the BMW engine. The Guara could accelerate to 97 km/h (60 mph) in a claimed 5.0 seconds and had a claimed top speed of 274 km/h (170 mph).

The exceptional Guara we have on offer has the more desireable BMW 4 litre engine producing 272 hp, with a 6-speed manual gearbox. Still 100% in first paint, supplied new to the current owner, sparingly used up to today with only 2091 KM. The car has always been kept in a heated environement and is basically as new condition.

Belgian road registration from 2001.

A unique opportunity for a collector to own, what we believe to be, the nicest Guara in the world.

For more information, please contact us.

Visible on appointment only.