De Tomaso Guarà
Encyclopedia
The De Tomaso Guarà is a sports car and the last project of the founder and owner Alejandro de Tomaso
put into the market. Presented at the 1993 Geneva Motor Show, the Guarà was available as a coupe
and open barchetta
. The latter corresponds to the coupe but without roof and proper windscreen; just a small air deflector protects the passenger and the driver from the elements and the car had to be driven while wearing a helmet. The Guarà is based on the Maserati
Barchetta
Stradale prototype from 1991, a true race car from which a few conversions finally made it onto the public roads. The third model was the Guarà Spider, a convertible with a small canvas top; only five were produced. As for the Maserati Barchetta the designer is Carlo Gaino of the "Synthesis Design" .
The first cars (mainly Coupés) were sold in 1994 and with some interruptions the Coupé and the Barchetta still were available (prepayment required) in 2005/2006 in Italy, Austria and Switzerland. However, it seems there were no cars built after 2004 when the company went into liquidation.
Fibreglass, Kevlar
, and other composites make the body shell, fitted to a tubular frame. The suspension is true Formula 1 and IndyCar technology with independent upper and lower wishbone with pushrod front and rear end suspension. The Guarà is known for its highly agile handling which makes it a bit too "nervous" for the average driver.
First, the Guarà was built using technology and interior parts from BMW
but later all cars came equipped with Ford
/Visteon (Canada) parts and engines. The Guara was never homologated for US sale. However, one Ford powered Guarà coupe has been imported into the US and has California license plates. It was displayed on November 2, 2008 at a car show in Los Angeles.
Though sources vary, approximately 10 to 12 Barchettas, 5 Spiders and about 50 Coupés were sold. Production of Spiders ceased when De Tomaso switched to the Ford engine as the new powerplant did not leave enough room for the canvas.
Engines:
1993–1998
1998–2004 (1993– for America)
Alejandro de Tomaso
Alejandro de Tomaso was a racing driver and industrialist from Argentina. His name is sometimes seen in an Italianised form as Alessandro de Tomaso. He participated in two Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on January 13, 1957...
put into the market. Presented at the 1993 Geneva Motor Show, the Guarà was available as a coupe
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
and open barchetta
Barchetta
A barchetta was originally an Italian style of open 2-seater sports car which was built for racing. Weight and wind resistance were kept to a minimum, and any unnecessary equipment or decoration were sacrificed in order to maximize performance....
. The latter corresponds to the coupe but without roof and proper windscreen; just a small air deflector protects the passenger and the driver from the elements and the car had to be driven while wearing a helmet. The Guarà is based on the Maserati
Maserati
Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
Barchetta
Maserati Barchetta
The Maserati Barchetta was a mid-engined, two-door, two-seat sports car, like the 350 and 450S, that was designed by Carlo Gaino of the "Synthesis Design", an Italian design house....
Stradale prototype from 1991, a true race car from which a few conversions finally made it onto the public roads. The third model was the Guarà Spider, a convertible with a small canvas top; only five were produced. As for the Maserati Barchetta the designer is Carlo Gaino of the "Synthesis Design" .
The first cars (mainly Coupés) were sold in 1994 and with some interruptions the Coupé and the Barchetta still were available (prepayment required) in 2005/2006 in Italy, Austria and Switzerland. However, it seems there were no cars built after 2004 when the company went into liquidation.
Fibreglass, Kevlar
Kevlar
Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...
, and other composites make the body shell, fitted to a tubular frame. The suspension is true Formula 1 and IndyCar technology with independent upper and lower wishbone with pushrod front and rear end suspension. The Guarà is known for its highly agile handling which makes it a bit too "nervous" for the average driver.
First, the Guarà was built using technology and interior parts from BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
but later all cars came equipped with Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
/Visteon (Canada) parts and engines. The Guara was never homologated for US sale. However, one Ford powered Guarà coupe has been imported into the US and has California license plates. It was displayed on November 2, 2008 at a car show in Los Angeles.
Though sources vary, approximately 10 to 12 Barchettas, 5 Spiders and about 50 Coupés were sold. Production of Spiders ceased when De Tomaso switched to the Ford engine as the new powerplant did not leave enough room for the canvas.
Engines:
1993–1998
- BMW M60 B40 light alloy V8
- 4.0 L, 32-valveMulti-valveIn automotive engineering a multi-valve or multivalve engine is one where each cylinder has more than two valves. A multi-valve engine has better breathing and can operate at higher revolutions per minute than a two-valve engine, delivering more power.- Multi-valve rationale :A multi-valve design...
- 286 PS (282 hp/203 kWWattThe watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
)- Note: a 304 PS (300 hp/224 kW) version was announced but most likely just a prototype was built with that engine
- 6-speed manual
1998–2004 (1993– for America)
- Ford/Visteon light alloy V8
- 4.6 L, 32-valve
- 320 hp (239 kW)
- Supercharged engines producing 375 and 430 hp (280 and 321 kW) were announced but never built
- 6-speed manual
- Maximum speed
- Coupé: 270 km/h (168 mph)
- Barchetta: 275 km/h (171 mph)
- Acceleration 0-100 km/h (62 mph): approximately 5.0 s
- Weight
- Coupé: 1400 kg (3086 lb)
- Barchetta: 1050 kg (2315 lb)
- Prices in 2005
- Coupé: €118000
- Barchetta: €104000