De Tomaso Biguà

Penned by Marcello Gandini and Alejandro De Tomaso, the 'Bigua was De Tomaso's replacement for its twenty year old Pantera. It was introduced in 1996 at the Geneva Motor Show. When the Bigua was preparing for production, the name was replaced with Mangusta. It is powered by a Ford 4.6-liter V8, the same engine that can be found in the Mustang. The double-overhead cam, all-alloy V8 is capable of producing 305 horsepower. The vehicle can be ascertained in either a Borg-Warner 5-speed manual or a computer-managed 4-speed automatic gearbox. It has impressive acceleration times, completing the zero-to-sixty run in just 4.2 seconds. Most prior DeTomaso models featured mid-engined designs; the Bigua is front-engined. The Ford influence is not just mechanical,but aesthetically too. The instruments and other parts of the interior have taken styling cues from Ford. Amenities such as air conditioning, CD sound system, power windows, locks, and seats.

The most appealing feature of the vehicle is its modular top design. The car can be configured as an open-topped target, convertible and closed coupe. The middle top can be removed and the rear top and window can rotate down into the body.

Production was expected to be in the neighborhood of 500 units per year.