Wolf in Kevlar clothing

The wedge-shaped Guarà was De Tomaso's final gift to the motoring world. The wedge-shaped Guarà was De Tomaso's final gift to the motoring world. Simon de Burton looks at a rival to McLaren's F1

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De Tomaso may not have enjoyed the success of fellow Italian marques Ferrari or Maserati, but its founder Alejandro de Tomaso certainly had a knack for choosing model names - after all, who wouldn't want to own a car called Vallelunga, Mangusta or Pantera?

Or what about a Guarà? Named after a South American canine (aka maned wolf), the Guarà was De Tomaso's swansong model and was first seen at the Geneva Motor Show in 1993, making it a contemporary of the McLaren F1 that had entered production the previous year.

The Guarà was certainly no competitor to the McLaren, but it did offer some interesting similarities: rear, mid-mounted BMW V8 power, a composite body incorporating Kevlar and glass fibre, and several race-inspired features, such as F1-style inboard suspension and Brembo brakes derived from the Ferrari F40.