1998–2004 De Tomaso Guarà Barchetta Specs & Performance

The later Guarà Barchetta changed the character of De Tomaso’s open sports car by replacing the earlier BMW engine with Ford’s Modular V8. The larger 4.6-liter unit brought 305 hp and 299 lb-ft, giving the lightweight two-seater a more muscular soundtrack while retaining the rear-mid-engine layout and six-speed manual gearbox. It was an unusual pairing: an Italian-built, sharply styled roadster relying on an American V8 for its motivation.

During 1998–2004, the Barchetta remained an exceptionally uncommon sight, with its low open body and exposed cockpit emphasizing the car’s purpose-built feel. Its double-wishbone suspension at both ends reinforced that focus, but the real attraction was the sense of mechanical directness rather than luxury or electronic sophistication. The Ford-powered version also marked an important transition in Guarà development, as the new engine could no longer be accommodated in the earlier Spyder body. That makes this Barchetta a particularly distinctive chapter in De Tomaso’s final era.