It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that this car is actually the convertible variant of the Chrysler 200, which we first saw at the Geneva Motor Show this March. But to be technical about it, it’s a different model - a re-badge - that now carries the name of Lancia. So here it is, folks: The Lancia Flavia Convertible.
Unlike its Chrysler 200 counterpart, which came with a sedan and convertible variant, the Lancia Flavia will only carry the latter with officials from Fiat deciding against building the sedan version for the European market.
The Lancia Flavia Convertible will carry a 2.4-liter gas engine that produces an output of 175 horsepower and mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
Lancia has also announced that the Flavia Convertible will carry a lot of the equipment offered in the 200, including a leather upholstery, an electronic stability control and traction system, a Uconnect multi-media system complete with a sat-nav system, and a Boston Acoustic Sound System, among other things.
We’ll have full details of the 2012 Lancia Flavia Convertible when the car officially breaks cover at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Most new cars we feature are the creations from the world’s multibillion dollar automakers and are not very close to the heart. This New Stratos on the other hand is the realized dream of one man who poured his heart, soul, and a ton of his own money into the project. The labour of love involving automotive parts supplier, Michael Stoschek, has taken 24 years to materialize, all starting out from a friendship forged at a Lancia Stratos event held in Alta Badia back in 1986.
Michael, a self-confessed uber fan of the original Stratos, decided to create his own new version of the classic Italian Rally superstar. The outcome of all the hard work and passion, we have to say, is utterly amazing. To prove the passion this part-time racer has for the original, he has even bought the trademark rights for the Stratos name from Lancia – which we can assure you didn’t come cheap.
The resemblance to the original is uncanny, yet everything has been updated and made better, without losing any of the nostalgia and old school appeal. The overall “wedge” shape is still the same and the powerplant is still from Ferrari – albeit louder and more powerful. The New Stratos shares a large amount of its underpinnings with the Ferrari F430 Scuderia – which is a brilliant car. If that’s any indication of how this car will ride, handle, sound, and perform, we are in for an absolute treat of automotive euphoria.
UPDATE 02/14/2011: The 2010 One-Off Lancia Stratos may not be a one-off for very much longer. So far 40 potential buyers in Europe and other regions have expressed in interest in purchasing the Ferrari-based model, and plenty more are expected to climb on the bandwagon. If a small series is produced, rumors suggest that each unit will cost about €400,000, or around $545,000 at the current exchange rates. Something tells us that Michael Stoschek - the owner of the one and only 2010 Lancia Stratos so far - may not be too happy with his exclusive ride getting cloned, even if it is only for about 40 other people.
UPDATE 05/10/2011: Michael Stoschek took his brand new Lancia Stratos for a spin on the race track. Hit the jump for the video.
UPDATE 06/27/11: Michael Stoschek had the New Lancia Stratos built for only one reason: racing. In the latest video, Stoschek rides his brand new ride with Dieter Hawranke as he blasts off along the streets of Zwickau during the Sachsen Rallye 2011. Check out the video after the jump to see the New Stratos run rampant on concrete!
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It seems a little strange that it’s almost been eight years since a new Ypsilon rolled its way out of Lancia’s power plants. Apparently, though, it’s true.
Strange as it sounds, over the 25 years that it’s been around, the Ypsilon has only spawned three generations with the fourth and newest one scheduled to make its debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. The new Lancia Ypsilon is completely different because it was built from the ground up and comes with much more aesthetic options to fit into the ’supermini’ segment that it hopes to get into. That means that you can expect nothing but surprises with Lancia’s new ride, including a five-door option for the model that’s never been done before in the Ypsilon’s 25-year, three-generation lifespan.
Whatever the case may be, you can expect good things for Lancia and the fourth-generation Ypsilon, a car whose debut certainly was a long time in the making.
Details on the Lancia Ypsilon after the jump, including the just-announced list of prices for the car.
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The Chrysler 200 was nipped, pulled, and tweaked into something that Chrysler hopes will revive the model in the US market’s eyes, and now it’s going to get a different badge slapped on its backside for its European counterpart. Lancia is about to unveil the Flavia concept, a preview version of the European 200 that will be launched in about six months.
The Lancia Flavia Concept is characterized by clean surfaces and elegant lines, as well as a distinctive new grille with the original front headlights and fog lights. Adding to the stylish exterior are LED tail lights and a third brake light, both with LED technology. The concept will be presented in both coupe and convertible versions, with the convertible featuring a refined soft top with electric control.
The interior of the 200 wannabe will feature fine leather, electronic stability control (ESC), numerous airbags (multi-stage front, side and window bags), and electronic traction control. The steering wheel will get integrated controls to operate the radio, cruise control, and mobile phone, allowing for a safe and comfortable drive.
The seventies brought us things like bell bottom jeans, the Village People, and of course, a slimy-haired John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. In the car world, it was a time where muscle cars were well and truly in their element. Whilst Detroit was reveling, there was also a revolution going on, but one that would blow the lid off car design norms. It was all happening in the house of Bertone and the car in question was poised to re-write history in the worlds of car design and Rallying. It was, of course, the revolutionary Lancia Stratos HF.
With its striking good looks, the car was a unique design that was unparalleled at the time. What also made it special was the fact that it was built from the ground up for one purpose: to win the World Rally Championship. It is very seldom that you come across cars that are designed as race cars and then turned into road cars – usually it’s the other way around. Other examples that share this rare trait include the Maserati MC12 and Mercedes CLK GTR. The road going version was only produced so that homologation criteria could be met in order for it to enter the Group 4 class of the Rally World Championship. And for that reason, like the Maserati and Mercedes, it had quite a few shortcomings in the real world. Its performance wasn’t one of them – largely due to the mid–mounted Ferrari V6 engine form the Dino - after all Ferrari was owned by Fiat and the Stratos was developed as a race car.
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