Now we can officially put all the talk to rest. The New Lancia Stratos, a one-off supercar that was built and designed by Pininfarina as a tribute vehicle to the legendary car of the 70’s, will remain a one-off. And we have Ferrari to thank - or blame - for that.
After the immense popularity generated by the New Stratos when it was unveiled a year ago, there was talk that Pininfarina was looking into building a limited run of the supercar for interested customers. But since the project hinged on Ferrari allowing the company to use the 430 Scuderia as the car’s platform, they had to receive the green light from the Italian automaker to proceed with the program.
Unfortunately, those folks from Ferrari have refused to allow a limited production run of the New Stratos with Ferrari CEO Dr. Amadeo Felisa seemingly content with the one-off project that was built for Michael Stoschek.
We’re pretty disappointed to see the Stratos’ renaissance end even before it actually began, but if there’s a silver lining in all of this, it’s that instead of the New Stratos, Koscheck and his people have set their sights on building a modern version of another old-time classic: the Renault Alpine A110 Berlinette. Talks with the French automaker are already in progress so we’re crossing our fingers that the Alpine will come back to our lives the way the New Stratos should have.
The original Lancia Stratos was launched in 1972 but only had a short shelf of life of two years when it was discontinued in 1974 with only 492 units being produced. It was especially perplexing because the first Stratos was by no means a sled on four wheels, thanks to a 2.4-liter Dino V6 engine that was capable of delivering 190 horsepower with an impressive top speed of 144 mph.
In 2010, the Stratos name rose from to grave with a modern iteration of the old classic supercar. This time around, the new model was based on a Ferrari 430 Scuderia from which it used many mechanical components such as the chassis, gearbox and, most importantly, a 4.3-liter V8 engine that was tuned up to 532 horsepower. With that much sizzle under its hood, the new Stratos is capable of sprinting from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.3 seconds and to hit a top speed close to 200 mph.
So what does it feel like to have the two Stratos supercars - old and new - side by side with each other? The man himself, Marchettino, managed to shoot a video showing just that. 30 years apart and you can still make out the similarities between the two, especially when you hear the impressive sound of both engines.
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.
Could it be that the almighty Ferrari is getting a case of envy over the success and popularity of one of its sub-brands? Of course, the Prancing Horse won’t admit it, but how else do you explain their decision to prevent the Lancia’s New Stratos from becoming a limited production supercar after the one-off version of Michael Stoscheck proved to be a box-office success?
As you know by now, the New Stratos comes with plenty of Ferrari mechanicals and building one would need the green light of Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo. But according to numerous reports, Ferrari is not allowing its suppliers to get involved in the production of a limited number of New Stratos supercars despite the growing number of interest surrounding it.
With supplier’s hands tied behind their backs, specifically that of Pininfarina, the people behind the entire New Stratos project are trying to come up with a Plan B to get the entire project up and running again while looking at other potential partners.
Granted, we’re not sure exactly how they’re going to be able to do it without ruffling some feathers in Maranello, but given that the New Stratos already has over 40 prospective customers signed up, we really don’t see why Ferrari is suddenly a little hesitant in backing the project.
Perhaps they’re afraid that they might gain a competitor for their cars? It’s certainly looking that way.
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!
