The Fiat Punto has been the Italian rival to the likes of Volkswagen Golf and Toyota Corolla since the early 1990s. Like its aforementioned competitors, the Italian hatchback got its fair share of special editions, including the Punto GT and various Abarth versions. The rarest version of the Fiat Punto, however, was not made by Fiat and didn’t even have a Fiat engine. It was the 1994 Fiat Punto Grama 2 Maggiora, and it shared mechanicals with one of the greatest rally cars ever built.

Built by the same people, responsible for the Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evolution

The Lancia Delta HF Integrale went down in history as one of the most iconic and successful rally cars ever built. When we talk about road-going versions, the pinnacle of the model is considered to be the Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evoluzione (Evolution), built between 1992 and 1994, and it was the Turin-based company, Carrozzeria Maggiora, that was responsible for building it. The same people later acquired the Lancia pant in Chivasso and decided to take a generation-one Fiat Punto and strip it down to a bare shell.

The humble Italian hatchback received structural upgrades and the mechanical components of the 1986 Lancia Delta Integrale 8V. The all-wheel-drive setup of the Lancia also required a much wider body (more on that in a bit). The Fiat Punto Grama 2 Maggiora was equipped with the Lancia Delta’s 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four. According to different sources, the engine produced 165 to 215 horsepower and up to 229 pound-feet (310 Nm).

The 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) was possible in around 7.0 seconds, which corresponds with the lower output figure of 165 horsepower. Some publications, however, claim that the “Puntograle” engine produced 175 horsepower and 199 pound-feet (270 Nm). The five-speed, close-ratio manual transmission would allow the Punto Grama 2 to reach speeds of around 137 mph (220 km/h).

Fiat Punto Grama 2 Maggiora specifications

Engine

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four

Power

165 - 215 HP

Torque

229 LB-FT

0 to 60 mph

7.0 seconds

Top speed

137 mph


The radical body kit hid the excessive chassis length

The Fiat “Puntograle” was, essentially, a Lancia Delta Integrale platform with a Punto body on top. The Integrale platform was 11.8 inches (30 cm) longer than the Punto. Carrozzeria Maggiora solved the problem by introducing a bulky body kit, consisting of an extended front bumper with large openings and a “thick” rear bumper with a big diffuser.

The car also features two rear spoilers – one that continued the flat roofline and a second one under the rear windshield. There was a wide body kit on the side with flared wheel arches, which accommodated 17-inch Speedline wheels, wrapped in 205/45R 17 Pirelli P Zero tires. The wheels, themselves, were a tribute to the Lancia Delta Integrale donor car.

Bespoke interior

While the interior of the “Puntograle” was not as heavily modified, it still featured a few driver-centric upgrades. Maggiora gave the hardcore Fiat Punto sportier seats with better lateral support, which were finished in blue and orange, corresponding to the exterior. Other changes included a new, three-spoke steering wheel, new shift-knob, and differential controls, all taken from the Lancia Delta Integrale.

It was meant to be the new Lancia Delta Integrale

The car was first shown to a few select individuals, among most of which were Lancia Delta HF Integrale owners, after it was unveiled at the 1994 Turin Motor Show. Fiat was considering a limited production run and even thought about taking it rallying. By all accounts, the Fiat Punto Grama 2 Maggiora was on its way to becoming the basis for another epic, homologation special. Alas, Fiat never went through with the project and only a single example exists.