Set up by racing legend Bruce Canepa, Canepa is the place to go to if you want to see some of the world's most iconic race cars in the metal. But on top of having a cool museum open to the public, Canepa is also known for restoring and selling classic road and race cars. And when time allows, Bruce Canepa drives them on public roads.
Sure, seeing classic Porsche 911s and Ford Mustangs on public roads isn't all that spectacular nowadays, but from time to time, Bruce is cool enough to take the company's race-spec cars for a spin. We've seen him drive a 1969 Porsche 917K earlier in 2021. Now, he's taken the equally spectacular (and faster) 1984 Lancia LC2 out for a joyride.
While not quite as iconic as the Porsche 917, the Lancia LC2 is one of the fastest race cars developed in the 1980s. Part of the company's factory-backed effort in the World Sportscar Championship from 1983 to 1986, the LC2 had its chassis designed by Dallara and Abarth and its engine supplied by Ferrari.
Designed to replace the LC1, the LC2 was crafted to meet the then-new Group C regulations. Because the LC1's turbo four-cylinder engine could not achieve the fuel economy required under new regulations, Lancia turned to Ferrari for a competitive mill.
The project was assigned by Enzo Ferrari to chief engineer Nicola Materazzi, who was also working on the GTO's powerplant. The LC2 hit the race track with a twin-turbo, 2.6-liter V8 under the hood, but the mill was enlarged to 3.0 liters in 1984. At this point, the V8 was good for a massive 840 horsepower and 800 pound-feet (1,085 Nm) of torque.
The LC2 proved to be quicker than the iconic Porsche 956s that dominated the series in the mid-1980s, but engine and gearbox issues prevented the Italian team from winning races until late 1984. Overall, the LC2 entered 51 races and scored three wins. Feeling that the car was not reliable enough to compete with the Porsche 962C, Lancia put an end to the program in 1986.
The LC2 you're about to see below is one of only seven cars ever built. It's so rare that you might not even see it in a museum anytime soon, let alone zooming by you on a public road. The footage below is the closest encounter many of us will have with such a beast.
This thing is as fast as Le Mans prototypes get, and that V8 engine screams when the pedal hits the metal. If you're here for the full-throttle footage, make sure you hit the 4:00- and 6:50-minute marks.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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