Photo: GC Kompetition
Ask one hundred people to name three of the most iconic rally cars ever made, and you're likely to hear a number of names thrown around. The Audi Quattro, the Lancia Stratos, the Toyota Celica, the Ford Escort RS Cosworth, and maybe even the Subaru Impreza will all make it on the list.
However, there's one model that's likely going to feature in everyone's choices, and that's the Lancia Delta Integrale. The Italian hatchback captured everyone's hearts during the late '80s and early '90s with its blocky design, flared arches, and proclivity to win titles.
With its parent company now dead and having had a relatively modest commercial success in its day, you can now go your entire life without seeing a Lancia Delta Integrale in the flesh. Yet that doesn't mean there aren't still some lucky enough to own one. They just try to limit their outings in the Delta because reliability wasn't great back then, so it definitely hasn't gotten better over the years.
All that might be about to change thanks to a French World Rallycross team. GC Kompetition is about to launch a retrofitting program that looks to swap the Lancia Delta Integrale's original innings for a capable electric powertrain. At this point, you might ask 'why?' and it would be completely understandable.
We're talking about a World Rallycross team that runs gasoline-powered Renaults wanting to perform a blasphemous transplant on one of the most legendary rally cars of all times. Things just don't add up. “GCK is making a big step towards eco-conscious racing and will be directly involved in racing only with electrified cars over the coming years,” GCK founder Guerlain Chicherit is happy to explain (via DirtFish).
That means the team's engineers have already been working on the technology necessary for converting Deltas to the silent side, which means the Italian hatchback will lose its turbo engine, but it won't lose its rallying spirit. Expect the e-integrale to be tuned toward performance, even though most new owners will likely use them as daily drivers.
The battery-powered Delta will be bought as a whole package, car included. Anyone interested will be able to place orders starting this October, but there's no word on when the first deliveries should begin. However, a Lancia Delta Integrale with a modern powertrain developed by a racing team is probably worth the wait.
With its parent company now dead and having had a relatively modest commercial success in its day, you can now go your entire life without seeing a Lancia Delta Integrale in the flesh. Yet that doesn't mean there aren't still some lucky enough to own one. They just try to limit their outings in the Delta because reliability wasn't great back then, so it definitely hasn't gotten better over the years.
All that might be about to change thanks to a French World Rallycross team. GC Kompetition is about to launch a retrofitting program that looks to swap the Lancia Delta Integrale's original innings for a capable electric powertrain. At this point, you might ask 'why?' and it would be completely understandable.
We're talking about a World Rallycross team that runs gasoline-powered Renaults wanting to perform a blasphemous transplant on one of the most legendary rally cars of all times. Things just don't add up. “GCK is making a big step towards eco-conscious racing and will be directly involved in racing only with electrified cars over the coming years,” GCK founder Guerlain Chicherit is happy to explain (via DirtFish).
That means the team's engineers have already been working on the technology necessary for converting Deltas to the silent side, which means the Italian hatchback will lose its turbo engine, but it won't lose its rallying spirit. Expect the e-integrale to be tuned toward performance, even though most new owners will likely use them as daily drivers.
The battery-powered Delta will be bought as a whole package, car included. Anyone interested will be able to place orders starting this October, but there's no word on when the first deliveries should begin. However, a Lancia Delta Integrale with a modern powertrain developed by a racing team is probably worth the wait.
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