Photo: yasiddesign/Instagram
Depending on its condition, a Lancia Stratos HF will set you back north of $500,000 these days. However, that value somehow seems small if we compare it to the reputation of the rally-bred icon. As the artist behind the modern version portrayed in this rendering aptly puts it, how do you even approach the idea of playing with such a legend?
Born back in the early 1970s, the Stratos HF not only became a force to be reckoned with in the infamous Group B but offered a road-going version that was equally impressive to drive.
Then there's the design, which makes for one of the finest the revolutionary wedge era had to offer; these styling cues, which look as striking today as they did five decades ago, are the work of Marcello Gandini, who served Bertone at the time.
As such, the uber-warm welcome received by the revival that is the MAT New Stratos Coupe that entered limited production late last decade wasn't exactly a surprise. With the Ferrari 430 Scuderia providing the tech side, only 25 units of the machine are brought to the world.
Of course, many other aficionados dream of reviving the original, but, as you can imagine, such a job is much easier said than done—even with the rights to the name in the bag, the said modern incarnation project took well over a decade to materialize.
Fortunately, with the velocity monster sitting before us being a virtual creation, we need not concern ourselves with such barriers.
Perhaps the best side of this work is that it blurs the line between an all-new take on the matter, such as the one mentioned above, and a deep restomod affair, although it appears to sit closer to the latter.
"It’s so hard to tamper with the perfection that is the OG Stratos. But I gave it a shot," pixel master Yasid Oozeear explains in the Instagram post below.
Given the generous overfenders fitted to the machine, one might get lost in the widebody approach. Nevertheless, at least from where we're standing, the most important part of the transformation sits aft of the rear fascia.
You see, the Stratos was always known for its short wheelbase and overall compact nature, which made it so eager to change direction whenever the driver felt like it. So the Longtail take seen here seems a delicate way of adding some real estate in the name of downforce.
The lightweight nature of the icon has been honored via the extensive use of carbon for the new body bits. The wonder material received a clear coat for the rear window louvers, wing and, of course, the overly generous front splitter, whose sides remind one of a hipster's moustache.
An extra layer of complexity is added by the C-pillar-adorning vertical fins portrayed in one of the renderings and the vents concealed in the meaty front arches.
From the high-sitting pair of exhaust tips to the slim LED lighting (notice the items lurking in the shadow of the front pop-up units), there are not many details to feast one's eyes on. And would you look at that window treatment of the rendering!
We haven't even mentioned the final slide of the Instagram post below, which is an ode to the fluorescent shade covering the prototype Stratos HF.
Then there's the design, which makes for one of the finest the revolutionary wedge era had to offer; these styling cues, which look as striking today as they did five decades ago, are the work of Marcello Gandini, who served Bertone at the time.
As such, the uber-warm welcome received by the revival that is the MAT New Stratos Coupe that entered limited production late last decade wasn't exactly a surprise. With the Ferrari 430 Scuderia providing the tech side, only 25 units of the machine are brought to the world.
Of course, many other aficionados dream of reviving the original, but, as you can imagine, such a job is much easier said than done—even with the rights to the name in the bag, the said modern incarnation project took well over a decade to materialize.
Fortunately, with the velocity monster sitting before us being a virtual creation, we need not concern ourselves with such barriers.
Perhaps the best side of this work is that it blurs the line between an all-new take on the matter, such as the one mentioned above, and a deep restomod affair, although it appears to sit closer to the latter.
"It’s so hard to tamper with the perfection that is the OG Stratos. But I gave it a shot," pixel master Yasid Oozeear explains in the Instagram post below.
Given the generous overfenders fitted to the machine, one might get lost in the widebody approach. Nevertheless, at least from where we're standing, the most important part of the transformation sits aft of the rear fascia.
You see, the Stratos was always known for its short wheelbase and overall compact nature, which made it so eager to change direction whenever the driver felt like it. So the Longtail take seen here seems a delicate way of adding some real estate in the name of downforce.
The lightweight nature of the icon has been honored via the extensive use of carbon for the new body bits. The wonder material received a clear coat for the rear window louvers, wing and, of course, the overly generous front splitter, whose sides remind one of a hipster's moustache.
An extra layer of complexity is added by the C-pillar-adorning vertical fins portrayed in one of the renderings and the vents concealed in the meaty front arches.
From the high-sitting pair of exhaust tips to the slim LED lighting (notice the items lurking in the shadow of the front pop-up units), there are not many details to feast one's eyes on. And would you look at that window treatment of the rendering!
We haven't even mentioned the final slide of the Instagram post below, which is an ode to the fluorescent shade covering the prototype Stratos HF.
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