autoevolution
 

Modern Lancia Stratos Zero Rendered by Cyberpunk 2077 Car Designer Looks Sharp

To say that building on the pioneering work Italian design icon Marcello Gandini did when creating the Lancia Stratos Zero and the Stratos HF back in the wedge design era is not an easy task would be an understatement. However, when your resume includes the title of Senior Vehicle Concept Designer at CD Project Red, the Polish developer behind titles such as Cyberpunk 2077, taking on such a quest in one's spare time seems like the natural thing to do.
Modern Lancia Stratos Zero Redesign by Cyberpunk 2077 Car Designer 12 photos
Photo: Paweł Breshke Czyżewski/Behance
Modern Lancia Stratos Zero Redesign by Cyberpunk 2077 Car DesignerModern Lancia Stratos Zero Redesign by Cyberpunk 2077 Car DesignerModern Lancia Stratos Zero Redesign by Cyberpunk 2077 Car DesignerModern Lancia Stratos Zero Redesign by Cyberpunk 2077 Car DesignerModern Lancia Stratos Zero Redesign by Cyberpunk 2077 Car DesignerModern Lancia Stratos Zero Redesign by Cyberpunk 2077 Car DesignerModern Lancia Stratos Zero Redesign by Cyberpunk 2077 Car DesignerModern Lancia Stratos Zero Redesign by Cyberpunk 2077 Car DesignerModern Lancia Stratos Zero Redesign by Cyberpunk 2077 Car DesignerModern Lancia Stratos Zero Redesign by Cyberpunk 2077 Car DesignerModern Lancia Stratos Zero Redesign by Cyberpunk 2077 Car Designer
Five decades after the 1970 Stratos Zero concept earned itself a spot in the automotive design hall of fame, Pawel Breshke Czyzewski, the digital artist in question, has paid homage to the Italian creation via the supercar showcased in these renderings, which also draws inspiration from the Stratos HF that trailed the Zero concept by one year.

As the designer, whose work we've featured in the past, explained to us in an email, this project envisions a supercar that could become a halo vehicle for Lancia rather than strictly reinterpreting the Stratos Zero, so the label found in the tile above is our view rather than that of its creator.

Launched on December 10 last year, the open-world RPG that is Cyberpunk 2077 involves over 60 cars, motorcycles, and heavy-duty/utility vehicles, with the vast majority of these having been styled by the Polish designer.

And once the long hours of working on the game would be over, Czyzewski would remain at his desk, albeit to continue polishing his personal project. As such, from the documentation phase to the very last touches applied to the images, all of which can be found on the aficionado's Behance page, the Lancia supercar project swallowed eight months' worth of late nights and weekends.

It all started with the wedge design philosophy that saw the roofline, the windshield, and the nose of the vehicle being defined by a single line. And while the resulting independent concept would still play in the fantasy league, the artist decided to steer clear of the Stratos Zero's front access system and extremely reclined seating position. That was in a bid to bring the creation closer to something that could be driven more than a few hundred meters during a Concours d'elegance.

You'll get a sample of the original's ludicrous layout thanks to the YouTube clip below, which comes via Automotive Mike.

The said philosophy, together with the fact that the front glass area of this proposal is even larger than that of the famous Lancia concept, meant the newcomer had to be fitted with conventional doors if such an adjective is ever fit for the design parked on our screens right now.

The reasonably-sized - at least by supercar standards - side glass area extends towards the rear quite a bit, once again with the aim of improving visibility and giving this contraption a chance of delivering the kind of usability expected from a modern machine.

However, there's no rear glass, with the area above the mid-mounted powerplant bringing a cyberpunk look, while small air vents reminiscent of the large unit featured on the original Gandini design provide a bit of top cooling for the engine compartment.


As for the eye candy adorning the real estate, it is linked to the Lancia Stratos HF prototype of 1971.

"The color scheme refers to the Lancia Stratos HF Proto, which has strong orange-red color in a matte finish. I intended to achieve a similar matte lacquer, only in shades of orange, golden and yellow, plus vivid red for the darkest areas that underline the surfaces," the artist told us.

Strong lines dominate the rather minimalist posterior of the vehicle, with the LED taillights being as thin as possible, while a diffuser that runs deep under the vehicle stops to make room for exposed Pirelli tires. Those look like they could channel quite a bit of power, even though the designer mentioned that he could easily see the front axle also receiving power and thus turning this into an AWD toy, with or without electrical assistance.

The way in which the active rear wing, which seemed almost non-existent from certain angles, lifts to reveal what could be air channels makes one thing of active aero. Because high downforce mixed with a low drag coefficient sounds so good.

Modern Stratos revivals such as the 2005 Fenomenon Stratos designed by Christian Hrabalec and brewed by British specialist Prodrive, or the more recent New Stratos, a 25-unit run created by Italian engineering firm Manifattura Automobili Torino were linked to Ferrari (the first packed a Prancing Horse V8, while the latter even borrowed a Maranello chassis).


Nevertheless, the designer chose to create a potential link to the Raging Bull, as he explained to us. And, if you squint while checking out this virtual proposal and try to overlap the images with those of the Lamborghini Huracan, you'll notice there's a match - proportions aside, elements such as the styling of the elevated tailpipes or the wheel design also help with this.

Then there's the cabin, which delivers a sweet k.i.s. (keep it simple) approach. From exposed structural elements such as the one behind the steering wheel and the crash structures to the minimalist setup that skips the now-usual touchscreen but also keeps the number of buttons to a minimum, the idea is to allow the driver to focus on the road.

Nevertheless, the one taming the beast can get information from the central part of the steering wheel and a small head-up display.


What about the passenger, you ask? Well, those seats look like they're pretty cozy, while the concert coming from the hopefully N/A engine behind the seats should provide entertainment.

Truth be told, the brand whose modern era gifted us with World Rally Car legends (and their road-going siblings) like the Stratos HF or the Delta Integrale could use a bit of fresh blood... or perhaps more.

Founded back in 1906, it delivered innovations such as the Lambda's unibody chassis (the year was 1922), or the 1948 Ardea's five-speed transmission. The company entered the Fiat Group umbrella in the late 1960s and has had its ups and downs over the years. Alas, the previous decade hasn't been kind to Lancia, with this even being confined to the Italian market as an interim survival plan.

However, Lancia owner Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has formally merged with Groupe PSA last month to form Stellantis, the world's fifth-largest automaker by sales volume. And with the new company's business plans having placed Lancia alongside Alfa Romeo and DS Automobiles in the premium tier, apparently releasing it from its cage, there's new hope for the Italian brand.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Andrei Tutu
Andrei Tutu profile photo

In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories