Photo: Spy The Designer on artstation.com
Before the Stratos came around, Lancia made a name for itself in rallying with the Fulvia HF. The front-wheel-drive coupe took the grand prize in the 1972 International Championship for Manufacturers in addition to winning the Italian Rally Championship every year from ‘65 to ‘73.
But at some point, Lancia's suits wanted to make a bigger bang than everyone in rallying. This is where the Stratos enters the scene, the first purpose-built rally car and one of the most delicious wedge-shaped designs of all time. Styled by Marcello Gandini of Lamborghini Countach fame, the mid-engine interloper won the World Rally Championship three times.
Despite its success in motorized sports, Lancia couldn’t make a case for more than 500 examples of the breed. Part of the reason for that is the prohibitive price of the Stratos, exacerbated by the Dino V6 engine, space-frame structure with an integral roll cage, and the fiberglass body panels.
Given the rarity and the current price points for the Stratos, it’s pretty much impossible to find a twin-turbo widebody build in the real world because Stratos owners care about originality and patina. But Bellevue-based graphic designer, video editor, and model artist Spy The Designer doesn’t.
The monster he envisioned is nothing short of alien and nothing short of ridiculously wide. The rendering also features a couple of radiators and air intake filters outside of the engine bay. Speaking of which, there is no shell covering the twin-turbo V8 blunderbuss propelling the rear wheels.
What’s particularly cool about the exposed engine bay in the case of the Stratos is that the transmission is easily visible, flanked by a pair of snails with black coating for maximum visual drama. Switching our focus to the front fascia, you will further notice a pair of LED daytime running lights.
It’s hard to estimate how many ponies and torques a twin-turbo Ferrari Dino V6 develops, but don’t forget that two Group 5 racing cars were built with a single-turbo setup rated at 560 horsepower. The Stratos Group 5 tipped the scales at 938 kilograms (2,068 pounds) in race-ready spec, and to improve the weight distribution, Lancia moved the fuel tanks to the door sills.
Despite its success in motorized sports, Lancia couldn’t make a case for more than 500 examples of the breed. Part of the reason for that is the prohibitive price of the Stratos, exacerbated by the Dino V6 engine, space-frame structure with an integral roll cage, and the fiberglass body panels.
Given the rarity and the current price points for the Stratos, it’s pretty much impossible to find a twin-turbo widebody build in the real world because Stratos owners care about originality and patina. But Bellevue-based graphic designer, video editor, and model artist Spy The Designer doesn’t.
The monster he envisioned is nothing short of alien and nothing short of ridiculously wide. The rendering also features a couple of radiators and air intake filters outside of the engine bay. Speaking of which, there is no shell covering the twin-turbo V8 blunderbuss propelling the rear wheels.
What’s particularly cool about the exposed engine bay in the case of the Stratos is that the transmission is easily visible, flanked by a pair of snails with black coating for maximum visual drama. Switching our focus to the front fascia, you will further notice a pair of LED daytime running lights.
It’s hard to estimate how many ponies and torques a twin-turbo Ferrari Dino V6 develops, but don’t forget that two Group 5 racing cars were built with a single-turbo setup rated at 560 horsepower. The Stratos Group 5 tipped the scales at 938 kilograms (2,068 pounds) in race-ready spec, and to improve the weight distribution, Lancia moved the fuel tanks to the door sills.
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