Car Lust--Lancia Delta
Glance at the Lancia Delta for a second, and it looks like a first-generation Hyundai Excel--a boxy little econocar of no particular interest. If left to their own devices, your eyes will naturally slide off the Delta in search of something flashier, more colorful, or more obviously interesting.
However, if you fight that instinct and keep your focus on the Delta, you might begin to see a few more details to engage your interest. Perhaps your eye will dwell on the distinctive grille and its proud Lancia emblem, or the stouter-than-expected tire and wheel package, or the muscular fenders, or the subtly aggressive detailing and rear spoiler. After you've had some time to fully digest the Delta, it doesn't look as much like a flimsy 1980s econobox as it does a fierce wolf in extroverted sheep's clothing. Or something like that.
What you will not see is the Delta's proud motorsports heritage as a series-defining rally car of the 1980s and early 1990s. Deltas were not only among the most successful Group B rally cars, replacing the gorgeous Monte Carlo 037, but once that ultra-exotic series was canceled, more stock versions of the Delta won six consecutive World Rally Championship constructors titles.
The street versions were no slouches, featuring all-wheel-drive, turbo engines, excellent handling, and scorching (for the time) 0-60 times in the 6-second range--roughly equivalent to a contemporary Corvette or Camaro IROC-Z. That was the relatively tame performance version; Lancia continued to tweak the Delta through
various 16-valve and Evoluzione versions that broke into the 5-second 0-60 range--within shouting range of the contemporary Ferrari Testarossa. And then, of course, there was the S4 Stradale, which was the wildly exotic mid-engine version made in extremely limited quantities to certify the car for Group B use.
The Delta was far from a humble econobox; it was more like a Volkswagen GTI with a very deep mean streak.
The first image is an HF Integrale, the second is of some S4 Stradales (check out the hatchback-like hinged engine access!), and the fourth is a non-Group B rally car.
The video is one of those rare bits of genius that is only possible here in the YouTube age--a montage of Group B Delta footage set to the musical stylings of Kenny Loggins. Somehow, it works.
--Chris H.
Mochi Mochi on May 06, 2008 at 12:40 PM
The Rally footage is amazing! And yeah - strangely the soundtrack really works. No matter what anyone thinks about the looks of this car, it is simply amazing to watch in the hands of a skilled rally driver. It is truly inspired. The sinuous footage and camera work combined with the car's ability to gracefully track the roads, then levitate - incredible.
I have never owned an Italian car. I love them from afar, but I never wanted to get involved in a relationship like that. There was also the issue of ergonomics not suited to some one of my height. How the Japanese can produce cars that fit me perfectly and yet the Italians can't bewilders me. Every Italian car I've been in required me to either have a much shorter torso or arms of ape-like proportion... those gripes aside... every time I come across a Lancia, I rethink my reluctance to hook up. Someday, I'm going to have one. I think I have to. I'll have to adjust the seating, I'll have to deal with the reliability issues, and the inevitable rust. But Lancias call to me.
These cars create such passionate responses. I think it must be because Italians really love their cars, so when they design them, they design with that level of passion and the irrationality that accompanies such intense love.
Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame on May 06, 2008 at 01:06 PM
It was about 5 years ago, as I was taking my 1990 Toyota Corolla through 50 mph power slides around gravel road S-turns, that it occurred to me I may have missed my calling as a rally car driver.
There's an instinct to it, when you feel the rear of the car sliding outside the alignment, and you know the answer is not to brake, but to actually accelerate to bring the rear wheels back into alignment...
Alas, what I was doing was child's play compared to what the professionals do. Then again, I had no training and just a stock Corolla.
In any case, far more fun than anything I've done on pavement, and certainly far more fun than mere straight-line speed.
Cookie the Dog's Owner on May 06, 2008 at 01:28 PM
A hatchback with a 6-second 0-60 time and rally-racing suspension . . . "Lancia Delta" must be how you say "GTI Mk.V" in Italian.
Mochi Mochi on May 06, 2008 at 03:03 PM
As happens on YouTube one video links to another video. I was lead to another video about the Delta that showed a lot of what's under the hood and in the suspension. This car is really quite amazing.
I'm all for FWD cars like my civic, or the GTI. I consider the original GTI (circa 1984) to be one of the all-time great cars. But the Delta is an object of lust. I never got excited about the suspension on the GTI from a design or aesthetics perspective. It was great at doing what it did, but it was not beautiful. My civic has beautiful suspension. But the rally version of the Delta... I'm in complete lust. It is a gorgeous collection of connecting rods and suspension arms. Racing suspension has a uniquely beautiful wonder about it. Over the weekend I came across a Lotus 23. The shell was well worn from time spent on the track, but beneath the fiberglass was incredible gorgeousness.
The fact that the delta is a mid-engine car, and that those bulges on the hatch are air intakes... yummmm. I admit that there's an almost awkward boxiness about the Delta, but it's really something.
hunter on May 06, 2008 at 03:41 PM
Of course, the Delta and the Delta S4 are about as closely related to each other as a production Camry and a NASCAR Sprint Cup racer, heh.
However, unlike the latter comparison, the Delta Integrale is still one very cool car. And it's a car which I have lusted after for years. Although the final Evo II model was quickly outclassed by WRXs and Lancers, neither offers anything approaching the Lancia's elegant lines, nor the promise of total driver immersion that comes with all sporting Italian autos.
I'll take one in white, please...
hunter on May 06, 2008 at 03:54 PM
Oh, and here's an utterly insane video of a Delta S4 demonstrating its... er, go-kart-like handling. On an indoor go-kart track no less:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iApE9CHHcs
Here's in-car footage from an S4 on tarmac at ludicrous speed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXzkkGqv9Es
Mochi Mochi on May 06, 2008 at 05:19 PM
Thanks Hunter: The Kart track footage is a hoot... love the flame throwing exhaust.
Clearly there are huge differences between a road and a track car. Each has it's charms and graces. Full race vehicles sometimes lose a little charm. They may be quite beautiful but uninviting. I think the Delta has some charm even in full race dress. Racing versions of the Porsche 914 and the Ford Cortina kept some charm, as did the Datsun 510. Probably the most charming or cute race car was the R5 turbo which managed to be a kind of a cuddly little bullet.
Brian on May 07, 2008 at 01:09 AM
To add to the list of awesome rally vids found on youtube:
Climb Dance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edLnXzAwHVc
It's a Peugeot 405 at pike's peak!
OldCarGuy on May 07, 2008 at 05:16 AM
Racing footage and music? Of course it works! The only thing better than exploring the limits of your machine is exploring the limits with tunes. As I recall pushing my old MGB, RX-7 and MR2 toward their limits (at least as I perceived them) on curvy, hilly backroads, I remember some of the songs that seemed to spur me on:
Born to Run
Radar Love
In The Air Tonight
Runnin' Down A Dream
More Than A Feeling
to name just a few...
Great post on the Lancia, a car I knew next to nothing about until now.
Mochi Mochi on May 07, 2008 at 07:36 AM
"Climb Dance" is amazing. I have a completely new understanding and appreciation of the Pike's Peak run due to this award winning short film. Thanks Brian, that was truly eye opening. If you enjoy great film and great driving, and you haven't seen the link the Brian posted, go there now and watch.
OldCarGuy on May 07, 2008 at 09:29 AM
That was tremendous!! :-)
EGS on May 07, 2008 at 10:20 AM
love the car, but wold much rather have the Stratos.
Cookie the Dog's Owner on May 08, 2008 at 07:28 AM
I like OCG's soundtrack mix. Chris, maybe we need a thread for favorite driving music.
Paul Loatman on May 21, 2008 at 04:53 PM
That video of the Delta is something i put together, i won't say it's really mine since i didn't film the footage or make the music, but i put it together using Windows Movie Maker and uploaded it from my account; Kisetsushin
It's nice to see that other people actually thought it was good.
-Paul