Lancia Stratos

[sami_voodoo]

The LANCIA STRATOS is one of the most legendary cars in the history of the automobile.

And this, for several reasons:

-- It is the only car that has been exclusively designed for competition without any consideration on its future commercialization. This concept was entirely oriented towards competing in rallies. And since, no other car rally has been designed this way, since all have been derived from models from the existing production line.

-- Its extraordinary design, which could only be the result of the merger of a sports car and a fighter plane, with its circular cockpit. As can be seen in this picture:

-- A number fabulous wins for the cars involved in rallying. No other car has “flown” the rallies like the Stratos. It even forced the commercial powers-that-be at FIAT to force LANCIA in ‘77 to stop running the cars in the future titles of the World Championship (FIAT, which owned LANCIA, wanted to promote the FIAT 131, and decided to run it in the World Championship, in place of the Stratos).

To see a Stratos in the flesh is always a great moment. You’re surprised by, both the smallness of the car, but it’s also a monster, (especially in the case of a Group 4)

However, owning a Stratos, even a production version, is not an easy task:

-- Car difficult to drive at high speed

-- The cabin is very noisy and very hot

-- Uncomfortable (as an example, the driver sits at an angle to the centreline of the car)

In fact, the manufacture of cars series has been made just so that the car could run in Group 4. The series-produced car was the least of the worries of the engineering design office at Lancia: they took the basic race car, threw in a bit of carpeting and ... there you go!

Customers came to have a car that was an absolute brute, which has put off some of their original owners who wanted only impress the girls on Saturday evenings in the beautiful quarters of the city...

But yet, these are the defects that make what it is: A sport a car without concession, bestial and stripped of any concessions to comfort. In a nutshell: An exceptional car.

From the site:
http://lancia-stratos.chez-alice.fr/index.html

[sami_voodoo]

Some technical Specs:

Designation Stratos, type 828AR.0

Place and date of manufacture Turin (Italy) 1974/1975

Chassis Number from 1001 to 1008, then 1509 to 1992

Engine Ferrari Dino V6, type 829A.000. 6 cylinder V 65°. Block in cast steel, Heads in Aluminium. Two valves per cylinder, 47° included valve angle. DOHC per bank, driven by chain. Cylinders 92.5mm x 60mm, for a total of 2418 cm³. Compression ratio of 9.0 :1. Three twin-barrel carburettors, Weber 40 IDF (40mm dia.)
Max Power 190 HP DIN, Max Torque 24 mkg at 4000 RPM.
Liquid cooled.
Service every 5000 km, Oil viscosity: 10W50

Transmission FERRARI Dino, Transverse, 5-speed synchronised.
Forward ratios: 3.554 :1, 2.459 :1, 1.781 :1, 1.320 :1, 0.986 :1.
Reverse ratio: 3.3:1
Friction-disc Limited Slip Differential ZF.
Final Drive ratio: 3.82:1 (Fifth gear total ratio: 3.77:1)
Monodisc Dry Clutch Ferodo

Chassis
Monocoque design
Wheelbase : 2.18m
Front Width : 1.433m
Rear Width : 1.457m

Suspensions
Front: independent, Coil springs, telescopic dampers, Upper A-arm, Lower lever, Traction bar and Torsion bar.
Rear: independent, Coil springs, telescopic dampers, McPherson with Lower A-arm, Traction bar and Torsion bar.

Steering
Non assisted, rack and pinion, 3.2 turns lock to lock

Braking
Discs F/R, non assisted, Ventilated, with separate hydraulic circuits
Discs Front: 27.2 cm dia
Discs Rear: 27.7 cm dia
Mechanical hand brake

Wheels
Aluminium CAMPAGNOLO, 5 bolt, 14 inch diameter and 7.5 inch width
Tires : 205/70 VR 14 PIRELLI Cinturato CN36 or MICHELIN XWX radials

Body
Steel and GRP skin, made at the same time as the monocoque chassis at Bertone in Turin. Final assembly at Lancia Turin.
Front and rear hoods, doors in GRP.
Other parts : Steel

Dimensions
Length: 3.71 m Width: 1.75 m Height : 1.114 m
Empty weight: 980 kg
Weight ratio F/R : 46% / 54%

Electric circuitry
Battery 12V 60A.h.
Electrical equipement MARELLI .
Alternator 830 W MARELLI
Starter MARELLI
Spark plugs CHAMPION N60Y
Instrumentation VEGLIA

Fuel
2 reservoirs, total capacity 85 litres of Super
Consumption stated by manufacturer 10.4 l / 100 km (in fact 16 l /100 km in normal use)

Performance
Manufacturer stated Max speed. : 230 km/h
Acceleration tests:
0 to 80 km/h : 5s
0 to 100 km/h : 7s
0 to 130 km/h : 11.6s
0 to 160 km/h : 17.6s
0 to 180 km/h : 23.7s
Note : Acceleration of this car was comparable to a Suzuki 750 GT upto 140 km/h of the same age.
Gear change speeds sugested by the manufacturer: 68 km/h 2nd, 99 km/h for 3rd, 136 km/h for 4th, 183 km/h for 5th.

[charterali]

Brutal. Thats the way racing/perfomance cars should be. The driver only needs to worry about driving nothing else like changing the channel from steering. Those small buttons in centre consoles of modern cars are sucha nuisence. A friend used to own a stardale turbo, very good car but reliability is just a previlige.

[kahmed79]

Sami

This is truly a legendary car! I once sat inside a Hawk Stratos and it was amazing, seeing the real thing would be unbelievable.

[sami_voodoo]

Charterali

This car is to be enjoyed in small servings. Thus the mediocre reliability. It's like the designers wanted the drivers to take a rest after a while so that they could recuperate. Otherwise, the heat and noise and vibration would kill them because they were having so much fun with the beast.

Kamran

Even if it's a replicar, the Stratos shape gives off so much aura. I suppose it's because we remember it barreling down dirt roads in rallies taht makes it a monster in our minds. I have to say though, it's almost the same (but to a much lesser degree) that passes through my mind when I see a Delta or a Quattro as well. Can't say for the EVOs and Rexes though...

[Cylestyne]

I loved the Lancia Stratos, even more so because Wheeljack (Transformers, Autobot) used to transform into it:

[spectra]

I have a thread here about top 5 rally cars. Cant find it from my mobile stratos is one of them definitely

[nightsurfer]

I love the Lancia!

@spectra

here is your post:

https://www.pakwheels.com/forumreply_az_TopicID!39403~ForumID!1~pw.html

[spectra]

Thank you nightsurfer

[nightsurfer]

No problem @spectra. (Y)

[sami_voodoo]

Cylestyne

I had the Autobot when I was a kid, one of my favourite shapes. That, and a slot car racer set that I had back then. The other car in the set was a Quattro. They didn't go fast enough for my tastes, so I modded the motors

Spectra

Whoever doesn't have the Lancia Stratos in the top five car rally racers deserves to be declared brain dead!

[kahmed79]

As much as I like the Stratos I have to say that i'm a bigger fan of the Delta S4 and the 037 Rally. I love the quirky design of both car's and of course the amazing twin-charged(turbo- and super-charged) motor of the Delta S4.

[sami_voodoo]

Kamran

It was a sad day for rallying when Toivonen was killed in the S4. That was the final straw for the organisers. By a cruel twist of fate, Attilio Bettega was killed at the same spot in a Lancia 037 one year earlier.

It seems to me that the Stratos could have had more success had it been allowed to run more. That said, it's short appearance in rallying adds to its mystique.

One would probably argue that WRC cars are too limited in terms of power. But I disagree. You have a car that can make 300 BHP and has at least 1230 kgs of weight, and it still does the quarter mile in the high twelves. And on gravel, the 0-60 in under 4 seconds. Drivetrain technology and Suspension systems have come a long way since the days of the Group B. Racers. They had power in abundance, while now you have to optimise what power you have.

[alvis]

Sami, Kahmed

Saw a Stratos for sale in London in 1980. Asking price was GBP 9,000, still a lot of money even back then.
Even though the 80's were it's nadir it still stood proud in the Alitalia colours amongst all sort of exotica.
A sight not to be forgotten.

Not for me the S4 or 037 or the Stratos, but the mightiest warrior Lancia has produced- the Fulvia Rallye 1.6 variante 1016.
In it's battle dress the little car is an awe inspiring sight.
Powered by the ultimate version of the Fulvia engine giving anything upto 140 BHP it was the standard of the works team until succeded by the Stratos in 1974.

[mohsinikram]

Stratos was a great rally car - certainly one of my favourites if not the favourite. Here are some other popular ones in their time

[sami_voodoo]

alvis

I saw an ad for a mint Stratos the other day, the guy was asking €400,000 for it! I don't know about you, but that seems a bit steep to me. Then again, if it's original, and is advertised at all, I suppose people will buy it. If I had that much money, I'd buy a house and a Fulvia :p.

No doubt the Fulvia was David in front of other well-established machinery. Does the name Stig Blomqvist, Erik Carlsson and Jean Ragnotti ring any bells? The deadliest drivers with FWD cars ever to exist, and the nicest guys to boot.

[kahmed79]

alvis, Sami, and Mohsin

Just imagine how much fun it would be to take that Fulvia down the Stelvio pass or the Col de Turini.

[sami_voodoo]

Kamran

Oh yeah. A110, Fulvia, Fiat 600 Abarth, Prinz TTS. Guess who drives what?

[alvis]

I will take the Fulvia, if a second choice exists then the A 110.

I'm sure somebody is going to complain that the Cooper S Works are not mentioned here.

Rolls Royce in 1964 choose the Stelvio Pass to demonstrate the braking powers of the Cloud III.
Ex Formula 1 driver Tony Brooks hurtled a huge ungainly Cloud III down the pass, and at the end of the drive down, smoke was pouring out of the drums.
But there was actually very minimal fade in this extreme test and the braking system passed with flying colours.

Remember this was the time when the Mercedes 600 had come out with its 4 disc brakes and the Shadow was still 1 year away.

[alvis]

Sami

Euro 400,000 or even + is the price for a Mint example.
These cars, like the Gullwing are now very difficult to buy, in the sense that money is not the only requirement.