Lancia Stratos Comeback For Real? It Looks Like It

The internet and automotive blogosphere has been all abuzz about images of a reborn Lancia Stratos that surfaced recently. It all started when fuzzy images of a Stratos-like vehicle testing at a Fiat test track near Milan appeared on ItaliaSpeed.

While it wore no markings, it had a place for a Lancia badge on the bonnet and was obviously a modern take on the iconic Stratos.

The story has developed a lot further now, with more images and details. It turns out the project is quite far along, and that what once seemed like a long shot is becoming a reality.

We are excited - about a Lancia. Yes, really! That could be the whole point of this project, to reignite interest in Lancia like the 8C Competizione did for Alfa Romeo. We speculated about that back when the first pictures broke.

More images have surfaced now, and they show the car quite far along, looking as stunning as ever. The car retains a clear homage to the original, and years later it looks as fresh as ever.

The bodywork is made out of carbon fiber and the tolerances are said to be so precise and well thought out that this car is in the advanced stages of a limited production run.

Exterior elements aim to preserve the look of the original as much as possible, with things such as LED lighting that appears similar to the look of the popups. Inside, storage of the drivers helmet (for racing of course) in the door panel is said to be preserved.

Quite interestingly, the car is said to draw heavily from the Ferrari parts bin, utilizing a Ferrari V-8, chassis components as well as ceramic brakes. Also, recognize those taillights? They are from the 599 GTB Fiorano. It could be a prototype element but they look perfect on the Stratos. The Ferrari parts sourcing isn't new - the original car used the V-6 from the Dino.

There is a lot of conflicting information around on the internet, but we'll believe Italiaspeed, the original source, above the others.

They have confirmed that designer Jason Castriota is responsible for the Stratos remake. Castriota works at Saab currently and formerly had positions at Bertone and Pininfarina. These signs definitely give credence to the idea of a production run for the Stratos. For more the latest information on the Stratos rebirth, head over to ItaliaSpeed for the lowdown.