Automotive industry entrepreneur, collector and historic car driver Michael Stoschek has just joined their ranks after attempting to build a 21st century version of one of rallying’s iconic cars: the Lancia Stratos.
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The New Stratos was commissioned by wealthy German car enthusiast Michael Stoschek and built by Italian design house Pininfarina. It is based on a shortened platform of the Ferrari 430 Scuderia and features a 4.3-liter V8 engine sourced from the same model with 540-horses and more than 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of peak torque.
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Designed by the great Bertone, it was based on Ferrari mechanics using a modified version of the Dino's 2.4-liter V6. The Stratos was an extremely successful racing car winning three consecutive World Rally Championships in 1974, 1975, and 1976.
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We are talking of course about German businessman Michael Stoschek and his one-off New Stratos that made its first public appearance at a major automotive event in Frankfurt.
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And with the above short statement, Ferrari announced to Michael Stoschek, the man behind the 21st century interpretation of the famous Lancia Stratos of the ‘70s, that it won’t let him use its chassis, engines nor allow any of its suppliers to participate in the build.
In these latest videos, we see Stroshek taking the Pininfarina-built and Ferrari 430 Scuderia-based Stratos out for racing at the Circuit Spa Francorchamps in Belgium and at the Sachsen Rallyce 2011 in Germany. Hop the jump to see the 540-horsepower Stratos in action for yourself.
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The ebay seller assures us the work was carried out by professionals (isn’t it always?) and -as usual- the vehicle is going for a lot less than its original asking price. The car is said to be built by a Mr. Bates who provided the chassis to UK “repli-car” kit manufacturer Hawk Cars. Perhaps coincidently, Hawk Cars also makes a Lancia Stratos replica kit.
According to the latest announcement, so far 40 potential buyers from Europe and other regions have registered their interest in the New Stratos, but Pininfarina and Stoschek believe that this number will continue to increase after the massive exposure from test drives and presentations in a variety of car magazines in their February and March issues. Read more »
Based on Ferrari F430 Scuderia underpinnings, the retrotastic Stratos packs a considerable punch. It measures 4.1 meters in length and tips the scales at just 1.247 kg (2.749 pounds) with the weight distributed 44% in the front and 56% at the rear. Power-to-weight ratio is 2.3 kg/hp, thanks to the 4.3-liter V8 engine, which churns out 540 hp and over 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque. That’s 30 ponies more than the Scuderia’s stock powerplant.
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According to the project's official website, Mr. di Montezemolo was very impressed with the New Stratos, openly praising it with exclamations such as "bellissima" and "congratulazioni". And that's not all, as the Ferrari CEO called his technical director, Roberto Fedeli, and suggested he should also take a look at the car.
But not many people know that the first spark that ignited this firestorm was a Bertone concept. Enter the 1970s Stratos Zero prototype. It all started when Bertone had the idea to mount the Fulvia's 1.6-liter V4 engine on a new base. This is how the Stratos Zero concept car was born, a 3.58 meter (141 inches) long and just 84 cm (33 inches) tall prototype envisioned by Marcello Gandini, the same man responsible for the designs of the Lamborghini Countach and Miura.
