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New Stratos: The Complicated Return of a Myth

It was 1970 and all the cameras of the Turin International Show pointed to the same point: the futuristic bodywork designed by Bertone for spear. Those forms as aerodynamic as angular marked the future of what was the design of automobiles during the following 20 years. Such was the impact that Lancia decided to bring the project to life in the form of a nervous and aggressive rally car. Thus, and equipped with the Ferrari Dino engine, the Stratos.

Quickly, the Stratos unveiled itself as one of the most competitive rally cars in history. Not in vain, Sandro murani elevated it as winner of the World Rally Championship three consecutive times: 1974, 1975 and 1976. It was a matter of time before someone decided to bring this myth of the slopes back to life ... That someone was the German businessman Michael Stoschek, and that time was 2008.

However, things got quite complicated. It took 10 years for the new Stratos to go into production, just this 2018. Will it have a beastly character like the original Stratos in rallying?

THE FERRARI CONNECTION

Reviewing the history of the Stratos is also reviewing the great myths of the Italian motor. Lancia, Ferrari, Bertone, Pininfarina ... And the thing is, a project like this cannot be enlightened alone. In the original Stratos, Ferrari was used for the engines, specifically the V6s of the 'budget' white-label models of the horse, the Dinos.

Wanting to repeat history, Michael Stoschek tackled similar paths in 2008 although, instead of asking Bertone to reformulate the lines of the old Stratos, he asked Pininfarina. And she mounted the beautiful dress on the frame of the Ferrari F430, from which she also borrowed the engine.

The result was a rabid model with central engine, aluminum chassis, carbon fiber body, only 2 meters of wheelbase, 4 kilos of weight and 1247CV. Thus, the project of "New Stratos" it could not respond more faithfully to the story of the original. Until then Ferrari director Luca di Montezemolo was full of praise when he tested the car at Fiorano in 2010.

Although everything looked great ... the story was cut short when Ferrari management denied the supply of parts for the project. Perhaps frightened by the commercial threat that this captivating new Stratos could pose to them, the anger of seeing that the rebirth of the Stratos came from the hand of a German businessman and not from FIAT itself, or by the simple fact of not wanting to give up its technology to nobody… Ferrari officials denied the supply of the F430 chassis and engines to Stoschek and Pininfarina.

Thus the things, the “New Stratos”Was left on the tightrope with only one single unit produced. And that there were already more than 50 firm orders, at more than 500.000 euros each. It's a lot, but look how it sounded in Spa ...

10 YEARS OF DESERT CROSSING

Much was rumored about what was going to happen with this project. What if the engines and chassis would come from Porsche or Nissan ... What if everything would end in a simple dream ... The fact is that after 10 years of "desert crossing”Finally the units of the "New Stratos". 25 units specifically, available in three versions - among which stands out the one that will pay tribute to the most radical rallies under the name of "Safari”- and with some mechanical data that are still shrouded in a certain mystery.

Mystery that is built in the facilities of Manifattura Automobili Torino, where this company of almost artisan cars manufactures the model in collaboration with New Stratos Gbr. And it is that good, although in the end almost nothing has turned out like in the original Stratos ... Two things are true. The first is that the New Stratos promises to be as agile and rabid as the original model, and the second, that it is also produced in Turin. Of course, it will be necessary to see if the sound is the same ...

What do you think?

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Written by Miguel Sánchez

Through the news from La Escudería, we will travel the winding roads of Maranello listening to the roar of the Italian V12; We will travel Route66 in search of the power of the great American engines; we will get lost in the narrow English lanes tracking the elegance of their sports cars; We will speed up the braking in the curves of the Monte Carlo Rally and we will even get dusty in a garage while rescuing lost jewels.

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