Sega Rally’s cult-classic gaming hero will come back as an electrifying hatch with next-generation performance.
Lancia has announced plans to bring back the Delta, a hatchback that shot to stardom through the global success of the Sega Rally video game.
The original Lancia Delta Integrale is a modern classic combining chunky looks with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and four-wheel-drive.
Like the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution or Subaru WRX STI, the Delta Integrale was designed as a homologation special for racing that required manufacturers to build road-going examples of competition cars.
As a precursor to the likes of Subaru’s Impreza WRX, the Lancia Delta Integrale featured in the World Rally Championship and its spin-off video game, Sega Rally.
It was one of only two cars players could steer in the breakthrough arcade game, becoming a favourite for millions of car lovers around the world.
Speaking with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Lancia chief executive Luca Napolitano said the company knows it must bring the Delta back.
“Everyone wants the Delta,” he said, according to English translations of the interview.
“It will return and it will be a true Delta: an exciting car, a manifesto of progress and technology. And of course, it will be electric.”
Lancia is part of the Stellantis group including Alfa Romeo, Jeep, Fiat, Maserati, Peugeot, Citroen and more.
The new Delta would share hardware with other machines in the group.
If Lancia’s latest styling is anything to go by, the Delta might take the form of a droopy, chrome-clad hatchback unlikely to win beauty contests.
But the Hyundai Ioniq 5 offers a hint of how the upcoming Lancia might interpret boxy looks for het modern age.
Hyundai’s new machine has won design awards, and more than a few motoring fans have likened its looks to the classic Delta.
In the absence of a modern interpretation of the Delta by Lancia, independent companies have reimagined the Delta for wealthy collectors with an eye for historical rally machines.
Automobili Amos won praise from thousands of enthusiasts for reworking the Delta using modern technology to increase its power and reduce weight. The catch is that it costs about $500,000.
If that sounds too dear, consider the reimagined Lancia 037 coupe by Kimera Automobili.
The svelte two-door costs about $800,000, and only 37 examples will be built.
For all the latest Technology News Click Here
