[Bakounine]

As a big fan of both cars, this makes me happy. Enjoy the read.

Driving the Lancia Stratos and the Renault 5 Turbo II: Group 4 Legends

 

[stiggy-pug]

Excellent read, thanks for the pointer! ➡

Would have never guessed the R5 was lighter in weight than the Stratos.

Worth the click just for the photography alone which is top shelf stuff.

The intro pic with the swirling leaf is simply fan-fuggin-tastic!

 

[Silly_me]

I think the Stratos is one of the most amazing cars ever, but that above and in front angle of the first pic makes it look so dumpy. We get it, photographers love drones these days, ugh.

 

[KKatso5]

I have a long list of "my absolute favorite car ever" and it changes a lot* - but the one that keeps coming back to the top is is the Stratos. It just ticks all of the right buttons for me.

(It is far smaller in person than you would expect.....and it's concept the Stratos Zero is even smaller still)

*favorite car ever list.... Lancia Aurelia Coupe, Lancia Stratos, Alfa Romeo Sprint GT, Lancia Tipo 0037, Alfa Tipo 33

 

[l88m22vette]

If I ever went full-donkey into a kit car I'd absolutely build a Stratos replica, who doesn't love a car with a square wheelbase?

 

[kajeno]

Adding Peugeot 205 T16 to the mix!!!

This stunning Peugeot 205 T16 is up for auction, and you want it

One of 200 homologation specials is to go under the hammer, and it’s all sorts of 1980s brilliant

www.topgear.com

 

[alfafan]

I have a long list of "my absolute favorite car ever" and it changes a lot* - but the one that keeps coming back to the top is is the Stratos. It just ticks all of the right buttons for me.

(It is far smaller in person than you would expect.....and it's concept the Stratos Zero is even smaller still)

*favorite car ever list.... Lancia Aurelia Coupe, Lancia Stratos, Alfa Romeo Sprint GT, Lancia Tipo 0037, Alfa Tipo 33

I love your list. All of those are beautiful cars.

 

[KKatso5]

If I ever went full-donkey into a kit car I'd absolutely build a Stratos replica, who doesn't love a car with a square wheelbase?

There was one called the Eagle that Top Gear featured right? It used a busso v6 from a donor car?

 

[ghost03]

Bellissimo.

I really want to own some vintage Italian steel one day.

 

[ghost03]

Paging @CTK -- no winners, no losers, and no pseudo-scientific lap times, just a nice article about two really nice cars.

 

[KKatso5]

The Stratos is taking all of the air out of the room (for good reason) but the R5 needs some love. Its so special in its own batsh!t crazy way. A coworker had one 25+ years ago. The strongest memory I have, oddly enough, is just how odd and terribly built the interior was. It was like 14 shades of red since the awful 80's plastics were decomposing at slightly different rates. The rear shelf/engine enclosure was laughable poor quality.

All of that was very quickly forgotten once the you got the car moving. It was nuts.

 

[CTK]

Paging @CTK -- no winners, no losers, and no pseudo-scientific lap times, just a nice article about two really nice cars.

Thanks, might need to ditch my C&D subscription once and for all. This was very good.

 

[Senior Member]

It's all about making gown men giggle like little kids.....

"This is one of the very first turbocharged production cars, period. That means virtually nothing under 4000 rpm followed by a fat slug of torque once the turbo kicks in. It’s addictive fun and, because the Renault has low mass, results in real speed, even by modern standards. While it can’t match the sound of the Lancia, the pops and bangs from the exhaust are just as giggle-inducing."

 

[stiggy-pug]

The Stratos is taking all of the air out of the room (for good reason) but the R5 needs some love. Its so special in its own batsh!t crazy way. A coworker had one 25+ years ago. The strongest memory I have, oddly enough, is just how odd and terribly built the interior was. It was like 14 shades of red since the awful 80's plastics were decomposing at slightly different rates. The rear shelf/engine enclosure was laughable poor quality.

All of that was very quickly forgotten once the you got the car moving. It was nuts.

I absolutely love the look of those early red or blue interiors as they add some fun pizazz, but had never really considered the aspect of age and how it would affect the shade!

The Turbo2 interior was much more sober.

 

[KKatso5]

I absolutely love the look of those early red or blue interiors as they add some fun pizazz, but had never really considered the aspect of age and how it would affect the shade!


View attachment 268298

The Turbo2 interior was much more sober.

😂 OMG that's it! Memories. His was not the Turbo 2 but it looked exactly like that. Just wild. All R5 Turbos are crazy but the Turbo 2 is next level.... But that early interior was so "French 80's" in the early ones.

 

[atomicalex]

The strongest memory I have, oddly enough, is just how odd and terribly built the interior was. It was like 14 shades of red since the awful 80's plastics were decomposing at slightly different rates. The rear shelf/engine enclosure was laughable poor quality.

It is truly amazing. I've sat in one, and it was just so 80's French car it was amazing.

 

[stiggy-pug]

Speaking of interiors,
the Stratos Stradale had a door pocket for a helmet...

...I can't think of that feature ever being done on any other "street" car?

Love the exterior color choices too,
and as much as I love that classic lime green,
the Azzurro blue takes the perfection cake for me!

 

[KKatso5]

OK so I'm having a bit of a crisis, I went to the link for The Cultivated Collector... no prices listed.

MUCH better photos than the article. I personally love this one - the VIN plate uses the "STRATOS" font

Out of my league but any site that sells a resto-modded Missoni Panda 4x4 can't be all bad.

 

[stiggy-pug]

Dang!

That snazzy Fiat interior!

You're right about the shop photo spread,
absolute comprehensive!

Provides a great shot of the helmet pocket:

Then I started looking for brochures...

...then I got curious about the unusual windscreen and thought it'd be expensive to replace but actually it ain't too bad of a cost.

Then went back to look more at CC,
they make some cool videos too:

!!!

!!!

here's the one for that Stratos they have on offer:

 

[Senior Member]

Perfect for the US market. Oh, your car has cup holders, that nice, look at my car.