The Stola S85: A Maybach 62 for the Less Well-Heeled
For its 85th anniversary the Italian coachwork company Stola has developed a special-edition limousine. Stola is a company that works hand-in-hand with large automobile manufacturers to produced limited edition and special editions of various cars, like the carrozzerias of yesteryear that included such famous names as Bertone, Frua, Vignale and of course Karmann and Pininfarina, both of which are still doing strong business.
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| Italian coachwork company Stola has developed a special-edition limousine to mark their 85th anniversary. (Photo: Stola) |
Just previously Stola introduced the S82 Spyder, a 450-hp twin-turbocharged version of Porsche's Boxster hailed as a junior Carrera GT. Last year the S82 was massaged into the hardtop GTS, a 480-hp racer complete with a blue and orange Gulf Oil color scheme. The company has also produced dozens of concept cars and other production sports models from its inception way back in 1919 until the present.
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| Stola has created a stretched version of Italian automaker Lancia's luxurious Thesis sedan called the S85. (Photo: Stola) |
This year is a bit of a different story, as Stola has created a stretched version of Italian automaker Lancia's luxurious Thesis sedan called the S85. Is this just another humdrum limo conversion on a budget, or could it be a junior Maybach full of personality, character and flair?
The most important part about a limousine is the comfort of those who ride in back. Space, including the room to stretch out one's legs and arms is crucial, otherwise it just wouldn't be worthy of the limousine designation. The Thesis, Lancia's largest car, receives a body stretch of 60 centimeters (23.6 inches) which brings it to a total length of 5,448 mm (214.5 inches or nearly 18 feet). The extra length comes from a new section that has been installed between the front and rear doors, rather than a massive stretch of the car's rear doors as done in some long-wheelbase luxury sedans.