While the original Stratos was engineered to cross the globe, stocking Lancia's mantle with rally trophies, the new prototype has
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| The new prototype has been designed to fill the growing demand for supercars in developing nations. (Photo: Fenomenon) |
been designed to fill the growing demand for supercars in developing nations. By incorporating this factor into the design, the finished product will be remarkably similar to the original Stratos; it will deliver sublime performance on patchy roads, smooth tarmac, or dirt and gravel. Needless to say, it'll go where others would fear to tread.
Hrabalec likens Fenomenon's Stratos to the many Ford 'Living Legend' production cars that are on the roads today. He insists that nothing from the original car was directly copied, yet the car has unmistakable presence and the full-bodied flavour of the original Lancia machine, just like Ford's new GT supercar mirrors the original GT40. This tactic in design is probably a good thing, as the matte-black louvres and spoilers of the production model were a styling fad that truly passed in the '80s!
True to the original, the reincarnated Stratos is a stubby wedge that looks to be almost as wide as it is long. Fenomenon
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| The reincarnated Stratos is a stubby wedge that looks to be almost as wide as it is long. (Photo: Fenomenon) |
shouldn't take any offense to the new Stratos being called a junior-sized supercar, as it really is puny at 3,932 mm (154.8 inches) long! That's more than 300 mm (11.8 inches) shorter than other 'compact' supercars such as the Lamborghini Gallardo and Ferrari F430. But the car's additional dimensions tell other stories: at 1,941 mm (76.4 inches) wide, and 1,251 mm (49.3 inches) tall, the Stratos is wider and slightly taller than similar machines, giving it the ability to inure to the road like red lipstick to a white collar, with added ground clearance to allow it to traverse pothole-ravaged pavement or rain-dampened dirt with ease.
