One-time Italian marque Lancia currently sells just one car, an underwhelming hatchback called the Ypsilon, launched in 2011. However, there are signs of life in the Stellantis-owned brand. They have teased a new concept, and from what we can see it looks to be inspired by the legendary Lancia Stratos HF. So far we have a name, Emozion Pu+ra. However, the rendering that accompanied the announcement shows the rear half of the concept with some unmistakable Stratos cues – dual round taillights, a flat and wide black spoiler, rear glass with striped shading that evokes the original’s rear window louvers. Some of those cues, like the suspended taillight rings, stem from the Pu+R concept unveiled at November’s Lancia Design Day conference. There, the company laid out its sweeping plans to restore the moribund brand to its former glory with — you guessed it — a full EV lineup. He unveiled the Pu+Ra Zero concept which was more sculpture than car, with what some argue were crucial elements such as doors, windows and wheels. Lancia said the name Pu+ra was an abbreviation for “pure” and “radical” (not plutonium and radium), and the zero was a callback to the 1970s Stratos Zero concept. That particular Marcello Gandini wedge caused a stir at the Turin Motor Show and remains the most extreme of the era’s many doorstop-shaped cars. So if the Speed form is the same with the Stratos Zero, then this next evolution in the teaser should be the same with the Stratos HF production car. Built for Lancia’s rally efforts, the singular design won three consecutive World Rally Championships from 1974-76. Obviously the Stratos HF’s mid-engine layout is irrelevant to an EV, but Gandini’s brutal blade was as unprecedented as the Miura he designed for Lamborghini. In other words, Emozione Pu+Ra should look refined and purposeful. Lancia CEO Luca Napolitano called the upcoming concept the company’s “brand manifesto for the next 10 years.” We will see how it looks when it is unveiled on April 15.
Source link
