Maturo Stradale another sweet Lancia Delta restomod
On the one hand, what we have here is (yet) another vintage World Rally Championship Lancia restomod. On the other hand, we just haven’t (yet) got tired of vintage WRC Lancia restomods. This one hails from The Netherlands, quite a bit further north than the Swiss and Italian takes we’ve seen so far. A company called Maturo Competition Cars in Veghel, which specializes in prepping old Delta Integrales for rallying, decided to work up a Delta HF Integrale 16v in the manner of the Group A cars that won WRC Manufacturer’s Championships in 1990 and 1991. The trio of men behind it decided they wanted to stay close to the feel of the original in order to provide a similar driving experience — with more horsepower, naturally — built with far more reliable and luxurious components.
The hatchback now known as the Maturo Stradale starts with a Delta HF Integrale in serviceable condition. The chassis is stripped, then sandblasted. Welders install a full custom roll cage and add spot welds in 250 places, increasing rigidity. These much stronger bones are then primered and repainted for corrosion resistance.
While all that’s being done, the 2.0-liter four-cylinder goes in for an even greater overhaul. The Group A Lancias made about 200 horsepower. Upgrades bolt on a larger carbon airbox, rebuilt Garrett turbo, larger intercooler, upgraded injectors and fuel system, new wiring harness and reprogrammed motorsports ECU. New internals include forged rods and pistons, and lighter valves. There’s a thicker timing belt, and the balance shafts are gone. Peak boost climbs from 1.2 bar to 1.8 bar, upping peak power to about 355 hp. The company says the engine “Will deliver a completely reliable 380 hp or more and more than 550 Nm [405 lb-ft] of torque.”
The original five-speed gearbox is rebuilt with stronger gears, and can be further revised with straight-cut gears in a dogleg pattern for power shifting. The original Deltas went without a locking front diff, making do with a Ferguson viscous center diff and a Torsen rear differential. Maturo puts in a new viscous center differential and mechanical locking diffs on both axles, meshed with driveshafts formed from an alloy created for Formula 1 cars that can endure angles of up to 40 degrees without deformation.
The four-way adjustable suspension derives from the firm’s rally-spec cars, and can be enhanced with a hydraulic ride height control system. The brakes are non-assisted, but adjustable for pressure front and rear thanks to a knob on the handbrake lever when aiming for the perfect back-end slide through a tarmac stage 180-degree corner.
Atop all these grubby bits go full carbon fiber body panels that shed more than 100 pounds compared to the original car, even with the slightly larger front lip and rear wing. The 17-inch Evo Corse wheels forged not look fantastic and of-the-period, they shave weight, too. Once testing is complete, the target curb weight is 2,645 pounds. Inside, think the restomod usual leather, carbon, titanium, anodized aluminum and Alcantara, with carbon Sparco bucket seats in front and the choice of a stitched-up rear bench or a deleted rear bench. The instrument cluster’s been wholly revamped as well, looking like something out of a 1990s concept car that wants to do nothing but go fast without fuss. The with “Juha” on it? That’s an especially sporty driving mode named for Juha Kankinnen, Maturo brand ambassador who won the WRC Driver’s Championship piloting the original HF Integrale in 1991.
Price? No mention of that yet. But Maturo plans to make just ten of these, which should give a clear idea of how high to look. Testing will run to the end of this year, after which orders will open. And, we predict, close almost immediately.
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