DELTA FORCE

The Lancia Delta Integrale is a very RUSH car. Maturo cars have therefore created a very RUSH restomod. You can keep your hot-rod 911

By Kotto Willaims

ARE YOU GETTING A LITTLE BORED OF the conveyor belt of 911 restomods? Barely a week goes by without the wraps being pulled off another. Frankly, it’s getting as bad as hypercar saturation (although infinitely more desirable) and we’re starting to wonder if there are any 964s out there that remain original. Don’t get us wrong, we adore the restomod concept, we just feel it’s time for a new flavour to come along and take residence in our EuroMillions winnings fantasy garage, alongside the Singer and E30 M3 DTM car for track days.

We don’t normally go for news articles, but when a company in the Netherlands sent us a press release covering their Lancia Delta Integrale reimagination excitement amongst the RUSH collective reached fever pitch. The best thing about it is you won’t need your numbers to come up because Maturo Competition Cars have built three flavours of Delta across a tiered pricing structure. There’s the Classic which is effectively an original, but improves upon it by removing thirty years’ worth of known problems and weaknesses as well as improving it over factory specification, e.g. adding multiple new welds to the chassis to stiffen it and prevent it developing the issues the original had without changing how the car looks. Effectively a nut and bolt restoration with modern technological/engineering application.

And then there’s the Rally Which builds upon the Classic by turning it into a modern interpretation of the ludicrous, brilliant, hugely successful Group-A rally car. It features an FIA homologated roll cage, Group-A spec engine with improved internals and intake to improve performance reliability. There’s even a choice of 5 or 6spd dog-leg FIA approved gearboxes. On top of this engineering masterpiece is the ultimate seal of approval from the man himself, Juha Kankkunen - “Maturo made the Group-A works car I used to drive even faster, but also more durable and reliable. It’s truly engineering of the highest standard”.

With 25-years of industry experience and 5 years of development, which all started with restoring an original Group A works car, these order books are now open for the Rally and the Classic. But in December ’22 there’ll be an official launch for a third vehicle.

Maturo’s Stradale is the penultimate Lancia Delta HF Integrale. It uses the technical knowledge gained from the previous two models and the works restoration to create a thoroughly modern Delta. It’s a Group-A rally car disguised as a road car, the type of recipe that gets me so overjoyed it usually ends up with me being tasered for my own safety. The bodywork is carbon fibre, a significant upgrade to the original’s quality of fitment, corrosion resistance and weight. The chassis is stripped, the ‘fixes’ and safeguarding modifications to enable the chassis to cope with 200bhp+ are applied. And then the engine, the masterpiece, is a Group-A reinterpretation with a staggering 360bhp. Full Group-A spec with a carbon airbox, bigger intercooler, modern fuel injection and ignition. The internals as previously mentioned are better - it won’t blow up as often as the old one.

To cope with the new potency the suspension is cutting edge, 4-way adjustable depending on what course it’s on and the differentials are completely rebuilt limited slip functionality, even the driveshafts are improved so they don’t break under hard cornering and application of power. Then there are the brakes - 50. calibre, powerful quad pistons with 330mm of meat at the front and 282mm at the rear. On-theme is the hydraulic handbrake to ensure a vigour of cornering Juha would be pleased to see.

Onto the styling, you’ll find a sensitively redesigned outer shell that needs a keen eye to spot the difference from the original. But look closely you’ll see the larger spoiler, the more aggressive intake setup on the front, the wheels footfall stretched to the limit under the Group-A wheel arches with plenty of carbon touches to elevate it. Even the interior matches the exterior’s proportionality, it has retro inspired suede buckets, analogue dials, a simple dog-legged manual gear stick and a classically 80s dashboard like the original. Maturo improves upon this with more carbon fibre, suede detailing on the dashboard and beautifully remade switchgear and dashboard warning lights. Inside, its DNA is typical Lancia but Maturo has given it a thorough improvement with respect to the original’s design. Some ‘restomods’ go too far and the legacy of the original is spoiled, with this it exudes a passion and respect for the Delta and makes changes to promote the analogue feel of the original.

It’s difficult to put into words how excited I am to see this car in the metal, which is problematic when you’re a writer. Maturo has done pretty much what I would’ve liked to do to any of the original greats, allowing you to drive a classic Lancia Delta HF Integrale in whatever configuration appeals to you without worrying about it rusting to nothing, leaving you stranded or worrying every time a new noise develops. December 2022 is the official press launch, but in the meantime you can find out more by visiting www.maturocars.com