Say ciao to ‘Nerina’ – the freshly restored all-black Group B Corsa-spec Lancia Delta S4, which is now being enjoyed on the roads of North America by its new owner. What began life as a ‘standard’ Stradale has been transformed into a stunning restomod, but not quite as you know it…
The restomod. What began as a simple idea, to modify a classic car with modern equipment with a view to increasing its useability and reliability, has spiralled into a global phenomenon.
Whether you’ve bought a handful of Alfaholics parts to inject some edge into your Alfa Romeo Spider or sent your 964-generation Porsche 911 to be ‘reimagined’ in the most radical way possible by the detail freaks at Singer Vehicle Design in California, restomodding is huge business. And now even modern-era sports cars cannot escape the clutches of the craze – just look at Prodrive and its comprehensively reengineered Subaru Impreza, the P25.
Sometimes, however, the wheel doesn’t need reinventing. Sometimes the answer is already right under your nose. And on that note, we’d like to introduce you to ‘Nerina’ – Girardo & Co.’s kind of restomod. If you’re a longstanding follower of our Instagram or Facebook channels, you’ll have seen this menacing Lancia before. Well, at least in part.
“Sometimes the wheel doesn’t need reinventing. Sometimes the answer is already right under your nose.”
Around 18 months ago, we were charged by a great American client with transforming a Delta S4 Stradale (chassis number 138, for the nerds out there) into a full-fat Group B Corsa-specification car, which could be used regularly and reliably on the streets of New England.Naturally, the renowned Italian Lancia rally car specialists and ex-Lancia Martini Racing mechanics Elio and Giovanni Baldi were chosen to undertake the exhaustive project. The charismatic and fiercely passionate twins operate from our facility in Turin, which made it easier for us to keep abreast of and properly document the process.
The brief from the outset of this restoration was simple: respecting the authentic period-correct Group B specification was of the utmost importance, but concessions were to be made for thoughtful and discreet modifications which enhanced the refinement, driveability and reliability on the road.And that’s where our point about the nuanced nature of restomods comes into play. This is restomodding, but not exactly as you know it. The recipe for the Delta S4 Corsa – arguably the most extreme and technologically advanced of all the Group B-era rally weapons and a car which won five World Rally Championship rounds – was simply too enticing for us not to follow for this transformation.
Sure, in keeping with the restomod spirit a small number of changes incorporating modern technology were made – not that you can identify them from the outside or from behind the Scorpion-badged steering wheel. But the old adage ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ springs to mind.The Delta S4 Corsa already has 550+bhp. It already has a dizzyingly complicated four-wheel-drive system. And it already has a featherlight composite body with looks to stop people dead in their tracks. Sure, the interior is sparse and the engine is highly strung. But how is that any different to, say, a Ferrari F40?
For a spirited Sunday B-road blast after the local cars-and-coffee meeting, there can surely be few cars as exhilarating and intoxicating as this Group B brawler. Our very own Max Girardo will attest – these stunning photos from Andrea Luzardi were captured during the S4’s pre-delivery shakedown, where Max had the pleasure of climbing behind the wheel.In typically casual Italian fashion, the car was loaded onto a flat-bed trailer behind the Baldi’s period Lancia Martini Racing Iveco van (still in dutiful active service!) and taken to a local Torinese go-kart track, which had been commandeered for the occasion. Nonetheless, as the onboard video below goes to show, Max was able to get a good feel for the Delta S4 restomod.
“Is this the ultimate point-to-point road car? I certainly can’t think of another car which is going to make me fizz with excitement and feel like a Group B god. In spite of its sinister appearance, this Lancia is actually a very approachable and well-behaved car. It’ll never be as refined as a Volkswagen Golf and you’ll always need to have your wits about you while pushing deeper into its performance locker. But with the modifications we’ve made and the quality of the build, it’s a car I wouldn’t hesitate to enjoy on the road.”
Oh, and for those wondering why this Lancia’s new owner settled on black, allow us to explain. The S4’s engine development preceded the completion of the chassis. As a result, the radical twin-charged powerplant was installed in a crudely modified Lancia 037 Rally. The frankly terrifying all-black contraption was dubbed ‘Mazinga’ in Turin after the famous Japanese Manga character. Consider this car an ode to that one!
“Not being afraid to regularly use and enjoy an older car in today’s world – isn’t that what restomods are all about?”
Within just a few short days of ‘Nerina’ touching down Stateside with its new owner, we received news that he’d already covered over 200 miles in the car. And very happy miles, by all accounts. Not being afraid to regularly use and enjoy an older car in today’s world – isn’t that what restomods are all about? Two words: mission accomplished. So if you’re driving in New England and your rear-view mirror is suddenly filled with piercing spotlights, now you know why.Photos: Andrea Luzardi for Girardo & Co. If you’d like to discover more about this 1986 Lancia Delta S4 Corsa Group B, please click here.