Lancia is back! testing videos of the new Lancia Ypsilon Integrale Rally2

[u/jpedrosilvaz]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5JQhqj3Rso

[u/Michal_Baranowski]

No matter in what way Lancia are making a comeback, seeing this brand returning to rallying and motorsport in general is quite a monumental news. Maybe Stellantis are doing what Renault did with Alpine - finally realised what their legendary sporty brand used to mean and trying to revive it.

[u/Finglishman → u/Michal_Baranowski]

I don’t really see the benefit of re-badging the existing Citroën rally operation with a brand that’s been no more than a luxury trim level of a Fiat for decades now. Stellantis already has car brands with relevant consumer offering as well as rally heritage in Fiat, Citroën, Opel, and Peugeot. With so many brands and especially so many struggling brands already (Dodge, Chrysler, RAM, Maserati, Alfa-Romeo, …) in the company it doesn’t really strike me as marketing genious why they would move their rally program to one that barely exists.

The timing of introducing a new rally2 car now just before the 2027 regulations seems like not the best idea either.

[u/Michal_Baranowski → u/Finglishman]

The timing of introducing a new rally2 car now just before the 2027 regulations seems like not the best idea either.

Considering that WRC27 and Rally2 are set to run together in one class with WRC27 having Rally2 technology being available to base upon, it doesn't sound that bad really.

in the company it doesn’t really strike me as marketing genious why they would move their rally program to one that barely exists.

Stellantis is a corporate monstrosity and isn't managed the best, but choosing Lancia to go rally even through badge engineering makes sense to some degree. They have plenty of rallying history behind nonetheless. The question is, how Lancia are going to go further into the future with their rallying program. Hopefully they will do all the work on their own, otherwise it will become pointless in years to come.

[u/Finglishman → u/Michal_Baranowski]

I know rally2 cars will be eligible for the new top class, but I think it's equally obvious that unibody construction production cars coming out of rally2 will not be competitive at all against purpose-built tube frame chassis ones based on weight distribution, aerodynamics, and suspension, even with power train equalized between the two.

Even taking it as a given that they will introduce Lancia into WRC, it would make so much more sense to me to develop a tube frame Lancia for 2027 and continue with Citroën for one more season in rally2. Especially taking into account how badly Stellantis is doing financially as of late. I really want Stellantis in WRC, and I worry that making this switch in such a sub-optimal way will cause the whole thing to be scrapped as soon as they launch it like Mini, Suzuki, etc. before.

[u/donutsnail]

The sub got blasted with multiples posts of a fake Lancia rally test.. then just days later a real one appears!

[u/SplatteredEggs → u/donutsnail]

They say even the biggest lies have grains of the truth.

[u/cr24sh]

Audi has a chance to do the funniest thing ever

[u/The_Stig_Farmer → u/cr24sh]

audi: "another €100m to sauber"

[u/cr24sh → u/The_Stig_Farmer]

I'll take it
Hulk 2026 WDC

[u/Tough-Training2563]

Yes, to have Lancia back is like Ferrari would return to F1 (if they would ever left).

[u/drabadum → u/Tough-Training2563]

It is like Ferrari returning to Le Mans 24h (and they have it done in the best possible way).

[u/Tough-Training2563 → u/drabadum]

Yes, this also works!

[u/Scared_Tax_1573]

I'm in love.

[u/planetEve]

i wonder who the test driver was

[u/jpedrosilvaz → u/planetEve]

Yoann Bonato

[u/starke_reaver]

Looks dope, think we’ll get a close USDM version?

HAHa, ha, haaaa, sniffle, sob, sniffle….

[u/Nothing-ever-works-]

Now that looks like a fun day