Twin-Charged Terror: Driving the Wild Lancia Delta S4 Stradale | Henry Catchpole - The Driver's Seat
Visit us at www.Hagerty.com ---- Henry Catchpole is back on his favorite topic: Rallying! Of all the WRC Group B rally cars, the Lancia Delta S4 is the wildest, which makes the Stradale or street version very special indeed. This one is currently for sale with Girardo & Co and it should be one of around 200 in existence. But it’s not. Lancia was meant to build a couple of hundred to satisfy the homologation rules of Group B at the time, but someone was clearly a bit lax with their counting as it’s thought only around 70 or 80 were ever made. This is chassis number 033.
So, the Delta S4 Stradale is a rare car. It is also a ground-breaking one because it is the first road car to use twin charging. As the name suggests, that means it has both a supercharger and a turbocharger on its 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine. The idea is that the supercharger helps with response lower down in the rev range, while the turbocharger takes care of producing the big power once the exhaust gases are flowing. You might remember this type of engine from an earlier film on the Hagerty channel with the Kimera EVO37.
It’s not just the engine that is different from a regular Delta either. In fact only the grille, windscreen and rear lights are shared parts. The bodywork is largely made up of two huge, spectacular clamshells, while the chassis underneath is a tubular space frame. Inside, however, the S4 is surprisingly comfortable with good ergonomics, lots of soft Alcantara and seats by Zagato. To that extent it’s a world away from its competition counterpart…
The Group B era of rallying is of course known for its wild cars, big crowds and tragic accidents and the S4 Corse was really central to the narrative. As we discuss in this film, the S4 was perhaps the most monstrous car of that period. Henri Toivonen was arguably its greatest exponent and with Sergio Cresto alongside him they took some famous victories. Very sadly it was also that crew’s demise on Corsica in 1986 that would ensure the end of Group B.
The motorsport stories and the fascinating engineering all add up to an incredible car, which we hope you enjoy seeing and hearing about in this film. Thank you, as always, for all the likes, shares and kind comments. If you’re keen to support the show even more, please do think about clicking on this link to find out a bit more about the Hagerty Drivers Club: bit.ly/Join-HDC-Henry
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Brilliant video as always Henry. The only thing that could have improved it would have been to include the clip of Walter Rohrl being asked if his Audi could keep up with Henris Lancia to which he answered "The Audi can keep up with the Lancia, I cannot keep up with Henri." Of all the drivers whose careers have been cut tragically short Henri Toivonen is one of the greatest.
I did not know of this. That speaks volumes. Reminds me of Jarno Saarinen.
I think Rohrl was just being polite. The Audi handled like a barge compared to the Lancia.
I think you are thinking of him talking about Peugot and Ari Vatanen.
@@lutherblissett9070 no. Walter once said that in terms of pure speed Henri was the only driver he felt was faster than him, so fast you expected to crash. Henri was like Walter said, an ‘all’ or nothing’ driver, but when he joined the S4 all the wrc felt he finally was ready to finally win the championship. In 1986 Henri was in a league of his own.
While i can imagine Röhl considering Toivonnen as fast or faster, i can't imagine him considering the quattro at the time to be as fast/quick as the S4. He had(has) a quite good sense about the car itself like almost all of his generation of drivers, and all of them were aware that the quattro had a huge disadvantage in weight distribution. And the short versions didn't make that better either. All of the Audi drivers back then attest it no real chance against the 205 and the S4 as they had a mid engine, and F. Piech was adamant that the quattro needed to keep its engine in the front like the production car had. Audi therefore did devellop a mid engined Group B and homologation car for the planned Group S but that never came to be, as the FISA (predecessor of FIA) boss finally had an excuse to extinguish fast popular rallye racing. For a few years he had already tried to do something, as in his view Rallye should not be the #1 motorsport in terms of public interest. In his veiew only F1 deserved that, and so he torpeded rallye racing as much as he could. And the deadly accidents were just another little bit of fuel in the fires he tried to burn down public interest in rallying. (There had been deadly accidents in all of motorsports all the time, and FISA could have just adapted safety rules like most of the drivers had wanted...)
We need more true homologation specials like this in the modern era.
The only actual one I can think of the the last Ford GT. People will point to the Yaris GR, but that was made afterwards and only because Toyota wanted to, not because they needed to in order to go racing. Maybe you could count the AM Valkyrie now that they're actually taking it to the Hypercar class?
That won't happen. People are to worried about how many screens a car has instead
@@nb7466 They're told to think that way. If they were encouraged to buy a tamed racecar with number plates for an attainable price, they might worry about financing that instead. Witness the GR Yaris's success (and yes they did _need_ to build it, to homologate the three-door bodyshell that didn't previously exist).
@@julianturberfield7101 There are many homologation "semi-specials", like Huracan Evo with fake roof air intake that's only there to be used in GT3 variant. GR Yaris is fully realised homologation special for WRC, that was required to "go racing". It was build for "WRC" homologation rules and for competition, you could (and pretty much had to) swap out entire drivetrain, suspension etc. but you had to use production car chassis (not whole structure but most of bodyshell). GR has different structure (lower roof, 3 doors etc.) compared to regular Yaris, because it allowed more efficient aero on a rallycar. Sadly it didn't compete because of covid and current Rally1 class cars don't share anything except for vague looks with road going counterparts. BUT there's Rally2 (previously R5) GR Yaris that's using road car derived chassis and engine.
@@julianturberfield7101they designed gr yaris with toyota wrc team, only reason thet car exists is rally, they even use that engine in rally2 car
This video is a beautiful tribute to a chapter of motoring history close to my heart, as I am an Italian car enthusiast hailing from Turin, Lancia's birthplace. Regarding the number of cars built, the controversies and rumors stem from the fact that regulations stipulated that 200 road cars had to be built, but what the manufacturer did with them after scrutineering day wasn't FISA's business. I spoke years ago with an ex-Abarth employee who was there at the time, and he told me Lancia built all the cars it had to make but cut most of them up shortly after because they knew they would have had trouble selling them in the first place.
Hello Matteo, it´s good to read something from you. I hope that more Videos coming up from you, i wish you all the best. Greetings from Germany
' but that's a story for another day ' ....... where have I heard that before ? 🤔
@@jami7772so true😎😎
Yes I remember reading a car magazine article in 1987, Lancia or Abarth had lines & lines of Delta S4’s they couldn’t sell. Was about 80 cars I seem to remember. There was a picture aswell. They were also ”yesterdays news” and ”old”.. Hard to understand if you’re not italian I think…
As i said, Lancia did built all the 200 cars, not 70 or 80, but they simply were not fully assembled and completed the day of official’s verification.
Hagerty, Henry brings a new level of class and excellence to your channel. Whatever you do, don’t lose him!
This whole video i couldn't get over the way he chooses to pronounce Toivonen's first name? Why the weird semi-french?? And now you tell me his own damn name is Henry??? For the love of god just say it like your own name! Its fine, its an international name, everyone understands and its pretty much how Finns would say it themselves. Anyway.... Good video, nice car. I'm okay
It’s madness. How we can get the quality of this for free, here on KZhead. This is as good as anything that has come before it. Fantastic car, fantastic driver all presented by one of the best. Can’t wait for the Lancia Delta Integrale film. Easily one of the greatest cars ever built.
Just go buy some subscriptions
@@Jay-jb2vr I'm pretty sure that it's only USA based. I'm in Australia.
@@purplehazeffc I'm pretty sure KZhead is available in Australia
@@Jay-jb2vr Yes. Hence why I'm commenting on the video
I love the ultrawide aspect ratio of these videos, on top of the vibrant and beautiful locations the storytelling skills of Henry and his ability to communicate how a car feels and behaves all add up to something rather special, thank you to all those putting in their best work.
Agreed it fits the screen on my fold 4 perfectly.
agreed
But doesn't fit any TVs. Didn't realize that this type of content was intended for phones.....
@@perpelle Ultrawide monitors too and projectors which offer lots of screen size to make the added width worthwhile (even if most are in the 16:9 format with black bars).
Rally Legend + Catchpole = Perfect!
Very happy to see such a high quality video on the road version delta s4. Many videos about the Quattro, 205T16 and 5turbo, but only few about the also brilliant delta s4. Love it.
I wish this Lancia still existed. Absolutely beautiful cars!
Of course the FIAT (now Stellantis) has to butcher every well made product. Look at the Giulia Quadrifoglio, never made a SW version to rival the M3 and we had to wait up until 2021 for a facelift. The Ritmo was sorted to be the response to the Golf and they only made one series if I recall correctly, then the Uno, Punto and Stilo are other great examples of great cars (especially the Grande Punto EVO) that were simply put to stop in production and I can go on for hours... The Delta is no exception, always dearly remembered here in Italy even with its defects.
They still make the Ypsilon, but I get your point.
@@hugolafhugolaf Not a great name for a car if you've read Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.
The Lancia Pu+Ra HPE is a concept car revealed on April 15, 2023. It showcases the styling and technology of the future production models
@@bertmurphy8096 Production which, of course, will most likely not happen in Italy at all, as Stellantis has almost completely pulled out of Italy at this point
Toivonen and the Delta S4 - my favourite pairing during the Group B period. Watching these beasts going through the Trentham Gardens stages in the mid 80s was something else. The Group A cars that followed them a few years later seeemed laughably slower in comparison. Group B - the B must’ve stood for beasts because that’s what they were. RIP Henri
I remember being with my old man looking at one of these at a dealership in Brescia in the late 1990s, from memory it was around £25k equivalent, he was seriously considering it as a 6k mile a year car, in the end he went for an Alfa ES30 SZ which was the same money. The same garage also had several limited edition Integrales and a Maserati Shamal all for around £25k....happy days
@@Shadow-of-Mampang yes there was a period when nobody wanted cars like this
Some of my fondest memories ever were in Grizedale forest standing with my Grandad flasks in hand waiting for these ( the S4 in particular ) to sweep round the corner full chat with Marku Alen at the wheel. The noise and experience was absolutely mind-blowing. I really feel like I was witness to history.
I hate we never got any of the Lancia greats here in the states. They made some batshit crazy but incredibly awesome cars. Love the uploads!!
You guys actually got something really close to the 037, I think it was named Scorpio or something close to it.
@@gymusen The mid-engined but comparatively very tame Beta Montecarlo was marketed as the Scorpion in the States. It resembled the 037 but that's where any simiIarity ended. Is that the car you meant?
Wasn't it sold as the Monte Carlo in Europe?@@gymusen
I was lucky enough to see Toivonen race in the ‘85 Lombard rally (I even got to bump shoulders with Henri in the toilet after a stage), the Group B cars were bonkers with maximum entertainment value all day long.
Toivonen is still remembered and his driving skills are very much recognized here in Finland. I was born in 1985 - not so much at 'Group-B' territory. However even I learned about Toivonen´s driving abilities. And when I was young lad; Instead of Group-B I got to see Kankkunen, Mäkinen and Grönholm jump over the Central Finland's Roads with names such as McRae, Burns, Sainz and Sohlberg hunting them.
I was a spectator in one of those 80's group B rallies, 1000 lakes rally of Finland. I was 15 or 16 then. I can still remember those howling beasts , B monsters! Goosebump inducing stuff!
Beautiful telling of the S4 and Group B history. And poignant telling of the tragic loss of these talented brave drivers. Well done, Henry, very well done.
The force of will in his stare was equal to that of the S4! Never new the man. I wasnt born to see him drive but his voice and his temperament are forever burned in my mind after watching a documentary for his win in Monte Carlo! There will never be another Toivonen , there will never be Lancia again! Thanks a lot Hagerty , Lancia means a lot to some of us!
My father had one from new. It replaced his 037 which replaced a Stratos. The latter two were not sales successes which is why the S4 was finished to a higher standard. It even had a/c. The Stratos barely had ventilation... He also had an RS200 at the time which he rated a better car. Far better balance. Someone at Abarth who helped develop the S4 told him they had a bespoke flaky ECU and when that went, the car was toast so he sold it to a dentist in Japan...
Being sold to a dentist in Japan is the final insult. 😂😂😂
These are the best car films being made right now. Brilliant stuff Henry and team..
I could sit and watch Lancia content all day long. Thank you, amazing little film.
Henry always nails it. I saw a Delta S4 Stradale at the Petersen Museum in LA 5 or 6 years ago for a Bring a Trailer alumni event and I just stared at the open rear clamshell for 10 minutes. For Lancia content, I also recommend Chris Harris' Rally Heaven video with some period rally drivers, like Markku Alen, absolutely ripping some iconic Lancias. My favorite might be the 037 driven by Paolo Andreucci.
yet another example of beautiful story telling. excellent work Henry.
This video is a rollacoast of emotion, just like owning a Lancia, alfa ect. Love these thank you. 😎👊👍✌👌
Those s4's in the hill climb event's are a epic thing to hear and see :)
I've been VERY lucky to see a number of these Groupe B homoligation specials inperson thanks to the great people at FuelFed Chicago over the past couple years (Audi Sport Quattro, Lancia 037, Ford RS200 EVO and yes, one of these S4's❗️) When I spotted the S4 I was drooling over a popsicle green Miura w/blue interior...until I saw the S4, I quickly got over to the S4, talking to myself out loud that I couldn't believe what I was seeing❗️❗️ The particular example was identical to the one in the video and showed just under 2800kms on it, a time capsule! People were looking at it and they didn't know what it was, I would tell them all I knew about it because they didn't realize the greatness that was I front of them❗️❗️❗️
I'd like to add that this S4, inperson, looks like a cartoon character (in a good way) all the proportions being exaggerated. I just wish the owner were nearby to open it up. Back home in Detroit I also got to see a Pug 205T16 as well...THAT one was opened up, insane car inperson as well😎 The last one I need to see is a Metro 6R4🙏
The World Rally Cars were pure terror in the early 80’s, before being shut down forever. Absolutely insane horse power
And minutes slower than a current WRC.
@@gwefljBut they did try to kill you every 4 corners or so
@@gwefljits all relevant to what is happening in the sport, look at the current F1 cars, the 2003 Monza fastest lap was a 1:21, last years was a 1:25, the track is shorter today as well, the 2003 race also has the highest average speed recorded across the field with the entire field nearly averaging 250kph over the entire lap. So yeah its all relevant to wats happening in the sport, WRC has refined speed, F1 has removed speed from the equation entirely.
@@gweflj Nearly 40 years of advancement in tire, turbo, suspension, drivetrain and engine management tech will do that for ya. Even the Group A cars were quicker than the unmanageable Group B monsters after a few years.
@@dylansmit3883 Lot's of great points made. I just get bored the the Group B mystic. The cornering speed etc was dire on those things. All they had was HP.
Great stuff as always, your impressions of the rally related cars are always fascinating. Thank you for sparing us the crash videos.
How lovely to see those two Deltas, in the same gorgeous red too! Feels like an invitation to a relaxed, yet spirited drive.
just sat down with a cheeky coffee for a break and this pops up in my subs epic
Thank you for this film. Of course we all know the story, but the way you present it, along with the personal touch and of course the footage of your driving makes it so fresh
Brilliant video. In just 15 minutes full car presentation, great piece of history plus debunking myths as a bonus. Thank you Henry, thank you Hagerty.
The twincharging on this is beautifully simple. I think I’m going to apply the same concept to my Polo g40. Not sure the g-lader is quite as robust as a roots type blower, but we’ll see how it fares feeding it with a turbo 💥
Amazing video as always, love rally Delta, toivonen himself told a reporter that immense length and the subsequent fatigue from crazy horsepower were taking a toll on drivers
Beautifully respectful piece about a car - and a driver - that I really knew very little about. Thankyou Hagerty. Every day's a schoolday...
The quality and class of these videos is second to none. Thank you,
Very well told story there, thank you. The emotion of the era comes through, and what an era it was.
Hagerty needs their own Netflix show. Great stuff 🙌🏻
Probably the best video I've seen on the S4, normally when it comes to the road going Group B cars they're being driven rather sedately for fear of something expensive breaking. Not today.
Another great video by Henry and Hagerty, can't wait to see Jason, Henry and Randy collaboration ❤❤❤
Incredible writing, editing and research! Kudos. Also to Max and Company for allowing the S4 out on track.
Amazing video and storytelling (as always)! It's pretty unbelievable how dead is Lancia nowadays...
Henry, you are an official bastard. I'm very used to being envious of you, being able to drive all of these incredible machines as a job. But the Delta S4, man, you just destroyed me! Thanks for the excellent film as always.
It's really touching to see so many well produced pieces on Lancia over the past few years. As a brand their history is littered with technical innovation and motorsports success. I just hope that the revival of Lancia goes well... They should be building high quality, distinct automobiles.
Fantastic, will never forget seeing them in action in the NZ Rally back in the day and pleased there's a road car like that that I've seen several times in recently
Thank you Henry and Hagerty for this. Bittersweet and heartbreaking story that gave the racing world possibly the greatest ”what if”. RIP Henri Toivonen and Sergio Cresto.
Magnificent video as always Henry! Every second of it is oozing with the sort of passion that is very hard to find nowadays in car videos anywhere. Old Lancias are very close to my heart and I'm very glad you've made a video about both the 037 and S4, two cars which are undoubtedly some of the most special stories in the world of motorsport. Thank you for your work and the amazing content! 🤗
To hear the mechanical cacophony of the S4 in action was incredible even amongst its Group B rivals . As Marku Alen would say - Maximum attack !We were blessed by the approaching thunder of these cars in the forests and yet still shocked when they exploded into view . No form of motorsport has left such an impression on me and none will until my final breath . Thankyou , thankyou for making me aware again how privileged we were to witness this and for your invariably great passion and presentation of such cars and their epic pilots .
Dang - just discovered you guys - wonderful production value!!
This is my ultimate dream car, and have been waiting for a video on it since 10years ! Thanks!!!!
This is my ultimate dream car, and have been close to buying one a few times. Have been waiting for a video on it since 10years ! Thanks!!!!
I never new about Group B until the early 90's when a new friend at Uni showed me his old Betamax recordings of coverage of the world rally's from the early 80's. Wow what great machinery driven by the best drivers there were Rohrl, Toivonen, Mouton, Mikkola, Blomqvist, Vatanen. I'd been to watch the Group A cars in the Lombard RAC rally for the first time in 1990. But these goliaths were so exciting to watch and behold. Thanks for sharing such a great video of one of the most amazing cars ever built.
This has to be Henry's best Hagerty video yet. Amazing storytelling!
Henry, you have a way of giving me tear in my eye. Thanks!
A fabulous story teller, thanks Henry.
Another outstanding video by Henry.
As always Henry…you bring a magic to your car reviews that others cannot imagine. You have always been an outstanding presenter and I hope we see much more of your work. I watched all of your reviews on Carfection and wish that Channel had survived but keep on testing and reporting for us…you do special things with words and paint pictures in our minds of cars we will never drive but can dream of. Well done. 🙂🙂🙂Richard
I truly believe Henri and Sergio would have become rally legends, especially during the group A years. I hope to one day visit their memorial at the corner in Corsica and leave a closed bottle of Martini in honor of them. Thank you for such a carefully crafted review.
Henry Catchpole is one of the GREAT narrators of automotive content .cheers Henry keep them coming 👍
Bellissimo! I love these rally classics and can't wait to see more in the future from Girardo and other trusted custodians.
I've been playing with twincharging since 2007. My aw11 mr2 track car has a twinchrged 4ag with a gt2871 feeding a eaton m45 in full compound boost setup running at 28psi. The powerband is awesome.
Well done Mr Catchpole. I was with my Dad at the side of the Chatsworth stage 1985. The Group B cars and drivers blew my mind. Great tribute to Toivonen. Lewis Hamilton?? whos he?
SUPERB video Henry, Very high quality. I love the photos you used for Toivonen! Good soundtrack, well put together. Great!
Brilliant review of such an iconic car. Thanks again Harry.
I was lucky enough to see thios car at Rally Legends in San Marino years back - looks incredible in person. Amazing videos as always.
Hagerty... thank you for helping produce the best car videos on KZhead . Some make more videos but your's are quality, something I enjoy watching like a bona fide tv show.
Many thanks Henry, fabulous video..........as always xx
As always exquisite story telling from Henry and the production/video team 🤗😎👌
Gorgeous, beautiful beast. I have loved it since I saw it as a teenager. As James May says, it gives me “the fizz”.
Absolutely sublime piece of media as always!
Very good documentary. The engineering of the S4 is incredible.
What a fantastic bit of history right there with the Lancia Good one Henry 👍👍
Great stuff Henry, what a brilliant era of homologation specials and a fantastic looking rally car. Pretty certain I went to see a Delta S4 at the Patrick Collection museum in Birmingham in the 80s along with a Porsche 959 😍
Once again, superlative in all respects. Thanks to Henry for his brilliance, and thanks to all the production crew for their own brilliance. It all comes together as a fantastically woven story of an amazing vehicle, and a tragic tale. ✌️❤️🙂🇨🇦
Fantastic content! Thank you
A great video this and Jason Camissa’s content are my favourite and frankly the only two things I watch from hagerty
Never heard of this model until now, watching this video!
A great homage to the car. Those guys were legendary warriors in group b rip.
As a kid I saw group b races here in the states and was mesmerized. I didn't even know for awhile what powered this car I saw spitting flames, but I knew it has to be special.
S4 Stradale! Fab! Never seen one! And I’ve owned an integrale and a fulvia coupe!
Yet another great video. Thanks for the content.
Yep. Very nicely put together.
I saw Matti Alamaki rallycrossing one of these at Croft in 1987. A car once heard, never forgotten.
As I recall, that was boxing day - and just about the coldest day in the universe... 🙂
What an amazing video!!!A very big congratulations to Henry and all the Hagerty team that made this content!!! We are privileged to have such a great KZhead channel to watch!!!Can’t wait for the delta integralle video!!!😍😍😍 Hope that the rumours that Lancia will enter the WRC going to be true… If there’s a Lancia delta III owner could you please reply?Does a 1,8tbi worths to buy it?My mechanic says NO!!!You cannot find spare parts anymore…is this true?
Outstanding piece, thank you!
Great Story HarryC. Thank you Hagerty
Are the benefits of the Hagerty Drivers Club available in the UK? Great video Henry - love Group B stuff!
Great review of a legend! Back when Rally was exciting and almost as big as F1
Thanks for bringing us that legend
Love these reviews Henry does, great guy 👍🏻😁
Why can I not stop drooling while watching this....
really good piece. keep up the good work.
What a monument!!! Thanks for The video!
Fantastic review Henry! Would love if you reviewed a Lancia 037 stradale in a similar way and offered a comparison of sorts to the S4 stradale! Top work by you and the team!
man this is the best video too date i love the lancia delta s4
Please bring more videos like THIS!! The s4 its the most beautifull rally car ever made!
Great video! I am fascinated by these old homologation specials... I could never afford a Group B car, but I live right on the old Sintra rally stage referred to in this film, and have an original 205 Rallye as a time machine for early morning blasts. Great era. Utterly bonkers by modern standards, but still great. And the Portuguese rally fans haven't changed either! 😅
Wow. Thoroughly enjoyed this.
Thanks for the video. That was awesome. 🙂
Brilliant !!! Thank you
Will be a good watch. Insane car.
that was an excellent video Henry!!