If you’re going to take such an iconic model like the Lancia Delta and have it join forces with another period-specific car for the “greater good”, you can’t do a lot better than the Toyota Supra.
Both models are equally respected within automotive circles, which is good because in truth there’s very little of the original Delta “donor car” that remained after the build was complete.
“The only thing that is still left from the original car is pieces of the front window frame,” says LaSupra creator Peter Pentell, admitting that the rest of the car is completely unique.
Pentell bought the standard 1992 Delta Evoluzione 1 back in 2001 and used it both on the track as well as his daily driver. After a short while though, he wanted to make some modifications that in the end would allow him to go even faster.
Left disconcerted after multiple engine and gearbox failures, Pentell went and procured himself a 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder powertrain from a Toyota Supra. However, getting it to fit inside of the Italian hatchback proved problematic, which is when a bespoke tubular space frame chassis had to be used.
The LaSupra also comes with a pushrod suspension with 5-way adjustable Ohlins shocks straight out of a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. It’s basically a unique car that can hardly be called a Delta anymore. It’s only the silhouette and the window frames that give it away.
For this latest Festival of Speed event, the LaSupra’s RSR suspension has been re-calibrated, and word has it that the drivetrain is running well and reliably enough for Peter to drive it up the hill.
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