If there’s one thing other than terminal corrosion that Lancia is remembered for in Britain, it’s the company’s wild success in rallying. Even though it’s been out of the sport’s top flight for over 30 years, the 10 WRC Manufacturers’ Championships it’s won are still unmatched by any other brand, and the cars it’s won them with – the Stratos, 037 and Delta Integrale – are nothing short of legends.
Now, as the company – for years reduced to selling a single, ageing model only in Italy – continues to try and reverse its fortunes, it’s looking back on that rally heritage more strongly than ever. We’ve already seen its new fourth-gen Ypsilon gain two lower-rung rally versions, but now there’s a third, and it’s altogether more serious.
Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale – rear
It’s built to the second-from-top-tier Rally2 ruleset, and it’s called the Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale, reviving the badge used by Lancia’s most successful rally car of all. Other details are pretty scarce for now, but it’s likely not a ground-up project. Stellantis, the sprawling mega-corp that owns Lancia, already has a Rally2 contender in the shape of the Citroen C3, but with that car based on the previous-gen C3 and Citroen shifting its motorsport aspirations to Formula E, its competitive life is coming to an end.
It’s highly likely, then, that the Rally2 Ypsilon is very closely related to the Citroen underneath. If that’s the case, they probably share the same 1.6-litre turbocharged four-pot, sending somewhere in the region of 280bhp to all four wheels, per Rally2 regulations.
Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale – interior detail
Those regulations will allow the Ypsilon to run in plenty of global rally series, right up to WRC2, the second-tier support class of the world championship. It might not end there, either – Lancia has previously flirted with a return to the top-flight WRC, which is set to get a regulation shakeup in 2027 aimed at reducing costs and attracting more manufacturers than the three that currently compete.
Lancia’s sporting ambitions don’t end here, either – as well as selling a hot electric roadgoing HF version of the Ypsilon, it’s confirmed plans to revive the Delta HF Integrale, although what form that’ll take isn’t too clear right now. Either way, after decades of mediocrity, it’s welcome to see some of that old Lancia spirit creeping its way back into the company. If only it’d think about selling its cars in Britain again.
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