Automobile Lancia ECV2

Lancia ECV (meaning Experimental Composite Vehicle) was a prototype of the Group S competition car developed by the Italian manufacturer Lancia as a replacement for the Lancia Delta S4 in the World Rally Championship for the 1988 season. banned by the FIA ​​from competing and ECV never raced. Lancia instead developed the Lancia Delta Group A.

 

The car originally produced over 600 hp (448 kW) from a 1759 cc engine supercharged by two turbines. This engine, christened TriFlux, was built in an unusual way; the valves were crossed (there was an intake and exhaust valve for each side of the cylinder) so that the two turbochargers could be powered by two separate lines. The only distributor carried the intake air (hence the name, from three separate air ducts). However, Group S rules would artificially limit the car's power to 300 hp (224 kW) due to speed limits.

 

The car made extensive use of Kevlar and carbon fiber composites to reduce weight and add strength. In total, the car weighed 930 kg (2,050 lb). The car also had a new Martini color scheme, which replaced the white S4 body with a red-based scheme. Lancia used the new system on its race cars in 1987.

 

Despite the abolition of the S group, Lancia improved the ECV with the ECV II of 1988. The ECV II carbon fiber chassis was the chassis of the first ECV. The car was designed by Carlo Gaino from his newly created design studio: Synthesis Design. ECV II also used the TriFlux engine and was characterized by improved aerodynamics.