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Fiat Group bosses are currently considering the development of a bespoke Lancia sports car, in the mould of its mid-engined Stratos and Beta Montecarlo models, for low-volume series production in 2011.

As Lancia CEO Olivier Francois told Autocar, the brand is seeking to boost its image and re-establish itself as a maker of "upmarket, masculine, fun-to-drive cars". "A sports car is a great way to do this," Francois said, "and I hope to convince Fiat Group head Sergio Marchionne that it’s a good idea."

Francois wouldn’t be tied down on details of the car’s likeliest mechanical layout, price point or on-sale date, other than to reference the firm’s Beta Montecarlo and Stratos models. "These were great models for building and strengthening the Lancia brand, and that’s what we need to do again," he said, "although the new car will be sports car, not a racing car."


Quick turnaround

If Marchionne does give the new car the go-ahead, it will complete a remarkable volte-face from the Fiat Group. During the conception of the Delta, its PR message was that Lancia would only make upmarket, refined, comfortable cars in future, and that it would be left to Alfa, Maserati and Ferrari to make the sports cars. Now it would seem that the line separating Lancia from the rest of the Fiat Group’s car-makers won’t be so simple.

Francois hinted that a concept version of the new Stratos could arrive as early as the 2009 Geneva show. "We are working on a show car for Geneva that will really surprise people; it’s something new,” he said, although this is more likely to be a preview car for a smaller C-segment car – a ‘Delta coupe’.

"We have the new Ypsilon coming in autumn 2009," he said. “This is a 3.8-metre five-door model. And with the Delta at 4.5-metres, I think there’s room for something in between, about 4.2-metres, with a bit more sporting character than anything we sell right now."

As reported previously, the Alfa Mito’s platform will provide the mechanicals for the smaller Lancia, and could also bring us a road-going version of the Fulvia two-seater, before being adapted for service under the replacement for the Musa mini-MPV in 2012.