The Lancia Delta Safarista is rally-spec restomod perfection

Remember the Delta Futurista? It was Automobili Amos’ 330bhp take on the Lancia Delta Integrale 16V and was essentially hot hatch restomod perfection. It wasn’t just vapourware either, because four years after the unveil in 2018, Automobili Amos announced that all 20 examples had been built and delivered to their extremely lucky owners. We’re not jealous at all.

Now there’s something new and shiny for us to get excited about, although we can’t imagine that the 10 Lancia Delta Safaristas will stay that shiny for long – this is a proper rally-spec restomod that’s designed to be used.

“From our point of view, too often cars are bought as trophies rather than as objects capable of making their owners live unforgettable experiences,” reads the marketing bumf. “And it is through this new project that we want to create a community of like-minded people who can share the sense of adventure around the world, creating memories that will last a lifetime.”

The firm hasn’t actually revealed any performance figures for the Safarista, but all the bits that have been used to put it together are very serious indeed. Plus, when he announced the Futurista, founder Eugenio Amos said: “In the end the numbers really mean nothing. Because I’m talking about passion and nostalgia and euphoria and these feelings are not measured in numbers.”

So, what goes into the Safarista? Well, the most obvious place to start is with the three-door carbon body, which gets those properly boxy arches and lots of new protection lower down. Underneath there’s a reinforced chassis and a full rollcage, and the engine has been rebuilt with a new cooling system, a Motec ECU and an anti-lag system. The result is 394bhp.

The gearbox is a 3MO Motorsport five-speed sequential unit and the diffs are apparently motorsport-spec too. Meanwhile the adjustable suspension comes from Reiger, the brakes from Brembo and the hydraulic handbrake from AP Racing. Those hide behind Evo Corse wheels wrapped in Pirelli Scorpion off-road tyres.

In the stripped out interior you get two Sabelt carbon bucket seats, adjustable Tilton pedals, a Motec dashboard and even plastic windows. Proper.

Of course, all of this doesn’t exactly come cheap. The Safarista will start at €570,000 (around £493,000) before VAT and without the donor car. Yikes. Once you’ve added tax and the cost of a Delta Integrale 16V, you’re looking at a bill of over £600,000.