Lancia – Hyena

Vehicle Overview

A limited series of cars was planned, but when Lancia’s owners FIAT refused to supply bare chassis, Zagato had no choice but to privately purchase fully finished Delta Integrales from Lancia dealers and modify them, greatly increasing production costs. Zagato’s collaborator in this project was Paul V J Koot, proprietor of Netherlands-based British and Italian sports car specialists, Lusso Service. Lusso Service sourced donor cars in the Netherlands, which were then shipped to Italy for re-bodying and final assembly. The first Hyena prototype was unveiled at the Brussels Motor Show in 1992, its looks recalling previous classic Zagato designs such as the Alfa Romeo SZs and Lancia Fulvia Sport Zagato.

The Hyena’s chassis and four-wheel-drive mechanicals were almost identical to those of the 16-valve Delta Integrale. The body was hand made in aluminium while carbon fibre was used extensively inside the car – the dashboard, centre console, and door panels being made of this lightweight composite material. The result was a reduction in weight of almost 200kg when compared to the stock Delta Integrale. Engine power was boosted to around 250bhp, further enhancing the power-to-weight ratio; the result was a 0-100km/h time of only 5.4 seconds. The Hyena was very expensive, costing as much as a Porsche 911 Carrera, and production ceased in 1996 after only 24 of these ultra-exclusive coupés had been made.