Lancia Motor Club

Perusing www.italiaspeed.com I noticed a short article on the new Ypsilon.  Just rough sketches.  I like the more agressive look and the reference to the new HPE.  Sadly it will probably get watered down though before production... wouldn't want to take sales away from Alfa now would we!!

I didn't get as far as the Ypsilon before spotting the "Fulvia CC" - allegedly to be launched at the Paris Motor Show (dribble).
I've sold the Dedra and trimmed back on the extravagant bachelor lifestyle (cough), now it's time to get the children sweeping chimneys the old-fashioned way to earn their pocket money...

I kept the lifestyle and sold the children, much simpler method :-)

A surprisingly sober decision Geoff!

Indeed, that's twice this year already

and the being sober Colonel ?........


saw photo's of the new Delta spyder (soft top), last week at a dealer.Similar treatment to the alfa spider with the chromed head protection loops. Looked very nice also.

Is this the development of the Fulvietta concept?  Was the dealer talking about it being called Delta Spyder rather than Fulvia?  That would be interesting in itself since we've all assumed it would be called Fulvia, though Delta Spyder has a nice ring to it...

No.
there is a fulvia convertible on its way, a delta HPE and now apparently a soft top delta also.

and as if by magic

http://www.menten.be/nieuws.php?id=330

basically the press release is saying that the chance is very high this will follow after introduction of the normal HPE and will be available in petrol and diesel versions up to 200hp.The dealer seems fairly confident that it will come.

News to me and many others I think - looks smaller than the Fulvia so may fit in below it in the model range?  I reckon that is now Delta HPE, Delta soft top, Fulvia, revised Musa and new Ypsi all slated to be launched by 2009, and most of them likely to be engineered for RHD.  I think we have ourselves a model range...

B*gger, I've only got space for another two cars, I might have to part with the Fulvia

'the colonel'

PS: Scarpia - just the once I think, difficult to tell really

I'm guessing that if the 200hp delta spider version comes it will be the 2.4 multijet diesel version as fitted in the fiat Croma.If that's the case, don't be worried or fooled into thinking it will be slow , they go really well with good economy too. Acceleration in top on the motorway is a revelation. Only possible problem might be the front wheel drive combination with all that torque, as I'm assuming it won't be rear wheel drive.

PS Colonel,

it must be our age.I can't tell either because it makes my eyes water.

Having spoken to the a couple of the Lancia chaps at Covent Garden, I can say that the diesel engine which will be used in the Delta is to be an all new 1.9 turbo diesel capable of 200bhp!  I have already decided to get the Delta HPE with this engine if it is as good as it sounds!

I'm going to be watching the emissions of the diesel Deltas, since it will be on my company car shortlist, and its CO2 emissions will directly affect my tax bill.  The competition is moving fast on this, and for a Delta sized car with 120-130bhp, emissions down in the 130s (g/km) are now becoming the norm.  The new diesel Honda Accord will manage that, and others are there already.  Thats going to be critical if the Delta is to be a viable alternative choice for company car drivers - and of course even many of the enthusiasts who will choose a Lancia will be interested too, given fuel prices at over £1 a litre and rising.  I was intrigued and pleased to see that Fiat's new Panda Aria, with the 2-cyl 900cc engine also slated for the 500, is reputed to deliver emissions of just 65 g/km, which if that is true, is remarkable.  Certainly sub-100 emissions should be possible for the emerging generation of small cars.

I heard a tv report recently suggesting that Fiat were leading the way with their engines in this regard.Suprisingly (for the general public) companies such as VW and volvo were lagging way behind with much higher emissions.It would be interesting to see a table with comparisons.

It would be nice to see the detail. I'd assumed that Fiat has lower-than-average emissions because their sales profile is biased towards smaller cars...