Lancia LC2

When FISA's new Group C regulations were implemented for the 1982 World Sports-Prototype Championship season, the Lancia car to be entered was by no means a finished project. Fortunately, the sporting authorities tolerated the entry of the old Group 5 and 6 cars for one more season, in order not to overcrowd the grid with this sudden change. However, the teams competing in these categories could no longer score points in the constructors' championship and only for the drivers, the rankings at the end of the season were counted. Cesare Fiorio, Lancia's sporting director, used this clause in the sporting regulations by asking engineer Giampaolo Dallara to design a car that met the requirements that applied to the old categories.

THE PREDECESSOR LC1

Fiorio's idea was to enter the Squadra Corse Lancia in Martini Racing colours in the Drivers‘ Championship in order to have a good chance of winning and to leave the Constructors’ title to Porsche, which had a substantial lead with its Group C 956. The company Dallara Automobili da Competizione, which had previously been involved in the design of the Stratos rally car and the previous Beta Montecarlo Turbo, developed an alloy chassis. 

This open-body car was carefully studied in Turin in the Fiat Research Centre's wind tunnel. This chassis would form the basis of the LC1, retroactively named after the launch of the future LC2. The Lancia LC1 used the 4-cylinder, 1425.8 cm3 inline 4-cylinder engine from the Group 5 Beta Montecarlo, but in a 90° inclined longitudinal position. This engine delivered 460 bhp at 8,500 rpm and was mated to a Hewland TG 300 gearbox from F1.

Weighing 640 kg, the Lancia LC2 had a clear advantage over its main rival, Porsche, which was 200 kg heavier. The car was agile and its F1-inspired bodywork with ground effect gave it an advantage the FISA was not exactly sympathetic to... But against all odds, despite its perfect design, the car had a distinct lack of endurance. Of the 17 races it participated in, it finished only 7, even though Riccardo Patrese had the pleasure of 3 wins and the 2nd place in the famous Drivers' Championship.

A DALLARA CHASSIS  

Cesare Fiorio had learned lessons from the 1982 season and decided to start from scratch with the new Lancia LC2 running in Group C. He again entrusted the chassis design to Dallara, this time with the support of Abarth, another long-time Squadra Corse collaborator. The monocoque chassis, consisting of lightweight aluminium panels, was clad in a new bodywork of Kevlar and carbon fibre. To meet Group C's strict fuel consumption standards, a new engine had to be sourced and Ferrari was called to the rescue with the 308 GTBi ‘Quatra Valvole’ 3-litre V8, fitted with a KKK twin turbocharger.

Power, which was 650 hp in racing with the fuel consumption restrictions imposed, exceeded 800 hp during tests where fuel consumption was not subject to restrictions. Until late 1984, a Hewland VG200 gearbox was used, which was later replaced by an Abarth crankcase gearbox with Hewland gears. Besides tyres, the gearbox was one of the Lancia LC2's weak points during its three seasons of competing in the world championship (plus two races at the beginning of 1986). The car won only 3 races before it was withdrawn, after which Lancia was able to concentrate on its rallying activities with the Rally 037. Although the Lancia LC2's results were not always optimal, it was to the car's credit that it took on the invincible Porsche armada, and did so with panache!