This yellow Lancia Delta Integrale at Radwood NorCal looks great. Its yellow, rally-bred Italian hatchback, a precursor to cars like the Subaru WRX STI, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, and any other number of compact cars turned fire-breathing rally car.
But, like, what bout the regular Delta?
- Car: Lancia Delta Integrale
- Location: San Fransisco (Radwood NorCal)
- Photog: Me (Kevin Williams)
- Camera: Canon EOS M
I’m not going to be a contrarian and say bullshit like “the Integrale is too much! Just buy a regular two-wheel drive Lancia Delta, it’s just as good!” It’s probably not, duh. A big turbo four-cylinder, wide haunches, and all-wheel-drive can make even the most milquetoast of cars into a rally beast. I mean, look at the Toyota Yaris GR.
In a way, I feel like the Yaris GR is sort of a modern incarnation of the Lancia Delta Integrale Sure, in an obvious way, they’re both (three) four-cylinder engines, hotted-up rally cars built for the road, with wide haunches. They’re also both based upon normal hatchbacks that somehow are completely ignored, now.
From what I’ve read in the European and Asian press, the non-GR Toyota Yaris hatchback is a perfectly competent car. It’s good looking, good quality, a sharp drive, reasonably priced, very fuel-efficient, small car. I, personally, am upset it’s not sold here in the United States; it’s desirable enough that a loaded-out trim with the (reportedly) very good six-speed manual, would be my forever car until the state forces me into an electro-EV transportation pod.
And yet, I don’t get the sense that many shits are given about it. Like the non-Integrale Lancia Delta, we don’t talk about the regular Yaris at all. Was it sharp to drive? Was it interesting? Who cares, we only want the Integrale, I guess. Whatever. Gawk at this yellow Integrale, who cares. It’s a good car.
