Chris Harris takes a few laps in the Lancia Stratos, Abarth 037 and the Delta S4

We would only like to show a fraction of the opportunities that Chris Harris, from the Drive YouTube channel, has to climb into dream machines, supercars and classics that leave their mark. This time he went to Italy and witnessed first-hand the workings of the Lancia Stratos and the Lancia Delta S4, two of the most memorable rally cars in the history of the discipline, along with the Abarth 037. And who better to host him than Markku Alen and Juha Kankkunen to show Harris (and us) what it feels like to drive these two beasts on country roads in the Italian countryside, as part of a Pirelli event, the launch of the Pirelli P7 Corsa Classic.

We start with the Stratos, with Markku Alen at the wheel and Chris Harris as passenger. The most remarkable thing seems to have been how docile it is at speed, though it demands great confidence from the driver, which is undeniable considering everything was in the hands of a master like Alen.

The next candidate for testing was the Delta S4, considered by many (myself included) to be one of the best competition cars Italy has ever produced. For this occasion the driver was changed and the honours fell to Juha Kankkunen, who took the Delta along the same road the Stratos had covered before: a rock wall on one side, a ravine protected by a thin guardrail on the other. Kankkunen was a little less talkative, but Harris’s face at the end of the “ride” says it all. Literally a go-kart, with impressive torque and power from the KKK turbo blowing constantly.

There is one more car to enjoy: the Lancia (or Abarth) 037, with Paolo Andreucci, six-time Italian rally champion, at the wheel. For the 037, Harris had only one adjective: electric, perhaps mentioning that it accelerated instantly as if it had an electric motor.

I won’t distract you any more than you really need to: turn up the volume, put the video full screen and get ready to enjoy two masterclasses from two great masters of Group B.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mXgWWNJVdYA#!