[Autoblog.it]

Can't say that were fans of "badge engineering" especially when it comes to brands with a completely different mind-set and background, but like it or not, chances are that Fiat's tie up with Chrysler will most likely give birth to at least a couple of vehicles that will only differ in grilles and badges. The U.S. automaker's recently revealed five-year product plan hints at a few cars of this sort, but photoshop wiz, Theophilus Chin, took it upon himself to create a trio of 'Chrysler-ized' Lancias and vice-versa.

These include a proposal for a Lancia Thesis replacement based on Chrysler's well-received 200C mid-size sedan hybrid concept that was displayed at this year's Detroit Show, as well as Lancia-masked Chrysler Voyager and a Chrysler version of Lancia's premium compact hatchback, the Delta.

The other day I was sitting at a beachside bar where they had Fashion TV playing on flatscreens around the place and I couldn't help notice that while some of the stuff looked great, the rest looked horrible. Looks like the same trend has applied itself to automotive design, as Italian fashion house Versace has forged a new relationship with another automaker. But while the Versace edition Lamborghini Murcielago looks cooler than air conditioning in Alaska, somehow this new Lancia Ypsilon doesn't quite cut it.

That's probably more Lancia's fault than Versace's, but the overall package, thorough though it is, leaves much to be desired. Created with Versace's second brand Versus, the special edition Ypsilon is sprayed bronze, much like the customers likely to buy it. The Versus logo is applied all over the interior and exterior of the car, which features matching bronze chromework and rims. The Lancia Ypsilon Versus edition will be unveiled in concept form next week in Paris, and will be produced in a limited run of 500 examples starting in March next year. This isn't the first designer edition Ypsilon, following the previous Momo edition, but Lancia's going to need something better than a new paint job to extract itself from the bronze age. For our part, we'd sooner go for the Diesel edition Fiat 500.
Via Carworld

Our next story comes from the magical world of concept studies -courtesy of AutoBlog.com.es- where harsh reality takes a hike and imaginations steps in to take its place. We've always been fans of the great Delta HF Integrale and we'd like nothing more than for Lancia to revive the legendary nameplate instead of wasting time and resources on cars such as the Thesis but chances are, especially after the Fiat Group's tie-up with Chrysler, that this artist's impression is the closest we'll get to a new HF for now.

The Fiesta RS that's also pictured here, however, is another story. While Ford hasn't confirmed any plans for a high-performance Fiesta, it also has not ruled out such an option. If the company were to develop a Fiesta RS, the firm's recently announced 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter turbocharged engines with direct-injection would be prime candidates to power the vehicle.

But until we hear something official, both the Lancia Delta HF Integrale and the Ford Fiesta RS will remain in the realm of imagination.

Photo Source: Autoblog.com.es , Via: Autoblog.nl

Once upon time, before the Fiat Group decided to withdraw its mainstream brands from the U.S. market, consumers had the opportunity to buy various Italian models from marques like Lancia. Sure they weren't always great or reliable, but if anything else, they were different. One of the most rarest Lancias ever to come in the States was the Beta Montecarlo, a mid-engined two-seater sports car that was marketed in the USA as the Scorpion due to the use of the name "Monte Carlo" by Chevy.

Designed by Pininfarina, the Beta Montecarlo was introduced in 1975 and remained into production until 1982 having received a facelift in 1979. Both the original and facelift model were available in Coupe and Spider variants, the latter featuring a targa-like, rollover fabric top.

The Scoprion model was based on the Beta Montecarlo Spider featuring some subtle styling changes such as the different headlights (see photos below). Unlike its European sibling that was powered by a 122HP 2.0-liter four-pot, due to the fact that this engine did not pass the emission standards in the U.S., Lancia was "forced" to fit the two-seater with an anemic 81HP 1.8-liter four-cylinder unit.

Overall, it is reported that Lancia sold 1,801 Scorpions in the U.S. between 1976 and 1977. This particular example that we found on eBay is a 1976 model with the seller claiming that the car has a mere 17,000 miles on the odo. The "Buy it Now" price for this 1976 Scorpion is $8,500.

It goes without saying that those of you interested in the Scorpion, should do their homework before making a bid on the car.

Link: eBay

According to the Fiat Group's product plan, we're supposed to see the new Lancia Ypsilon making its world debut sometime this year but we wouldn't be at all surprised if the Italians have pushed the launch date of the premium supermini back to 2010. But just to get an idea of what the Ypsilon's replacement may look like when it hits European showrooms in 2010, here's a speculative artist's impression of the supermini that was published on Motorionline.

There's no way of being sure about the accuracy of the CGI that blends styling elements from the current Ypsilon and the new Delta hatchback, but we do know that the luxury supermini will share its underpinnings with the Fiat Grande Punto and the Alfa Romeo MiTo hatchbacks.

The engine range will also be common with other models of the Italian group, so buyers can expect to see the 1.4-liter turbocharged petrol as well as new Multijet diesel powerplants.

As with the previous Ypsilon models, the Lancia will feature higher-quality cabin trim and materials with customers being offered a variety of options to personalize their car.

Photos & Link: Motorionline

Once upon a time, not too long ago, Lancia produced a car that made grown men weep. Yes, we're talking about the last truly desirable production Lancia, the Delta HF Integrale which dominated the rally scene in the late 1980s and 1990s. Towards the end of the Integrale's career, famed Italian design house Zagato and Dutch Lancia importer Paul Coot had an idea: why not create a limited series coupe variant of the Delta Integrale. And the Hyena was born.

Designed by Marco Pedracini in 1990, the Hyena was introduced as a production model at the Brussels Motor Show in January 1992. Even though the two cars shared the same underpinnings including the Integrale's famed all-wheel drive system and the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine tweaked to deliver around 250HP, the Hyena boasted its own unique styling that was a radical departure from the boxy Delta.

Just like Zagato's Alfa Romeo SZ of the same era, the Lancia Hyena is one of those controversially styled cars that you're drawn to even though you feel like that you're not supposed to.

Aside from the unique bodywork and the tweaked engine, the Hyena was also significantly lighter than its five-door counterpart weighing close to 200 kg or 440 pounds less than the Delta HF Integrale. The 3.99m long coupe was said to accelerate from zero to 100km/h in just 5.4 seconds.

Zagato and Coot initially agreed with Lancia to produce around 500 unit of the Hyena, but in typical Fiat Group style, the Italian automaker pulled out of the deal and only 24 pieces were ever built making the Hyena one of the most sought after Integrales of all time.

This particular example (the yellow Hyena) was spotted by a member of the Autogespot forums in the city of Rotterdam in The Netherlands. The Red Hyena is up for sale in the UK by Classic Driver for 105,995 GBP which comes to around $173,000 or €124,000 at today's exchange rates.

Via: Classic Driver & Autogespot