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Luca di Montezemolo's put the New Stratos
through its paces last November at Ferrari's
private test track, Fiorano (above). After
his test drive the Ferrari Chairman showered
praise on the capabilities of the dramatic
new supercar. |
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Sports cars come
and go, and Ferrari remains untouched at the top of the
supercar tree. Rarely does a car pop up that is so
breathtaking that it strikes fear at Maranello - but one
has done so, the dramatic New Stratos.
The New Stratos project, headed by German car part
magnate Michael Stoschek, has painstakingly developed a
worthy successor to the rallying legend, and four
decades after the original rewrote the history books,
the reborn Stratos has threatened to do the same. People
who have already driven the new supercar have said that
its performance is almost indescribable, and
superlatives have flowed.
That it is based on a Ferrari 430 Scuderia but takes the
donor components to another level is the start of the
problems, as is the thorough reworking of the 4.3-litre
V8 engine - another no-no as far as Maranello is
concerned. But in reinterpreting a historic icon, there
was simply no alternative to fitting a Ferrari engine
for Stoschek and his team.
And as it has gained the attention of the media and
enthusiasts, so demand to turn this into more than a
one-off has grown, with Stoschek saying that a limited
run would be built by Pininfarina. "Over 40 prospective
buyers from Europe and abroad have notified us of their
interest in acquiring the New Stratos," reads a
statement on the New Stratos official website. "These
additional vehicles could be produced using a Ferrari
360 (Modena) or F430 as a basis, in a similar production
process to that used with our one-off vehicle."
However, insurmountable problems have seemingly been
exposed, as Pininfarina is now unable to carry the
project from one-off to production reality.
"Pininfarina... has advised us that they will only carry
out construction of a limited run with the express
permission of Ferrari," the statement continues.
"Despite Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo’s
excellent assessment of the New Stratos after his test
drive at Fiorano, Ferrari does not consent to
construction of the planned limited run by either
Pininfarina or any other Ferrari-dependent suppliers."
The sentence alludes to Montezemolo's drive of the car
late last November at Fiorano, when the Ferrari chairman
showered praise on the capability of the New Stratos. It
may be surmised, however, that the New Stratos is simply
too fast, too powerful and handles too well - and is too
much of a threat to Maranello - that they have felt the
need to intervene, by putting the blocks on Pininfarina
building a limited run.
For ailing Pininfarina, too, the news is a blow, as the
coachbuilder is in need of any financial lifelines it
can get. Unfortunately, commercial realities dictate
that its long-standing relationship with Maranello as
the designer of its cars, as well as that of sister Fiat
Group brand, Maserati, outweigh the revenues that a
limited production run would generate. This is despite
the immense prestige from building the successor to the
Stratos, as well as showcasing the firm's capabilities
through its involvement in what is a rulebook-rewriting
sports car.
Finding another company in Italy able to rise above the
threats that the country's number one low volume
sportscar maker can wield could be a very tricky
proposition, and maybe the New Stratos team will have to
look further afield to turn their dream into a
production reality. However, despite the setback,
Stoschek is still upbeat, and says on the New Stratos
website: "Given this situation, creation of additional
vehicles seems possible only via companies that are not
dependent on Ferrari. Appropriate contacts are being
made at this time." Enthusiasts across the globe will be
keeping their fingers firmly crossed.
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