auto italia 25LANCIA DELTA INTEGRALE
As for air going in, a Walkers air filter kit feeds the
engine. And, as we’re there, and Michael wants to get
some shots, it’s time to pop open the bonnet and
ogle the magical motor.
Steve had already told me the headline figure –
437hp. “That’s on 95 octane fuel, too – the original
customer was from overseas, where high-octane fuel
isn’t easily available. We had to make sure it produced
as much power as possible using standard pump fuel.”
The cylinder head is gas-flowed and built from a new
casting. All-new internals include forged pistons
connected to steel rods. Abarth asphalt-spec cams
give it vicious bite, and a MoTeC ECU with all-new
engine wiring loom adds underbonnet beauty.
“All the wiring has been upgraded, and is aerospace-
spec,” says Steve. “It’s very thin, very light, but still able
to take a high current load.” Other engine goodies
include four MoTeC coils (“we ran out of spark with the
originals once we went past 350hp”), new injectors,
Garrett competition turbo, ceramic-coated exhaust
manifold, 75mm stainless steel exhaust and Bosch
competition fuel pump and pressure regulator. There
are certain parts you can no longer buy, so the inlet
manifold and cam cover are original. Steve seems
mildly disappointed with this.
But hang on, Steve, I say: what was that you said
about not going daft? He grins. “Well... I suppose I didn’t
really need to fit a £15,000 gearbox, either.” I quietly
gasp. A standard gearbox case with fancy internals
would have been less than half the cost – but, explains
the former top-line rally driver, wouldn’t have been a
super-fast six-speed sequential dog ’box that allows
engine-cut flat-shifts. Steve, clearly, worships this
gearbox (it was even used in Alfa Romeo Giulietta
Italian Touring Cars for a few seasons). He gives me a