PLEASE READ - I have an idea I would like to bounce around.....seriously

[subysouth]

Little background I grew up driving cars like the Scirocco, Corolla GT-S, several 510s including a wagon, briefly a 320i and probably my favorite an S12 200SX turbo. Light tossable cars you could enjoy to drive in almost any venue. No electronic nannies not much extra weight. I also owned a 76 Trans Am with a blueprinted Pontiac(not Olds) 400 and it was fine and loud in a straight line but not anywhere else. I destroyed the brakes on the car more times than I could count. It swapped ends on me more times than I could count. I feel like I survived that car. Like many kids that grew up in the 80s I was fascinated by the poster car imports. Hard not to like the Countach - never driven one heard I am not missing much. But every once in a while that awe-inspiring poster car coincided with being a car you likely would really really want to drive......

Fast forward to today and I have been following the 818 pretty much since inception. Been following the efforts of FF longer(the chassis is what is important to me) but none of the cars either fit my budget(GTM) or really my generation. I get the Cobra is cool will be a hundred years from now but it does not speak to me personally but clearly it does speak to a lot of people personally. In my case a better for instance would be UK Wheeler Dealers. Their crew regularly chases cars such as the ones I am talking about - the ones that inspire that grew up when those cars were new. Hoping some other people are following me and now let me get to the point.

So why am I prattling on here? That point - I think the 818 is a passably attractive car don't get me wrong but it lacks that visceral visual hit that a car brings when a car looks good and has the heritage and performance to back it. Full stop one of the most amazing car companies IMHO is Lancia. IMO one of the most amazing Lancias is 037 Stradle. Group N homologation by Lancia solely to win the WRC - again - against AWDs. The 037 is the last RWD car to defeat the AWD titan that is/was Audi. I know this is an entirely subjective assessment, but I also think it is one of the most beautiful cars made. So pedigree, performance and IMO a looker. Under the skin - simple engineering excellence. Analog.

I would humbly ask FFR to look into the feasibility of bodying the 818 skate with a Lancia 037 body.

Some specs to mull:

Lancia 037 Stradale - length 154.1" - width 72.8"(has got some hips) - height 49.0" - weight 2579lbs - WHEELBASE 96.1"

FFR Project 818 - length 155.0" - width 69.5"(could have more hips) - height 52.5" - weight 2012lbs - WHEELBASE 96.0"

The Project 818C is the closest incarnation of what the 037 is in almost every metric. If you took an 818 and put in an inline 4 supercharge it you would almost be tripping over minutia under the skin. Two seat rear mid-engine rear transaxle - the 037 even has a tube frame behind the firewall. The interior of the 037 is almost all padded straight lines and standard gauges - feels viable. Etc etc.

Several replica companies have tried, the last in New Zealand I believe but I think the technology FFR already has the chassis in house and the technology that can be brought to bear on reproducing the body. It could be done better and easier now than 20 years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WivocTLlcc

https://www.girardo.com/available/19...-037-stradale/

There were only 200 made there are likely only a handful in the US but given the reach Dave Smith and FFR have in the automotive community I would venture if anyone could get one in a shop for a scan they could. I suspect the few that do own these cars are as passionate about them as the ones of us who love them from a distance. If I had one, I'd share it.

That is all - thank you for your time.

Please shot out support or just tell me its a fools hope.

ss