Lancia LC2

The Lancia LC2 was a series of racing cars built by Italian automobile manufacturer Lancia and powered by engines built by their sister company Ferrari. They were part of Lancia’s official factory-backed effort in the World Sportscar Championship, and they continued to be used by privateer teams until 1991. The LC2s were more powerful than their primary competition, the Porsche 956s, and were able to secure multiple pole positions during their three and a half seasons with the factory Martini Racing squad. However, deficiencies in reliability and fuel consumption hampered the LC2s’ efforts for race wins against the Porsches. LC2s earned three race victories over their lifetimes in the hands of Italian drivers Teo Fabi, Riccardo Patrese, Alessandro Nannini, and Mauro Baldi, as well as German Hans Heyer and Frenchman Bob Wollek. In 1982, new regulations were introduced to the World Championship. This rule set required teams to use coupe-style cars that had to be able to meet a standard mandated at 100 kilometres for every 60 litres of fuel. Lancia lacked a production engine large enough to base a racing engine on, leaving the company to turn to outside sources. Since Lancia were owned by the Fiat Group, they were able to seek the assistance of fellow Fiat company Ferrari. Ferrari allowed Lancia to adapt the new naturally aspirated 3.0 litres four valve V8 which had been introduced in the Ferrari 308 GTBi QV in 1982. The development of the engine was assigned by Enzo Ferrari to Nicola Materazzi, then Chief Engineer in the Racing Department. The basic engine architecture was heavily redesigned for racing purposes and the engine was reduced in capacity to 2.6 litres and two KKK turbochargers were added to help the engine provide the fuel economy and power necessary. The specific engine displacement was chosen because of the possibility of using the same engine in the North American CART series. The engine was initially connected to a Hewland five-speed manual gearbox, which was replaced by an Abarth-cased unit in 1984. The Lancia LC2 was Lancia’s official factory-backed effort in the FIA World Sportscar Championship from 1983 to 1986. Over the course of four seasons, the LC2 would claim eleven fastest laps, thirteen pole positions and three outright victories in the highest level of sportscar racing. The LC2 was conceived in 1982 to enter the newly formed FIA Group C Sport Racing category. Huge emphasis and resource was put into the project, with Giampaolo Dallara responsible for Aluminium monocoque design. The Italian manufacturer called upon its sister company, Ferrari, to supply a purpose-built, twin-turbocharged, DOHC V8 engine.