Mat Stratos

It’s been a long time coming, but this Ferrari F430-based reimagining of the Lancia Stratos is finally here. Was it worth the wait?

- Jethro Bovingdon

IT’S HARD TO IMAGINE A project that taps into the prevailing mood more perfectly than the new Stratos. It at once conjures the spirit of an untouchable icon, remixes a supercar that exists in that sweet spot where analogue and digital worlds were merging to spectacular effect, and satiates the longing of the superwealthy to attach themselves to something bespoke. Part unobtainable concept car, part Ferrari, bristling with evocative Italian coachbuilding tradition, and with an intriguing backstory full of twists and turns, this remarkable car has all the makings of an iconoclast and cult hero. Leftfield, but irresistible. Think Lancia Hyena or Alfa SZ, but with Ferrari blood running through its veins.

So what exactly is the MAT Stratos? Well, the short version is that it’s built by Manifattura Automobili Torino, based on a Ferrari F430 or 430 Scuderia with a radically reduced wheelbase and all-new chassis setup, and costs from around ₹4.6 crore plus a donor car. For some context, a nice F430 with the F1 ’box currently is the most affordable, a manual is little more expensive, and a Scuderia as much as double the manual. Luckily MAT can offer a manual gearbox conversion for an F1-afflicted donor car. MAT claims that the Stratos weighs 1247kg dry (that’s 11kg less than a Scuderia, or 102kg lighter than a regular F430) thanks to its reduced size and full carbonfibre body, and that its own engine management, in combination with a Larini titanium exhaust system, puts the flat-plane crank 4.3-litre V8’s output at 532bhp (29bhp more than a Scuderia).