Lancia Stratos (2010) first official pictures

These are the first official pictures of the new 2010 Lancia Stratos, the brainchild of German entrepreneur Michael Stoschek and the spiritual successor to the legendary rally car of the 1970s.

After a few weeks of speculation and spy shots, these are the first official photos of the new, 21st century Lancia Stratos.

Officially, no. At least, not yet. Stoschek has been keen on the idea of a 21st century Stratos for quite some time, and those with good memories might remember his name in conjunction with the Fenomenon Stratos concept, which was shown at the 2005 Geneva motor show.

Sadly that project didn't come to fruition, but Stoschek has high hopes for this new version, which has been built by Italian design house Pininfarina. It was originally commissioned for his own personal use, but the company is now considering limited production for a small number of private customers. Very small, in fact - 25 is the number quoted on the official new Lancia Stratos website.

Details are scarce at present; what we do know is that the new Stratos is based heavily on the chassis of the Ferrari F430 Scuderia, albeit with a shortened wheelbase. Maranello's V8 has been retained, as has the sequential gearbox - and given that the Stratos weighs in at less than 1200kg (compared with the Scuderia's 1225kg), we'd expect a pretty bonkers power-to-weight ratio.

Initial test drives by insiders have apparently been very positive, although the company acknowledges that a few of the details need to be refined.

The influence of the original Stratos is clear to see here. The proportions are virtually identical, and detailing such as the kicked-up rear and that famous glasshouse leave you in no doubt as to what it is.

The biggest change comes at the front: safety regulations have outlawed the use of pop-up headlamps, so the new car houses fully-integrated lights.

So are we. As yet there is no word on pricing, but given that it's a one-off based on a near-£200k Ferrari, it's hardly going to rival the Lotus Elise on the cost front. Even with a seven-figure price, though, we'd be amazed if the slated run of 25 cars didn't sell out instantly.

By Ben Foulds