Turbo K24 Swapped Lancia Scorpion

Lancia 037

The Lancia 037 was a Group B Rally legend of the 1970s. The mid-engine race car was based on the humble Lancia Scorpion production car of the era. Taking the torch from the Lancia Stratos Rally cars of the earlier years, the 037 went on to become a thoroughbred winner for the manufacturer, and thus going down in the history books as one of the most successful and popular Rally cars of all time.

Photos: Bring a Trailer

Rare and Valuable

In compliance with homologation regulations, Lancia also built around 200 of the road-legal version of the 037. The 037 Stradale models are quite rare and valuable these days. Not quite as valuable as the actual race cars, though, which are rarely sold in the used market, and if they are, you could expect million-dollar transactions for them. 

A Tribute to the Legend

All of that to say that building a replica would not be the worst idea, especially for an enthusiast on a budget. And that's what this transformed Lancia Scorpion is trying to be, albeit with a few creative liberties being taken in achieving "tribute" status. The Scorpion on which this project is based will have had a fair market price in the low $10,000s, which is a good place to start, potentially allowing for more funds to be directed towards the build.

DIY Build

Speaking of the build, the body features a kit from Carteroni of New Zealand. It does a decent job of transforming the proportions of the Scorpion into those of the 037 racer. The fact that the tube frame is similar to that of the Rally car certainly helps. And the mechanical elements are mostly in the correct locations and orientations, including the engine.

Interesting Choice of Power

What's very far from correct in the engine compartment with this project, however, is the choice of the power plant. The built features a reworked Honda K24 motor that receives forced induction courtesy of a turbocharger. The unit is estimated to produce upwards of 500 horsepower. That's twice the output of the original 037, which was capable of 255 horsepower.

Passing the Baton

The tribute project was sadly not quite finished by the person who kicked it off. They listed the Lancia for sale on Bring a Trailer last month. The good news is that someone saw it as a worthy project to take on and push through the finish line. The BaT listing ended on June 24th, with the car going to the highest bidder at $65,000.