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Petrolicious Pick: Lancia Delta S4 Group B

28 July, 2016

When a new video drops on the Petrolicious YouTube channel, we’re always excited to see what it’s all about. Recently we wrote an article on the Renault 5 Turbo, and asked the question of whether the Renault 5 Turbo was the ultimate ’80s hot hatch? The response from the readers was a loud one: no, nothing would beat the Lancia Delta. For John Campion, who immigrated to America in June 1984 — with only $26 in his back pocket — the Lancia range of vehicles was his choice of vehicle, too. 

After a few “lucky breaks” as he describes them, John was able to become a successful businessman in America. This meant, for his automotive passion, he was able to collect vehicles from his youth, mainly focusing on rally cars. And because the best rally cars that were ever produced were made in the ’80s, this is where his collection began. 

When you look at the specs of the Lancia Delta S4 Group B, they’re nothing short of phenomenal. The road-going Delta S4 weighed in at 1200kg, whereas the Group B version weighed in at a mere 890kg. This alone would aid in serious performance gains, however Lancia also wanted to work their magic on the engine. By pioneering twin-charge technology, Lancia was able to extract massive horsepower and response from their mid-mounted 1.7-litre engine. As turbochargers in the ’80s were nowhere near as sophisticated as they are now, if you wanted big power, it came at the expense of turbocharger lag.

Utilizing a supercharger with a bypass valve, Lancia was able to have almost instantaneous boost pressure at any rpm. Once the turbocharger was on full boost pressure, the bypass valve would cut the supercharger out of the equation. Official horsepower figures of the Group B version were 480hp, while some sources implied it was closer to 560hp. During testing, the Lancia’s engine managed to handle five bar (72psi) of boost pressure, with 1000hp as a result. 

We recommend turning the volume up for this one, so you can best enjoy the Group B sound! 

The Great River Road

4 July, 2025

A few years ago my family, knowing my fondness for driving, gave me the book Unforgettable Road Trips: Thirty-Six Drives of a Lifetime by Martin Derrick. Most of the road trips listed take less than a day in places like Scotland, Monaco, and Australia, plus one in New Zealand. Most of these places were too far to go just for a short drive but four of them would take several days. My interest was piqued, and those four drives were added to the bucket list. To date, I have done three of them: ‘Route 66’ (USA 21 days), ‘State Highway 6’ (NZ 10 days) and ‘The Great River Road’ (USA 22 days). You can drive all of them in less time, but you could also fly over them. We wanted a decent immersion in their charms.
The great river referred to is the Mississippi. While the name conjures the deep south, the river actually starts at the bottom of the great lakes, before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico about 3800km later. The great road is more of a concept than a specific strip of tarmac, as you can drive down either side of the river on various routes. Regardless of which side you drive, time should be kept aside for detours to places such as Nashville, which is famous for something or other.

A diamond in the rough

24 June, 2025

Two years ago, Lew finished a thorough restoration and the impressive ute has taken on a new life and colour. Lew plays down the amount of effort required but, despite his protestations, I suspect he put a lot of time into the project. A few unwanted tenants were evicted along the way.
“It didn’t take me long. There had been mice living in the firewall, which had caused a bit of damage. It apparently broke down and was pushed into a shed. It was 20 years to the day when I pulled it out and it sat in my other shed for 3 years before I started on it. That’s why it’s in such good order — it’s been kept in a shed for so long and still is.”