Lancia Delta Integrale back from the dead

Automobili Amos has given Lancia's legendary Delta Integrale the full retromod treatment.

Revealing its Lancia Delta Futurista at the Grand Basel Swiss motor show overnight, the Italian car-maker revealed its concept for the ultimate tribute to the famous rally refugee.

Beginning with a (presumably rust-free) Delta chassis as a base, the Italian coachbuilder says it undertook a complete reworking of the original hot hatch that involved extensive use of carbon-fibre and plenty of engineering upgrades.

The biggest change to improve the stiffness of the old Integrale was the decision to weld shut the rear doors.

Helping chop around 90kg from the kerb weight, the Delta's steel skin has been ditched for carbon-fibre panels.

Under the bonnet, the Lancia's original 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder remains in place and is healthier than ever thanks to a new intercooler, revised air-intake and freer-breathing exhaust.

The result is the Delta Futurista produces around 246kW and, combined with the standard car's all-wheel drive and featherweight 1250kg kerb weight, the born-again Lancia should be capable of hitting 100km/h in around four seconds.

To help cope with the punchier performance, the reborn Integrale gets revised suspension, bigger and more powerful brakes and beefed-up suspension to deal with the increase in torque.

Inside, again, Automobili Amos has been careful to pay homage to the 1980 original with period-looking Recaro Alcantara seats and a colour scheme that's carefully blended with plenty of cool carbon-fibre parts.

Hoping to become the Italian equivalent of Singer and other well-established retromodders, Automobili Amos says it will replicate the its latest creation for any of customer with a spare donor car.

The Delta Futurista, meanwhile, will has been priced from €330,000 (around $A530,000).

First produced back in 1987 to help Lancia homologate a vehicle to compete in the World Rally Championship, the road-going Delta Integrale evolved over the next years to become one of the fastest, best-handling cars of all time.

The Italian car maker sold an incredible 44,000 cars worldwide before the very last batch of Integrales was sold in November 1994.

In motorsport, meanwhile, the Delta Integrale came close to being near unbeatable, scoring wins on 46 WRC events and racking up an incredible six consecutive manufacturers' titles.

Despite its phenomenal success, Lancia as a brand has suffered over the last decade from a chronic lack of investment under the stewardship of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and hasn't been in the Australian market since the 1980s.