Lancia never built the Delta Evolution 3... the driver who won the WRC with it did, 30 years later.

In the history of rallying, few names ring out as loudly as that of the Lancia Delta. An absolute icon of the World Rally Championship, it dominated an entire era... before disappearing, leaving behind a few fantasies. Among them, a model never born: the Delta Evolution 3. Because yes, contrary to what some people imagine, Lancia never followed up Evolution 2. The story came to a screeching halt in the 90s. But a legend never really dies. And sometimes, it's those who wrote it who decide to prolong it. Two models were on display at the Council 2026 Motor Show in Japan.

Two-time world champion Miki Biasion takes up the torch

This is where Miki Biasion comes in. A name inseparable from the Delta, with which he won back-to-back world titles in 1988 and 1989 in Martini colors.

Thirty years on, the Italian has forgotten nothing. Better still, he's decided to bring to life what Lancia never dared to produce. His idea is simple on paper, but ambitious in reality: imagine what a Delta Evolution 3 would have been... if it had actually seen the light of day. The project was born in 2019, on the occasion of the Delta's 40th anniversary. Two years later, in 2021, this vision becomes reality. An unofficial Evo 3, imagined and initiated by Miki Biasion, then built by specialists from vintage models.

A Delta Evolution 3... unofficial but real

The starting point for this “Evo 3” is a Lancia Delta Integrale Evoluzione II, the last official evolution of the 1994 model. But everything else evolves. The engine, based on the Group A configuration, has been modernized with the latest technologies, particularly in terms of electronics. The result: around 340 hp, far more than the original.

The chassis has been stiffened, the transmission reinforced, a dual-disc clutch installed, and the brakes feature Brembo's latest developments. The aim is not simply to restore a Delta, but to recreate a credible version of what it could have become. Produced in just eight examples, this unofficial Delta Evo 3 is as rare as it is legendary.

A strong trend: reinventing rally icons

This is not an isolated project. It's part of a wider trend: restomod, which consists of modernizing iconic models while respecting their DNA.

Another striking example is the Delta Futurista, developed by Eugenio Amos via Automobili Amos. Here, the transformation is even more radical, with a largely carbon body and conversion to a 2-door coupé. The engine, also reworked, develops around 330 hp. But beyond the numbers, it's above all the philosophy that brings these projects together: reviving an icon with today's standards.

Delta is more alive than ever

Ultimately, this unofficial Delta Evolution 3 tells a deeper story. It proves that some cars transcend their mere model status to become objects of passion, almost timeless. Lancia never built the Evolution 3. But maybe, somewhere, it didn't need to. Because those who made its legend did it themselves.