Lancia's New Concept Car Isn't Really a Car

Lancia has a long history of wild concept cars, though this may be its most extreme. The Pu+Ra Zero shows the Italian brand's future via a concept lacking critical car features like, uh, wheels, doors, and an interior, to name a few things. Really, the Pu+Ra Zero is a sculpture.

Now under Stellantis, Lancia is attempting a renaissance as an EV brand, following years of stagnation. Right now, Lancia sells only the Ypsilon compact, a rebody of the previous-generation Fiat 500, only available in Italy. Between 2024 and 2028, the brand plans to launch three new models, starting with a new Ypsilon. "Lancia will once again be a desirable, respected, and reliable brand in the European premium market," said Lancia CEO Luca Napolitano in a statement. "Today is the beginning of the new Lancia!"

In the concept car's "Pu+Ra" nomenclature, the "Pu" is short for Pure, while "Ra" is short for Radical, and Zero is a reference to Lancia's most iconic concept car, the Marcello Gandini-designed Stratos Zero of 1971. The automaker also cites the Aurelia and Flaminia for the Pu+Ra's more organic, curvy forms, but the concept's profile and especially its rear deck nod to more angular designs like the Stratos and Delta. You can spot the Pu+Ra Zero's many influences in the image above.

After the Ypsilon, Lancia will release a new Delta, bringing back what is currently its best-known nameplate. It's hard to imagine Lancia coming to the U.S. though. Even as more enthusiasts are discovering the wonders of cars like the Delta Integrale, and earlier Lancia icons, the uphill battle Alfa Romeo has faced in its relaunch here shows that there isn't that much appetite for another Italian automaker that sits far below the supercar space. Lancia has even less name recognition than Alfa did, too.

Still, we're happy to see Lancia get another shot, even if we'll never see the cars on our shores. This is one of the all-time great automakers, one that deserves far better than to be reduced to selling a single reworked Fiat.

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