Lancia Montecarlo's LeMans Classic 2008

with the Montecarlo Consortium at the LeMans Classic 2008

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• lancia
• beta
• montecarlo
• le
• mans
• classic
• 2008

[gurlsingerfan]

The contents of the comments to this video display the enigma that is Lancia: They are loved or hated, but seldom ignored. How many other videos do you see with only 1500 views and so much commentary? Lancia's are somehow distinctive, unique, fascinating, eccentric....which is why folks did buy them when new. But they would never sell in big numbers, the fans of Lancia are as off beat as the cars (myself included). Look at all the colors too, what other small maker provided so many colors?

[alexdmonte]

@whitbyjet65

the sales figures tell that the Monte was too expensive for its performance, the x1/9 wasn't. Especially the Scorpion with its smog crap was ridiculously underpowered, so the US sales tended to nothing. The road tests I have tell it has great roadholding, but bad brakes und only average bhp for the money. It was you who started the whole thing by telling they're not running rusty wrecks. You had one and didn't like it, so it's shit, whow. Man you're such a waste of time

[whitbyjet65]

@alexdmonte I'm not trying to impress you. You implied I didn't know anything about the dynamics of a mid engined car so I put you straight. Yes the X1/9 had faults but it was a better package that the Monte & much safer. Look at the sales figures. I'm not ignorant but you're in denial. If you think the Monte is good, you must have owned some shit cars in your time.

[alexdmonte]

@whitbyjet65

should I be impressed now? So I know all about Montes so what? I drive them since 1996 including a Gr4 ex-rallye car.

And 3 Fiat x1/9 indeed, the same *irony on* slow, rotting like compost italian cars you spend most of your time with the engine bonnet up (unless it rots first) *irony off* like the Montes. By the way the same suspension components as the Monte.

Sure the Monte isn't perfect, but if you call it crap, it shows only your ignorance.

Discussion end.

[whitbyjet65]

@alexdmonte I know all about mid engined cars, thank you. I was lucky enough to own a Pantera & drive a Ferrari 308GT4 (it wasn't mine) & I've had 3 Fiat X1/9s. I've also driven on track days in single seaters. I assure you, the Montecarlo was flawed. That's why Lancia withdrew it & hardly anyone bought it. Just read the road tests of the day. It looks great but unfortunately it wasn't well engineered.

[alexdmonte]

@whitbyjet65

the coupe was more an everyday car and a front engine characteristics, the monte a toy. Midengined cars without all the todays electronics tend to be tricky in the wet when you're too fast. And I presume I can drive faster in the wet (in the dry maybe also) with my Opel Zafira then with the Montes

[whitbyjet65]

@alexdmonte My Monte was a series 1 but I removed the servo. The roadholding in the dry IS great but in the wet it's lethal (as most motoring journalists of the day also reported). Hey if you like them, that's great. I think they're beautiful looking cars but I was greatly disappointed by the driving experience. The Beta coupe was a far better car, in my opinion.

[alexdmonte]

@whitbyjet65

well you made your experiences, I've mine. I enjoy my two Montes each time I drive them. And almost without trouble in the past 12 years. They don't like salt as many other cars from that period (you remember the S1 VW Sciroccos?? to speak about german cars). The assembly was a bit ...italian? The brakes of S1 were shitty in the wet which was much better with the S2 without the servo. The roadholding is simply great. A pity that it didn't got more improvements at production time.

[whitbyjet65]

@alexdmonte Yes I had one in the 80s. It was crap. Slow, badly engineered, rotted like compost & was pathetic in the wet. They look great but that's all I can say for them. Even Lancia admitted as much by dropping them so quickly.

[alexdmonte]

@whitbyjet65

had one ever? I spend most of the time driving them with the bonnet down.