I think it’s safe to say that anyone who has ever seen the Lancia Stratos has thought, no matter how fleetingly, that they would like to drive it. If your name is Jay Leno, then you can indulge in that pleasure.
The latest car featured on Leno’s YouTube channel, this Lancia Stratos HF has seen its fair share of competition. Powered, in road-legal Stradale form, by a 190 hp Ferrari Dino 2.6-liter V6, it weighs just about 2,000 lbs.
The Stratos was primarily designed for racing and then justified as a road car later. Its racing career was one of great success, winning the World Rally Championship in 1974, 1975 and 1976. As a result of its rally heritage, it turned out to be a pretty fun car to drive.
It was love at first sight.
Everyone loves an underdog, especially if the said underdog is rocking a V8 under the hood, a flamin bird on top, and features in one of the best car movies of all time. We re obviously talking about the Pontiac Trans Am. introduced on February 23, 1967, the Firebird range of cars shared a platform with the better known Chevrolet Camaro and was first released with a weedy 3.8-liter six-cylinder engine in base trim and a number of V8 options. Finally in 1969, Pontiac decided to give it some horns when it released the high-performance Trans Am that soon became an American legend after featuring in the now cult classic film Smokey and The Bandit. To dig a little deeper into what makes these cars so great, another American Icon, Jay Leno, takes one for a spin.