Lancia Thema 8.32

Anybody ever heard of these? Limited edition with a Ferrai 308 V8 wedged in it! Found one for sale in England for $8,000! Man, we never get anything cool over here...

http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/classic-car-page.php/carno/51848

Yep. It shared the chassis with a Fiat and an Alfa America didn't get and the Saab 9000 that America did get.

I guess you could make your own. 9000s are cheap. 308 V8s are not.

Uh.... is that FWD?!?!

Motor looks in there all kinds of wrong.

Its pretty much an alfa 164 or saab 9000 (a little more like the saab) with a really big heavy engine in the front. They are kinda cool, but i think people have said the turbo 4 cylinder version of that car handles better and it just as fast. It doesnt have a flat plane crank like a ferarri engine either, so it doesnt sound as cool. It would still be fun to have. but its not any great loss we didnt get them here.

No thanks, not a big fan of pulling the engine just to change the plugs.

In reply to Kia_racer:

What are you talking about just drill some holes in the dash and you can change them while in the car!

It would be cool to have just because, but ya the turbo ones are better.

V8 was built by Ducati, IIRC, but it's a twist on the Ferrari V8. And I would much rather have a 9000 Aero, I think.

The Alfa 164s are supposed to be the best of those cars. I dont really care for fwd v6s though, too hard to work on. For anything bigger than a 4 id prefer rwd.

I think the best use for these cars is an engine donor for some other fun project. Any one remember the Mid engined Alfa rally car using a 308 engine? I had the old Cars and Cars Conversion magazine with an article on it for years, it's lost somewhere between three adress in the UK and the move here 15 years ago. Googling isn't much help, but the same guy built a mid mounted 4wd Pug 306 using a Cosworth V6 more recently.

That engine would look good in the back of my middie locost!

Adrian_Thompson wrote: Any one remember the Mid engined Alfa rally car using a 308 engine?

Wasnt that the Lancia Stratos? Wait, no that had the Dino V6 in it....

I keep being tempted by those as they occasionally turn up for sale here in the UK.

Yes, they're FWD. The engine is a detuned version of the Ferrari V8 but IIRC it's got a different crank or somesuch. Part of the appeal is that in a sense they're the ultimate sleeper, but OTOH you've got a Lancia Thema with Ferrari running costs.

I'd still like one, though.

Would the American equivalent be the V8 Taurus SHO?

I read about them in an issue of Euro something or other a few years ago. I wanted one pretty hardcore for a while, but now i imagine I should not own one.

On Top Gear once Clarkson dumped out a bucket full of rusty scrap and told the audience that it was a Lancia Thema. I don't remember the episode or season but it got laughs.

it was actually one of his specials....I think it was Heaven and Hell...maybe.

pres589 wrote: On Top Gear once Clarkson dumped out a bucket full of rusty scrap and told the audience that it was a Lancia Thema. I don't remember the episode or season but it got laughs.

That was a lancia beta he was talking about if I remember right.

Is there an engine more appropriate for a Fiero swap?

MitchellC wrote: Is there an engine more appropriate for a Fiero swap?

Exactly what I was going to post.

MitchellC wrote: Is there an engine more appropriate for a Fiero swap?

Was thinking the same thing. I have strongly considered an Alfa V6, though. Nice and light(er) weight

Adrian_Thompson wrote: Any one remember the Mid engined Alfa rally car using a 308 engine? Googling isn't much help, but the same guy built a mid mounted 4wd Pug 306 using a Cosworth V6 more recently.

Yup...Andy Burton is the guy's name. Here's some details on the old car and the new car:

http://www.peugeot-cosworth.co.uk/thecar_history.htm

So it's a mid-size middle-class sedan that requires $15k of maintenance every 5 years.

While I love the concept, it makes absolutely no sense in real life. (which is why it would make sense here)

Great find--I've never heard of that car.

yes.. I would buy a saab 9000 if I had that engine laying about

Luke wrote: Would the American equivalent be the V8 Taurus SHO?

Pretty close. The 8.32 had a really nice interior. While Lancia's glory days of being the most luxurious (though certainly not fastest) Italian cars (think Aurelia and Flaminia) were long behind them, the 8.32 would be similar to a Lincoln SHO had such a thing been made.