Stratos 2005 Piccies

[guy mayers]

I've uploaded some pictures taken at the Geneva Motor Show yesterday if anyone wants to check them out!
I'm not 100% convinced yet.. I think the look would be improved by painting the central column black to disguise it and the bespoilered models are an improvement, but wasn't that always the case?
See what you think!
Guy

[chris.richard]

Agreed, the split-screen bit needs to go!

[guy mayers]

Trouble is Chris, that's the hinge point for the doors......

[David May]

The Geneva show was sorely lacking in original concepts this year so perhaps it was fitting to waste floor space on the Fenomenon Stratos.
I don’t need to add my voice to a discussion of the aesthetics, but I am surprised that nobody noticed just how unlikely the concept really was. The old shoe-box painted grey with 8 plug leads glued on top was a scream – but would someone please explain to me how you get a real-world V8 and transmission North-South into the back of a Stratos!
Since it looked so horrid at ground level, maybe they should have raised it up a bit so we could have laughed at the ‘chassis’ (a collection of tubes that would have made a Morgan look over-engineered!)
If you really want to spoil the access and visibility, without improving the safety, you only need to go back to the very original Stratos prototype and climb in though the windscreen.

[Chris J]

You don't think much to it then Dave?

[PANOS]

Having studied all the photos and Fenomenon's website very carefully, I absolutely agree with David May.
Fenomenon missed the point completely of what a STRATO'S should be (look like?) today. Not only that, but they critisize the FORD GT (GT40 update) as being nothing more than a mechanical (electronic/suspension etc.) update...
But that is exactly what today's GT40 and the STRATO'S (and a few other classics I can think for) should be. Style/body wise the STRATO'S still looks today, after more than 30 years, way ahead of our time (current WRC cars included) and good for another 30 years...
Fenomenon's try looks much too top heavy, fat and imractical (windscreen/doors/sidewindows etc.) and something interim that BERTONE/GANDINI might have done after the STRATO'S 0 and before the mean, lean, fighting machine STRATO'S HF they and LANCIA settled on.


PANOS

[guy mayers]

In defence of the car I have to say it looks a lot better in the flesh! The models with the additional lamps on the nose and the roof and tail spoiler look stunning to my eyes. The car on display was a full scale mock up obviously and my photographs don't do it justice. I doubt it will make it to production by any mainstream manufacturer and would think that the complexities of the doors would preclude any alternative from a kit car manufacturer.
I would say that the car is definately in the spirit of the original, not like the X1.99 being touted around and I for one applaud the efforts made and am glad I took the opportunity to see it for real as it may never be seen again once the show is over. But I'd like to be proven wrong!
Guy

[Stratos]

Guy,

I'll be out in Geneva tomorrow, so I'll give another "seen it in the flesh" perspective on my return.

[guy mayers]

Enjoy the show David - I hope it's not as crowded as it was on Saturday! And stay at the show - Geneva is pretty boring otherwise and beer is £4 a pint!
Guy

[Stratos]

I'm not there long enough to have a beer.

[guy mayers]

Shame! Not that the Swiss beer was anything to write home about!
Guy

[Chris J]

More 'Gassing'...

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?p=2&f=57&t=159795&h=0