Although this is the product for which the company is best known, many decades have passed since then. Lancia final production A real hot hatch – not exactly surprising because of it Only sold one car in the last decade Anyway. That will finally change next year with the road-going Ypsilon HF, an all-electric performance version of the Lancia’s exciting new hatchbackand HF is creating a racing version that will compete in the Rally class4.
Lancia has yet to release many details or images of the Ypsilon HF as it won’t hit the market until May 2025, but from what we can see it looks fantastic. The front-wheel drive Ypsilon HF will produce 240 horsepower, nearly 100 horsepower more than the standard car, enough to get it to 100 km/h in 5.8 seconds. Additional performance enhancements will include a lowered suspension and larger, wider wheels; Expect other tweaks to the steering, brakes and other components.
The HF actually looks very similar too, with its striking three-spoke wheels, wider fenders, larger air intakes and plenty of black trim. Inside there are bright blue seats with red perforations and a diagonal pattern, along with plenty of HF emblems and badges.
It’s great to see the HF brand return, especially since the elephant logo is one of the cutest and greatest symbols in automotive history. It first appeared in 1960, all thanks to a club of passionate owners. Lancia says:
Returning to prominence on the Lancia Ypsilon HF, the HF logo is a nod to the history of high-performance Lancia models, first introduced during the 1960 Geneva Motor Show, when a group of passionate Lancia car owners founded “ Lancia Hi-Fi” (‘High Fidelity’ club), the exclusive meeting point for the brand’s most loyal customers and especially those who have bought at least six new Lancia cars. The HF logo later became the hallmark of HF Squadra Corse Lancia, founded in 1963 by Cesare Fiorio with passionate Lancia drivers and owners, and was used as the ‘signature’ for many victories of the brand.
The historic logo is made up of HF in white capital letters on a black background, with four running red elephants emphasized by the text “SQUADRA CORSE” in white on a red background. The little elephant was chosen as a good luck charm, based on the legend that once released, these creatures will be unstoppable, making them a symbol of performance and the joy of driving. Launched in March in a revisited version, the new HF logo reinterprets its historical version with a contemporary flair: all the constituent elements of the brand symbolize the Lancia tradition and now simplified in lines and shapes in a new balance that embodies innovation, luxury and the Italian spirit, with a touch of eclecticism that fully respects the brand’s unmistakable shape.
As for the racing version of the Ypsilon HF, it shares its platform and powertrain with the Opel Corsa and Peugeot 208 Race car. Rally4 is the entry class in rally racing, consisting of homologated two-wheel drive cars with a power-t0-weight ratio of 5.1 kg/hp. The Rally4 Ypsilon HF has a turbocharged 1.2-liter 3-cylinder engine, which in the Opel produces 212 horsepower and 214 lb-ft of torque, mated to a 5-speed sequential transmission and limited differential mechanical sliding.
Lancia has introduced the Ypsilon HF Rally4 in its iconic Martini livery and the rally car features rad wheels, large hood vents and hood. Interestingly, the bumper design and some other styling details aren’t exactly suited to a road car, but that could change by the time the car enters competition. Lancia says the Ypsilon HF Rally4 is “the ideal solution for all racing enthusiasts to enjoy but is also a strong contender for drivers hungry for victory in the R4 class and in driving championships bicycle”.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Lancia launch versions of the Ypsilon to compete in some of the higher racing classes, but the company could do that with other cars too: Over the next few years, Lancia will show village a flagship crossover Gamma as well a new plain, both will have electric powertrains and will certainly have HF variants. The thought of a car named Lancia Delta participating in the race makes my heart flutter.
