When it comes to modifying and customizing sports cars, some people only go with what they think is expected as the origin of the company. However, digital artist Khyzyl Saleem has reworked multiple cars to fit different molds, including a slammed Bugatti EB110 and custom race setup BMWs. In his newest set of renders, he worked his magic in turning one of the most famous rally cars in history into a JDM-style racer. While it may be a strange combination to many people, the car fits the look almost too well.
Lancia Stratos: From Rally To Road Racing
The Stratos, most famously known for being one of the last rear-wheel drive rally cars created, was a limited production performance icon right out of the gate. Only 10 inches longer than the MX-5 Miata, the Lancia had a 2.4-liter V6 that only put out 190 hp but made the car nimble around tight roads. This render brings the car much lower to the ground and makes it more at home in city street nightlife than ever before. The car now looks like something you could imagine racing through the streets of downtown Tokyo circa Tokyo Drift era except without as much underglow.
Inspired By A Lone RX-7 Sitting On A Dead Road
According to Saleem, "the Lancia Stratos has always been an elusive car" bearinga timeless silhouette with no comparison like it made since. Saleem, who has worked with JDM styling for years, said the inspiration for this render came from "an image of an RX-7 I came across online, in Japan, of the car beside a pretty much dead road." By bringing this version of the Stratos into the setting, Saleem wanted to allow people who see it to create their own story behind the car and the scene. The inspiration from the JDM style and his own RX-7 are more than evident in this creation.
This Stratos Looks Perfectly Designed For This Setting
While the Stratos may look incredible flying around a mountain road, catching air over jumps with crowds of onlookers, it's almost uncanny how at home the car looks low to the ground in a night setting. Running a large front splitter, different front fog lights and some bigger wheels, the Stratos looks as if it was designed for this setting. The rework is not overdone, nor is it ridiculously modified as a lot of Saleem's performance renders tend to be.
Source: Behance