And Sebastian Loeb appears to like it a lot.
The first round of the 2023 World Rallycross Championship (World RX) took place in Portugal this past weekend, giving Sebastien Loeb and Special One a chance to showcase the all-electric Delta Evo-e RX wearing a Martini-inspired livery. Even though the car doesn't have the word “Martini” on it, there's no mistaking the iconic colors for anything else.
Lancia has more WRC championships under its belt than any other manufacturer, and it won seven times wearing the famous Martini Racing livery.
The Delta Evo-e RX competes in a completely different formula, however. World RX only kicked off nine years ago and was used as a test bed for electric racing cars. EVs are well-suited to this kind of racing, and all top-tier teams have now gone electric.
Special One
Loeb is the most successful rally driver ever, winning the WRC championship nine times in a row. These days, he's semi-retired and only pops up on special occasions. Oddly, for a man who made his name using combustion aided by turbocharging, he seems to be fond of electric vehicles. He likes competing in (and winning) the Race of Champions, which has gone primarily green. He also secured second place in the grueling 2023 Dakar Rally in Audi's electric buggy, and now Special One has convinced him to sign on for an entire season of electric racing.
“I'm from a generation that was brought up seeing wins by Lancia Deltas in rally racing. So I naturally have a weakness for this car,” said Loeb. But when Guerlain [Chicherit, Loeb's teammate for the season] spoke to me the first time about tackling a rallycross, I thought he was mad. Then I tried the car in December 2022, and I was immediately won over by its dynamic qualities.”
Special One Special One
That's high praise from a man who spent his 20s and 30s going full-tilt sideways down narrow footpaths in a turbocharged WRC Citroen. Then again, the Delta Evo-e RX is an impressive car, even though it has nothing in common with the original Delta other than the styling. It's on a tubular frame built to RX1e specification (the current top-tier) with a wider Delta body draped over it.
The Evo-e RX is powered by two electric motors in an eAWD setup, with a combined power output of 680 horsepower. It does 0-62 mph in 1.8 seconds… on gravel. That's faster than a Rimac Nevera all-electric hypercar, which recently set 23 records on a tarmac surface.
To give you some idea of the car's performance, see onboard footage from one of Loeb's practice sessions in Portugal below. EVs need not be boring.
Keyword: 700-HP Lancia Delta EV Looks Perfectly Retro In Martini Livery