Saturday 26th October 2019

LB Stratos | Reader's Car of the Week

This PHer's Stratos replica looks, sounds and - with 296hp - ought to go like a proper Group B monster

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You have to admire PHers like renmure, who on a whim can go from looking at “sensible” Audi R8s to putting an order down for a custom-build replica Stratos. That’s quite the switch, especially when the Lister Bell-made Stratos was – by order of renmure himself - to be built with as much Group B authenticity as possible; the Group B legend being, to quote him directly, his “first WTF car”. Boxes were ticked for left-hand drive, a wide body and Alitalia-livery, creating as close as possible a recreation of the number four Stratos that ran in the 1977 Tour de Corse. Awesome.

This isn’t just a ‘pay and receive’ build, either, as renmure has been active in choosing the specifications as the build progresses. The engine, for example, could never be anything less than Alfa Romeo’s glorious 3.2-litre V6 Busso, even if sourcing such a motor proved to be an impossible task. After a long and hard search returned no results, a beaten-up and rusty GT was purchased and gutted for its full powertrain, which unlike the rest of the car, was in surprisingly good health and only needed a refresh. Now, encased within the LB Stratos frame, it looks a work of art.

We encourage you in particular to head to page four of the thread, which features the Stratos on a rolling road without its skin. It looks mean as hell, and it’s got the muscle to match, too, having been tested to 296hp – just 4hp short of renmure’s ultimate ambition for the car – having received throttle bodies and a custom map.

The first bits of bodywork are now starting to go on, so the Stratos build is just about to reach its peak. If you’re looking for an exciting project to follow over the colder months, something tells me this is the one for your watch list. We can’t wait to see it on the road!

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Click here to see the full thread.

[Superdavros]

Hi Sam Sheehan, are you sure the Stratos ran as a “Group B” car?
I always thought the rally cars were Group 4 and the Le Mans cars Group 5....
The 037 was the car built for Group B.
I could be wrong, but fair play to the chap building the car, it’ll be mega...
How about a “Now we drive the Reader’s car, ‘cos it’s finished” piece?

[G321]

Pretty sure the stratos was pre group B

[renmure]

Golly!!!
I recognise that car!!

However, it's definitely a Group 4 car, predating the Group B class introduced in 1983 season.

Glad it's exciting for others. It's certainly been an exciting journey for me.

[TonySim]

Renmure, Top man, awesome car!!!

[Big Robbo]

It's not like group 4 cars lacked anything in the awesome stakes!! Hope everything goes well for you and it goes as well as it looks

[rdjohn]

I still remember the days when journalists used to check out a few very basic facts before putting pen to paper.

Before putting fingers to keyboard it is even quite easy just to search Google, or Wikipedia to keep a grasp on reality.

[carinaman]

This seems as good a place as any to share that X/Twitter link. It's three on a trailer about to be shipped abroad:

https://x.com/LittlemanT16/status/2117977394866729...

[renmure]

Haha, just like busses!!

Anyhow, mine is still going spectacularly well and still in Scotland, the land of the rising rain cloud