Dallara Stradale | Test Drive

7 June 2021 Redazione News, Stories, Tested

Wrapped in the transparent bubble of the passenger compartment, it is like being in a parallel dimension, where the concept of performance has not only been redesigned, but literally upset and where all the aspects that define a sports car tick their boxes.

Words Alessandro Marrone / Photos Giorgia Rossi

“I want a car in which I can remove the roof, because I’d like to feel the wind in my hair and the scent of the grass freshly cut in spring. Then being able to drive along the old Cisa and reach the sea enjoying the curves that lead to Portovenere, have lunch with some fish and get back in the car, passing through Mugello, give dust to everyone and go back home in the evening”. These are the words of engineer Giampaolo Dallara outlining his dream of a lifetime spent pursuing excellence brought on racing tracks and roads around the world, passing from the top Formulas, such as F1 and Indy, to Endurance races and minor categories, without forgetting the commitment for street legal models, as in the case of the Alfa Romeo 8C or the KTM X-Bow. It would be impossible to list them all, starting from the legendary Lamborghini Miura, because during his career, engineer Dallara has been the architect of such a constant evolution that has allowed him to represent the reference point for the most important manufacturers. This exceptional status, however, prevented him from dedicating the necessary time to create a road car bearing his own name.

Started seven times and always interrupted to respond to the continuous tasks that could not be avoided, one day in June 2015 things changed. CEO Andrea Pontremoli, who honored us with an exclusive interview in which he demonstrated how in Dallara human relationships and passion are on a par with competence and their pursuit for perfection, promises that for his eightieth birthday Giampaolo Dallara would finally have been able to drive his car, the one that would have carried his name on everyday roads and embodied the true essence of driving pleasure, sociability and the adrenaline that only a car designed to entertain and excite is able to offer. This time a brand new structure was set up near the factory and 20 engineers, 5 mechanics and Dallara himself entered there. Exactly eighteen months later, the Stradale was real, it started its engine thus realizing its spiritual father’s dream.

“Perfection is not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing more to take away”, the Stradale, baptized with such a simple but explanatory name, having to do with a manufacturer who has dedicated the life to racing cars, it is in fact stripped of everything that is not aimed at driving pleasure, the dynamic exaltation of a car body and a carbon fiber chassis that immerse driver and passenger in a visceral driving experience, yet never scary. No power steering and the proverbial mantra that prefers lightness and reactivity over pure power, the Dallara Stradale takes the form of a know-how gained over the course of fifty years and transforms them into a two-seater barchetta ready to grind its teeth on the road and unleash hell on track.

After a look at the exhibition area of ​​the renovated headquarters in Varano de’ Melegari, appreciating the motivation and inspiration offered by the educational workshop and aimed at bringing young children closer to the automotive world, allowing them to understand the basic principles of dynamic, it’s time to visit the production area, in the dedicated structure a few hundred meters from the main offices. This is where the Stradale comes to life, entering like a puzzle to be assembled according to the most particular requests of its customers and starting the assembly of the chassis, engine and gearbox, then moving on to the bodywork pit, the interiors and finally resting on its own wheels, ready for a final thorough inspection. The barchetta, an authentic synonym of sports car borrowed from the racing world, can then be configured in different ways, for example by choosing to mount a windshield and even a roof with two doors to protect from the elements. At the rear you can have a mighty spoiler, useful on the road and especially on the track, but in any case everything is always resettable, thus finding yourself having maximum choice when you leave the garage at home.

In this shed there is scent of excellence, you feel they take care of every single detail, yet it almost seems to be inside a small family-run workshop and this is above all thanks to the fact that every task is carried out by people and not by machines. Time is running out and there is just a few hours left to meet project leader Daniele Guarnaccia and jump in the car. That’s right, jump on board, because the Dallara Stradale is not equipped with traditional doors, but if you think the process can be difficult, I find it easier than expected, since the seats have a specially dedicated portion to support your foot and therefore you’ll not end dirtying the seat while sliding the body into position without too many contortions. You need to adjust the steering wheel and pedals, because the seats are fixed to the frame, then I pull down the door obtained from the dome that incorporates the windshield and fasten the four-point seat belts, as tight as I can.

Although the day is not hot and the temperature does not exceed 16°, the passenger compartment of the Stradale becomes immediately incandescent – luckily there is air conditioning, the only thing the car is fitted with, together with a special support for your smartphone. I’m ready, it’s time to start the engine, a Ford-sourced 2.3 cc in-line 4-cylinder, a supercharged EcoBoost that can be combined with a manual or automatic gearbox, both with 6 speeds. In the case of the one I am about to drive I am dealing with the automatic, a robotized one that rewrites the concept of kick in the back. I move the first few meters out of the factory and recognize that typical behavior shared with the most extreme track-day cars. There is no power steering, but the lightness of the car – just 855 kg – makes it easier to maneuver. Obviously, don’t think about parking it in front of the bar without running the risk of scraping the sidewalk, because rear visibility is totally absent.

Does it really matter? I don’t think so and after traveling a few kilometers in Normal mode, with a map that delivers 300 horsepower, it’s time to move the selector to Sport and have all 400 horsepower at disposal and maximum responsiveness when shifting. The Stradale becomes as sharp as a red-hot blade that sinks into butter and the noise of stone chips hitting the flat bottom is all that interrupts the hiss of the engine and the shaking perceived while shifting. It is incredibly easy to lose track of space and time, focusing on the LEDs that light up as the tachometer approaches a red line placed far beyond, almost as if we were actually struggling with a naturally aspirated pot. Traction control remains engaged and the specially developed Pirelli tires bite the asphalt as if they had spent the night under a tire warmer. I climb down to second and lunge on the gas, we are progressively pushed against the seats, although the movement allowed by the belts is minimal. The arms are stretched at the right point and while I firmly hold the steering I realize that the front end perfectly reads the irregularities of the road, without however forcing me to an excessive grip, which would penalize not only the confidence you establish with the car, but the changes of direction, which instead are quick and instantaneous.

I don’t think I’ve ever driven such a precise car and while the 400 horsepower pushes the Stradale’s featherweight every time I press on the throttle, the 500 Nm of torque increases in delivery, leaving that fraction of a second between a gear and the other as a moment to swallow, catch your breath and throw yourself into the curves. Yeah, curves. This is where you realize what a car capable of generating up to 820 kg of downforce – almost its own weight – is really capable of. At the first attempt you notice that grip is fantastic, the second time you increase the pace and a smile begins to draw on your face, but then you understand that the limit of the car is so far that you can push yourself further, again and again. In the middle of this perfect storm, the Dallara has not even started to play seriously. It is impressive, because in this agitated ups and downs of bends approached as if we were being chased by a pack of hungry wolves, there is not the slightest uncertainty. When you realize – and this happens very quickly – that the Stradale is able to push itself far beyond the limits imposed by your self-conservation instinct, you find yourself driving as you never dared doing.

However, driving pleasure is also offered when you decrease the pace and stop bouncing your eyeballs between apexes and braking points, imagining what absurd pleasure it will be on a racing track. But it is on the road that a car, especially if built by someone who has made its tradition out of motorsport, demonstrates its effectiveness and the ability to satisfy an experienced driver, as the ones less in confidence with their limits. Wrapped in the transparent bubble of the passenger compartment, it is like being in a parallel dimension, where the concept of performance has not only been redesigned, but literally upset and where all the aspects that define a sports car tick their boxes. Acceleration, grip, braking, balance, the Dallara Stradale is the most stunning and simple car you can ever find and although this may seem an oxymoron, it is nothing more than the result of half a century of excellence translated onto the bodywork of a racing car loaned to the streets.

Time is running out and aware of the fact that the photographer will go mad because of the few minutes left in order to capture the day, I tighten my grip on the steering wheel once again, shift a couple of gears and let my right foot press on the gas, resuming that ensemble of frenetic movements that differentiate a drive in full relax from a shot to the hills above Varano de’ Melegari. The eightieth candle of engineer Dallara has the shapes of the dreams of every self-respecting enthusiast. He expressed a wish out loud and it came true, redefining the concept of driving pleasure. The Stradale is one of those rare cases in which the best expectations are overturned and exceeded in a big way, but it is also a beautiful ride you would never want to stop.

DALLARA STRADALE

Engine 4 cylinder Turbo, 2.300 cc Power 400 hp @ 6.200 rpm Torque 500 Nm @ 3.000 rpm

Traction Rear wheel drive Transmission 6-Speed Automatic Gearbox Weight 855 kg

0-100 kph 3,3 sec Top Speed 280 kph Price from €189.527