To call the Lancia HF Delta Integrale a hot-hatch is unfair. At worst, it’s the hot-hatch. At best, it’s so far above and beyond most hot-hatches that it’s something entirely different.

Thanks to sanctioning-body rule changes, Lancia was left without a rally car for the 1987 season. Starting with the seven-year-old Delta hatchback, it created the winningest WRC car of all time: the Delta won a total of 46 WRC events, winning an unprecedented six consecutive championships.

Its success is due to many factors, but most of all perseverance and continual evolution, culminating in the Deltona: the ultimate Delta. This Evoluzione 1 model, seen here as a “Martini 5” special edition, was capable of drama-free back-road performance often compared to the Porsche 959. Widely regarded as the fastest twisty-road car of its time, it’s barely catchable today.

The Evo is nicknamed “Deltona,” by the Italians, and means “Big Delta.” The Evoluzione combines the Delta’s gorgeous Giugiaro-penned looks with ridiculous six-inch fender flares, giving it the most bulldog-ish stance of any of the Deltas.

There was an Evolution 2, which had bigger wheels and a new engine management system, but it was hot homologated for WRC.

Featured in this episode is a Martini 5, the special-edition Evolution 1 made to celebrate the Delta’s fifth consecutive WRC win. It also features a pronunciation guide: how to pronounce Giorgetto Giugiaro.

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ISSIMI’s “Spotlight” series gives automotive enthusiasts and collectors an in-depth look at rare, interesting, and important cars. “Spotlight” is an editorial wiki video that, first and foremost, provides context, answering the question “why is this car important?”

With his trademark balance of insight and comedy, automotive journalist Jason Cammisa combines the facts with editorial insight, allowing the audience to walk away with a cursory understanding of each featured car. Wherever possible, Spotlight will include driving footage and acceleration footage with high-quality audio to provide a first-person experience of sight, sound, and motion that words alone never could.

ISSIMI is an enthusiast-owned, full-service specialist offering sales, consignment, collection management, service, and consulting to discerning enthusiasts and collectors. Specializing in complex transactions that include international services for exceptional cars, ISSIMI’s San Francisco Bay Area and Europe-based teams of experts pride themselves on transparency and knowledge. ISSIMI also produces enthusiast editorial media, including “Spotlight,” “Jason Cammisa on the Icons,” “The Carmudgeon Show,” and “Proper Care & Feeding of Cars.” Some of the vehicles featured in these editorial products, including the subjects in this Spotlight video, may be listed for sale through ISSIMI’s platform. Please check www.ISSIMI.com for more information.