Alfa Romeo 85: Lancia-based hatch imagined

Independent designer Andrej Troha had a very interesting idea for a hypothetical hot hatch: what if Alfa Romeo made a rebadged version of the Lancia Delta HF Integrale back in the early 1990s?

Andrej used his 3D skills to create a digital model of the car that he envisioned as the Alfa 85. His idea is not as crazy as it might seem if we consider that around the same time, Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Lancia produced a trio of sedans – the 155, Tempra, and Dedra – that were closely related mechanically speaking.

As we can see, the Alfa 85 is heavily based on the Lancia Delta I HF Integrale EVO II (1993-1995), sharing most of its body panels.

At the front, it has a redesigned grille with the scudetto and the Alfa Romeo badge, new headlights with integrated turn signals, and a different bonnet to match with the new face.

In profile, the only differences are the unique alloy wheels with a phone-dial design and the lettering intezioneturbo on the side sills, while the signature boxy fenders flares above the wheel arches are retained.

Last but not least, at the back, we find four tailpipes (instead of two) and Alfa Romeo badging.

Under the bonnet of the hypothetical hot hatch, we would find a turbocharged 2.0-litre 16V engine producing 151kW (against the 158kW of the most powerful Lancia), mated to a five-speed manual gearbox and possibly an all-wheel drive system.

Andrej mentions a 0-100 km/h time of 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 203km/h, however, which is a lot worse than the specs of the Lancia (0-100 km/h in 5.7 seconds and top speed of 220km/h).

The fake brochure also mentions premium interior and rich equipment including electric front windows, a sliding steel sunroof, and central locking.

What do you think of the Alfa 85 that never existed? Is it sacrilege to the Lancia and Alfa Romeo brands or a clever marketing idea that could help the Italian brands increase their sales?

If you liked this project you can check out Andrej’s Artstation profile here.