Two anonymous spy shots of a car reportedly lapping the Fiat test track at Balocco on 21 June were causing rampant Internet speculation. Identified by the unknown source only as 'the privately funded project of a European industrialist', the subject has an obvious resemblance to Lancia’s killer rally supercar of the ‘70s, the Stratos, and that fact, combined with old but constantly recycled rumours of the model’s imminent return apparently fed a series of “new Stratos prototype” theories on a variety of news and forum pages.

It doesn't seem probable; Lancia has repeatedly said (and demonstrated) in recent years that such vehicles are no longer in the division’s mission statement, and besides, the photos received at the Octane offices don’t look much like the typical cobbled-up prototype. More likely this is indeed an expensive one-off Stratos-tribute of some sort; it’s a strange world we live in, though, and it would indeed be rather nice if Fiat gave us a little treat to sweeten the Lancia-Chrysler marriage, wouldn’t it? We’ll keep you informed of any further developments, when and if they happen.