Meeting the Holy 'Grale. Why you should definitely?meet your automotive heroes.?

It's such a well worn out cliche "Don't Meet Your Heroes" as your heroes, in person, will probably never live up to your expectations. Chris Harris will be considerably shorter than you first thought,  Kimi R?ikk?nen might refuse to shake your hand (true story - see below) and Bruno Senna might forget to thank the waiter. You see, the things we love — cars included — are flawed.

For me, that hero car was the legendary Lancia Delta HF Integrale "Evoluzione II".  It was literally the car of dreams growing up as a kid in the 1980's and 1990's. Having read about it being launched at the September 1991 Frankfurt Motor Show, Lancia introduced their heavily revised Delta HF "EVO II" in a magnificent Rosso Monza deep red color. My God the thing looked like it could win a WRC championship just sitting still. Myself and my friends have idolized it ever since. Years would pass and you'd be lucky enough to spot one out in the wild (normally at our annual pilgrimage to the Goodwood Festival of Speed where we'd spot at least x 2 of them sitting in the car park). Even seeing a Delta Integrale EVO II today with it's rear spoiler set to maximum angle of attack is an occasion in itself. That squat stance and blistered boxed arches just draws you in completely.

They always say all need in life is crazy friends and as luck turns out I had a good mate here who not only ended up having one Delta EVO II but two, with the second Delta be being the rarest of the rare  'Edizione Finale' (No.218/250) made specifically for the Japanese market. For years I've been using the unused space in level 3 basement parking in the building I live in to rotate and store friends' cars for prolonged periods of time over the summer etc. And this was absolutely needed for my friend's stunning Intergrale's (what should you call a group of Intergrale's anyway- a "gaggle of Grale's?) to get them out of the Dubai soaring temperatures and preserve their immaculate Alcantara trimmed Recaro's from getting sun bleached out.

So the day comes when both Delta's are safely nestled in my garage, RTA registered, insured and mechanically ready to take out on the Dubai roads. Literally I've a choice here between either the stunningly low km EVO II and "Edizione Finale" so decided to take the EVO II as the 'Edizione Finale' is such a rarity and appreciating so much I don't have the bravery to take out a Dhs600k irreplaceable 3rd-party-only-insured classic. Like any Italian car from the 1990's (Ferrari's and Lamborghini's included) the ignition keys always feel cheap and insubstantial to hold but so much charm just for that reason alone. I get in and the driving position is impossibly offset with tiny pedals which I am totally fine as that's how it's meant to be. These cars didn't cater to the masses more towards pushing the boundaries of the very thick WRC rule book. The Recaro's from that time period literally feel as good as the 918 carbon sports bucket seats I had in my Cayman GT4. I'm absolutely keeping the aftermarket seat covers on for this first drive though as who knows what'll happen.

Out on the road now and I literally can't believe I'm warming up an Intergrale EVO II on the way to Jebel Ali - it feels tiny with skinny A-pillars and low roof line but the wide track means you're taking up a good portion of the road so it holds its own with rest of the usual flotsam and jetsam on SZR. The most ironic thing is that as it looks like an older car absolutely no one pays it even the slightest bit of attention to it on the road. No matter, I'm now down in the sprawling network of roads in and around Jebel Ali and I'm able to start pushing it between from mini-roundabout to long flowing sandy covered corners. Not quite Didier Auriol on a WRC rally stage but more than enough to get a feel for the car. The owner is sitting with me so whilst he's egging me on to do some left foot braking and lift oversteer mid corner it's not my car so respectfully decline as you don't want your first drive in the car of your dreams to be the car's last. 

Overall it's absolutely magnificent as the world's finest hot hatch to ever dominate a WRC championship and pedaling it hard through some back roads really did feel like a true sense of occasion. Just getting out and looking at the car listening to it's many intercooler's tick and cool down has both me and the owner grinning from ear to ear as it's literally such an iconic.

I was genuinely worried I was going to be disappointed meeting my hero car. That's the fundamental problem with meeting your heroes. You build up impossible standards that the real things can never rise to. I've heard stories of some sad individuals who grandstanded, sensationalized and insisted that getting to drive a Ferrari F40 was "a disappointment" and they hated it...I've literally no idea how you could drive a Ferrari F40 under any weather conditions, survive and not be grinning like a lunatic with fear induced adrenaline is beyond me.

In my head, an Intergrale EVO II was going to be an ethereal, life-changing experience. In real life, it was even better. 

So go, get out there and meet your motoring heroes and see what you've been missing.