Dallara Stradale verdict

You may wonder how, against the backdrop of a mighty asking price, a car powered by nothing more momentous than the turbocharged four-cylinder engine from a hot hatchback can earn four and a half stars.

The first thing to note is that each Stradale will make Dallara almost no profit. It exists for no other reason than because Gian Paolo Dallara wanted it to, and it costs so much because the materials and construction techniques are direct from the world of motorsport. You’ll find interior elements that seem underdone and brakes that lack finesse, but mostly the Stradale simultaneously feels bona fide racing car and true luxury product. It’s a trick only the McLaren Senna pulls off with this much confidence.

Esoteric appeal but a product of passion and rare dynamism

Richard Lane

Deputy road test editor

Then there is the magnificent chassis, which on the road perhaps has no equal in its combination of precision and delicacy, while on track it offers insight into the world inhabited by professional racing drivers. Finally, consider that for some the Stradale’s handling will appeal every bit as much as a Ferrari’s naturally aspirated engine or a Lamborghini’s extraterrestrial styling will for another. That, simply, is its level.