Dallara Stradale

The Dallara Stradale sits in a particularly narrow part of Dream Car Garage: just 30 of the 600 cars pair an inline-4 engine with rear-wheel drive, and only 58 are turbocharged inline-4 cars. That combination is the closest point of comparison for this machine, because the Stradale’s identity comes less from chasing the biggest figures and more from occupying a focused space within the catalogue.

Its performance shows why that position matters. The Stradale reaches 100 km/h in 3.25 seconds, placing it 153rd among the 600 cars, faster than 447 of them. Its 280 km/h top speed ranks 346th, while its 400 bhp output sits 422nd. Those numbers describe a car that does not rely on headline dominance, but instead finds its distinction through balance, layout and purpose.

The specification reinforces that approach. With a 2.3 litre turbocharged inline-4 producing 400 bhp and 500 Nm, sent through rear-wheel drive, the Stradale represents a precise interpretation of a track-focused roadster/barchetta. The two-seat body style keeps the focus on the essentials of this category, where the relationship between power, weight and response defines the experience more than a single peak figure.

The pricing places it in an interesting position within the wider collection. A used price of £165,000 ranks 217th out of 600, making it more expensive than 383 cars in the catalogue. At £413 per bhp, it is not simply a purchase based on maximum output per pound. The appeal lies in the combination of attributes that appear together far less often.

Dallara brings a single car to this catalogue, and the Stradale carries the identity of a manufacturer founded in Italy in 1972. Its 2018 specification places it among the newer entries in the collection while retaining a clear, compact formula: two seats, rear-wheel drive, turbocharged inline-4 power and a track-focused character.

For the collector who wants a garage shaped around distinctive engineering choices rather than a search for the highest number on every chart, the Dallara Stradale offers a particular kind of presence. It is the car chosen by someone who wants a machine that occupies a rare intersection in the catalogue, where configuration matters as much as performance. It adds a focused Italian roadster/barchetta to the collection, one that tells a very specific story about the person who selected it.