It would be folly not to begin by speaking the truth: The Kimera Automobili EVO37 is Holy. Moly. Gorgeous. And even better: It's real. Here's a boutique company that appears to be doing everything the right way; Kimera only announced the EVO37 in April, had it on track in May, debuted it at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July, and took a production version to a local show in Switzerland's Engadine Valley over the weekend, where this eight-minute video comes from.
But let's step back a bit. The EVO37 is a modern reboot of the Lancia 037 Group B rally car of the early 1980s, the middle child between the more well known Stratos and Delta HF. As the Audi Quattro A1 and A2 began gobbling up trophies by turning the front and rear axles, the Lancia was the last rear-wheel-drive entry to win a World Rally Championship race. And it didn't just win races; although Audi driver Hannu Mikkola won the WRC Driver's Championship in 1983, the 037 carried the Constructor's Championship.
Perhaps after seeing the wonders MAT pulled off with the Lancia New Stratos and what Automobili Amos worked up with the Lancia Delta Futurista Coupe, former European Rally Championship driver Luca Betti founded Kimera to "evolve legendary cars." This is the company's first project, and it's not half-assed. Whereas the other two Lancia resurrections are based on existing cars, the EVO37 is a built from scratch on a tube-frame chassis based on that of the Lancia Beta Montecarlo, just like the forebearer. The new version is just a couple of inches longer than its ancestor.
Betti hired Lancia engineers who worked on the original 037, including Claudio Lombardi, who helped with the 037's supercharged 2.1-liter four-cylinder Abarth engine. Kimera maintains the basic specs of the original mill at 2.1 liters and four cylinders, longitudinally mounted. Betti's crew added a turbocharger to the blower, though. So whereas the original homologated road car made 205 horsepower and 167 pound-feet of torque, the Italtecnica-built EVO37 engine — like the chassis, made from scratch — makes 505 hp and 406 lb-ft. Power goes to the rear wheels only, through a standard manual or optional sequential transmission.
All that mid-engined roar pushes a car said to weigh just 2,094 pounds, which would not only be 485 pounds less than the 1980s road car, it's 22 pounds less than the 1980s rally car. The weight loss comes in part from the obligatory carbon fiber body panels instead of the classic's fiberglass parts.
There'll be plenty of grip to go with the speed, the original racer still fast and grabby enough to impress Chris Harris. The sensational lightweight forged rims are 18 inches in front, 19 in back, on Pirelli rubber. They're stuck to the ground with a quadrilateral suspension based on the original design, this time working adjustable Öhlins dampers. Iron Brembo discs do the stopping unless carbon-ceramic units are chosen. To ensure the dynamic equation stands worthy of the components, Betti's own test driving skills have been aided by chaps like Miki Biasion, who won back-to-back WRC Driver's Championships piloting the Lancia Delta.
Kimera promised first deliveries in The price is 480,000 euros before options. But Kimera's only making 37 of the EVO37, and all are already sold. There will supposedly be a run of ten all-wheel-drive Integrale versions, so start saving now. Or just enjoy the video for free, and download the press kit for specs to go along with the images — it's the best money you'll spend all year.
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