Kimera Automobili plots brace of new models

09/07/2023

Four-wheel drive EVO37 plus Silhouette-inspired K-39 track car on the way

By Matt Bird / Thursday, 7 September 2023 / Loading comments

The Lancia 037’s greatest claim to fame was (and probably always will be) the fact that it was the final two-wheel drive car to win a WRC. Even with Audi Quattros on the scene by the time of the Lancia’s 1983 manufacturers’ championship success, they couldn’t match the 037’s combination of lightweight performance and mid-engined handling. The writing was on the wall, however, and Lancia was soon developing four-wheel drive for the Delta. Which worked out quite well, too…

40 years after that WRC triumph, Kimera Automobili has announced it will create a four-wheel drive version of its stunning EVO37 restomod. The car that Lancia itself never produced – what a rally car that could have been – will now be realised by a dedicated bunch of brand obsessives. Spec details for the new EVO38 haven’t been revealed yet, though Kimera is encouraged by the possibilities now on offer with the very latest in AWD technology; no longer does power and torque to all four wheels mean fun or feel must be compromised. ‘At the same time, however, interesting evolutions and innovations are expected that will make the car very interesting also from the point of view of the technical solutions that will be adopted, which will be revealed at the time of the official presentation of the new model’, reads the press release. Given Kimera went to the effort of redoing the supercharged and turbocharged Lancia four-cylinder for the EVO37, plus created a whole host of carbon parts, we can surely expect a clever four-wheel drive system for the ’38. Kimera speaks of this new car being a coherent and faithful homage to the original, rather than a whole new thing – they’ve even mentioned the ‘Integrale’ word already…

Also on the drawing board is a car known for the moment as the K-39, inspired by the Group 5 Lancia/Martini Racing Silhouette that actually won two titles in the World Sports Prototype Championship. These guys really love a Lancia Beta Montecarlo! Always a dramatic racing car, the hyper-restomod of the circuit star will be ‘enlarged and lengthened’, with ‘ingenious technical solutions’ once again promised. The K-39 hasn’t been formally confirmed as a road car however, and is only previewed via a scale model. But, well, it looks pretty awesome already. Kimera says it ‘could also be produced in a very limited number of units for a few lucky customers’ – bet a few will be more than keen.

The primary aim for the K-39 is motorsport. The press release isn’t giving much away for the moment, promising much more next year, but the important bit seems to be this: ‘Kimera Automobili intends to turn its gaze towards the world of racing and is evaluating the opportunity to join an extremely ambitious project.’ Make of that what you will. It would be a natural fit though, of course, given Lancia’s extraordinary motorsport success and Kimera’s affection for the brand and its legacy. A busy period coming up, then, and what sounds like two more incredible cars to show for it. Bring on 2024.

AutoMotoBuzz.com

Kimera Automobili plots brace of new models

Four-wheel drive EVO37 plus Silhouette-inspired K-39 track car on the way

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