By: Double Apex
About two years ago, little-known Kimera Automobili set the hearts of rally fans racing when it introduced the Evo37. Today the company adds to its portfolio another desirable machine called the Kimera Evo38.
Kimera Automobili built the Evo37 as a modern take on the famous Lancia rally car. It is completely modernised, but keeps within the spirit of the original. Click here to learn more about the earlier Evo037.
The Kimera Evo38 is a different take on the same theme. In the 1980s, Lancia was working on an all-wheel-drive version of the 037. That car was dubbed the SE038, but the development mule didn’t spawn a production version. Lancia went on to built the flame-spitting Delta S4 instead.
This new creation, of which just 38 will be built, imagines what would have happened had SE038 been turned into a fully fledged race machine.
The 038 is based on the 037, with one major difference, it is all-wheel-drive. The same 2.1-litre twin-charged engine as the Evo37 is found in the newer car. It features a turbo + supercharger to extract power from the inline four. Power has been increased from around 380 to 442kW. Peak torque is quoted as 580Nm.
A six-speed manual transmission sends power to all four wheels. The torque split is driver controlled from inside the cabin. You can even send all available power to the rear axle for proper tail-out fun. A six-speed sequential is also on the cards.
Kimera is targeting mass of 1,100 kg, similar to that of the RWD Evo37. Kimera will be using more lightweight material, including carbon-fibre and titanium, to get to that number and carry the front drivetrain components.
Although the two cars are closely related, there are a few key styling differences. The front bumper has larger intakes and the bonnet has a deeper vent.
The fenders are wider and slightly boxier than on the Evo37. There are also new rally-inspired alloy wheels. At he rear is a new engine cover, diffuser, and rear wing. A new single exhaust pipe is mounted between the round taillights.
* This article originally appeared on Double Apex and is used with their permission.