A company called Kimera Automobili has announced its plans to offer a new hardcore supercar that pays homage to the original Lancia 037, the last 2WD car to have won a WRC title. Kimera Automobili is one of the go-to restoration shops when it comes to vintage Italian rally cars, particularly Lancias like the Stratos, Delta, and of course the 037.
The new Kimera EVO37 will be a brand new
car that will remain faithful to the design and engineering of the original
Lancia 037. The company has enlisted engineers that have worked on the original
to help them create a modern reincarnation of the historic Lancia.
One of the names that stand out is Claudio
Lombardi, the engineer behind Lancia’s turbocharged and supercharged
four-cylinder rally engine. With Lombardi’s help, the new Kimera EVO37 is going
to use a similar layout but the 2.0-liter turbocharged and supercharged
four-cylinder engine will be modernized to today’s standards.
Kimera promises that the new EVO37 will
offer around 550 HP once it’s ready, with the supercharger being
electric-driven instead of a traditional belt. The company offers the choice
between a manual or sequential transmission. Combined with a weight figure of
just 950kg (2,094 lbs), this modern recreation of the Lancia 037 should be a
pretty exciting thing to drive.
Production will of course be limited, with
Kimera to build just 37 examples of the EVO37. Prices reportedly start at
around the half-a-million-euro mark (US$ 600k) but if
you missed out on securing a slot, fear not as Kimera will also produce 10 more
cars that will be fitted with ‘Integrale’ four-wheel-drive systems. The full
reveal of the new Kimera EVO37 will take place on May 22, so stay tuned.
