It’s easy to be disillusioned by the widening stream of restomods and recreations that pop up every year. Each is more expensive and exclusive than the last, and nearly all feel out of reach for 99.9 percent of enthusiasts like you and me. The Kimera EVO37, a recreation of Lancia’s Group 4 rally icon, is yet another one of those cars. Cool in the moment, but easy to forget, especially considering its $680,000 price tag and ultra-low production numbers.
Driving a Kimera EVO37 paints the car in a different light. The crazy price and hyper-rarity go out the window, giving way to an unparalleled driving experience that can only described as a cross between a Ferrari F40 and a Lotus Evora 400. The Kimera differentiates itself from the rest of the restomod set with a funky twin-charged engine, striking looks, and a retro-inspired cabin that actually feels finished.
It’s an exotic car in the truest sense—and far more appealing than any other restomod at a similar price.
| Quick Specs | 2025 Kimera EVO37 |
| Engine | Supercharged and Turbocharged 2.1-Liter Inline-Four |
| Transmission | Six-Speed Manual |
| Output | 505 Horsepower / 406 Pound-Feet |
| 0-60 MPH | 3.0 seconds (est.) |
| Base Price / As-Tested Price | $950,000 / $950,000 (est.) |
It’s only in real life you get a sense of the EVO37’s true size, as we discovered at HK Motorcars, the nation's only dealer for Kimera Automobili. It’s proportionally identical to the original Lancia, which means it’s tiny—shorter even than my NB Miata. The Kimera is also incredibly light, with a manufacturer-claimed curb weight of just 2,376 pounds. And like the original, the engine is in the middle, sending power to the rear wheels. An apt recipe for enjoyment, so far.
Under the rear clamshell things stray from Lancia’s original formula. Where the 037 used a supercharged inline-four, the EVO37 employs a supercharged and turbocharged 2.1-liter four-cylinder. This engine is a blueprint-copy design lifted from Lancia’s later Delta S4 Group B bomb, equipped with stronger internals and a handful of other modernization upgrades.
Pros: High-energy old-school powertrain, excellent chassis tuning, unmistakable looks.
The result is 505 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque, around 200 more horses than the original in full-kill rally spec. While the genuine 037 used a five-speed from ZF, this one uses a six-speed ‘box from Graziano—the same unit found in the Lamborghini Gallardo and Audi R8.
Things like the suspension and brakes have been redone to handle the extra power. Like the engine and design, Kimera kept the suspension’s original layout, which includes a quirky dual-shock setup for the rear uprights. Only the dimensions and materials have changed. Now, there are shiny new, modern Öhlins shocks on all four corners. Likewise, big red Brembo calipers with drilled rotors reside behind each wheel.
The bones to the EVO37 are all good, then. But as is sometimes the case with low-volume recreations, good ingredients don’t always translate to a cohesive experience. Any rando shop can order high-quality parts and bolt them to a chassis. Thankfully the Kimera is more than just a fancy garage piece. In fact, it’s one of the most enjoyable drives I’ve had in the past year.
The startup procedure is an event all its own. To fire the rowdy four-cylinder, you have to lock then unlock the car via the key. Then, plug the key into a slot on the center console and turn it to awaken the electronics. From there, you have to squeeze two buttons mounted on either side of a mound on the console. There’s also a switch on the dash for the fuel pump that, if you forget to flip in the right direction, will keep the car from starting. Ask me how I know.
The cabin itself is an extremely cool place to spend time. It’s less a revisitation of the 037’s original interior and a more retro redux of the 1980s theme as a whole. The bucket seats use a slatted pattern of pads, and hold you in tight. The simple three-pronged steering wheel is small, and a joy to interact with. The red-backlit gauges are analog, and nothing feels cheap or shelf-bought. Even the stalks for the blinker and windshield wipers feel high-quality. The centerpiece of the cockpit is the gearshift, which looks to be held to the console by a lovely 3D-printed metal sculpture.
After the engine comes to life, the car presents you with a choice between three power tunes: 300, 400, or the full 505 horsepower. Those with any sort of experience driving light cars with big power can skip the first two options. While they work fine, the two lower settings feel artificially lethargic and neutered, almost as if the boost was turned off. With the car’s real power unlocked, it feels like a complete machine.
Despite its dated source material, the Kimera drives like a car from 2025, not the 1980s. The chassis feels tight and well-connected, while the steering is quick and relatively light. Those Öhlins deliver a stiff but sophisticated ride, giving the sense the EVO37 could handle itself on rougher patches of tarmac at speed. We would’ve found out for ourselves, had we had more than a couple of hours with the car.
But it only takes a few turns to realize Kimera can build a car. The EVO37 is set up to turn in quickly and rotate. The nose is eager to respond yet locked down to the pavement, allowing the rear to gently come around. Lean into the car mid-corner, and it neutralizes beautifully, ready to blast to the next bend or get sideways, depending on your preference. It’s far less scary than you’d expect, especially from a car with a wheelbase this short. That’s modern suspension engineering for you.
Cons: Only 37 will exist, and I don’t own one.
The real highlight is the powertrain, though. The twin-charged mill is a fascinating setup that translates to a unique power delivery I’ve never felt before, anywhere. The supercharger spins from idle to 4,000 rpm to fill in low-end torque. After that, it’s de-clutched, allowing the turbocharger to take over. Being an engine originally designed 40 years ago, throttle response isn’t immediate, even with all of the upgraded equipment.
Nothing really happens until about 3,000 rpm, when a wave of thrust arrives to carry the car forward. The dull roar of the supercharger disappearing sounds jarring, almost as if something has broken. But as the mountain of torque comes in from the turbo, you realize that was just the switch-over happening. It’s a fun thing to play with, and easy to optimize once you understand how it functions.
The gearbox is even more fun. Kimera smartly employs short ratios for the EVO37, keeping with its stage rally spirit. That means it’s easy to keep the engine spun up near the meat of its powerband. The clutch is among the heaviest I’ve ever felt, but the shift action is truly flawless. The lever feels hyper-mechanical and impeccably direct. I don’t think I could miss a gear if I tried. It feels lifted straight out of a pro-level race car of the early 2000s.
The gearbox and the engine are great, and not just because of how they react, but how they sound and feel. The Kimera sets itself apart from new high-powered weapons like the similarly priced Lamborghini Revuelto, not just for its size and simplicity, but because there’s no sound-deadening or driver aids. It’s an old-school, loud machine built with new-school technologies with the sole goal of driver enjoyment. There’s no quiet button, no mode to run on purely electric power. No soft suspension setting, or automatic gearbox option. Refreshing.
The Kimera EVO37 is the truest, most-accurate interpretation of an “exotic” car on the market right now. Sure, cars like the Lamborghini or the Ferrari F80 come from exotic brands, but the cars are tech-stuffed cocoons. This tiny coupe, on the other hand, is incredibly raw and simple, brimming with excitement that can’t be dulled, no matter which mode you’re in.
For some buyers, that’s far more important than what’s on a spec sheet.
Kimera EVO37
