A legend is back in the form of the Kimera EVO38

The EVO38 debuts at the Geneva Motor Show, has all-wheel drive and will be built in 38 units

By: Eleonora Lilli

Feb 23, 2024 at 6:20am ET

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Between 1978 and 1992, many iconic sports and racing cars were born in Turin Italy. Today that lineage comes back to life with an heir not directly in the line of succession, but passionately crafted. It is the Kimera EVO38, which a few months ago we saw anticipated by some teasers.

It is the second Kimera to be unveiled, after the EVO37, and will be made in a limited run of just 38 examples. Its intention is to provoke forgotten emotions, similar to those bestowed by its noble progenitors, which is why it is moulded in their image and likeness, both stylistically and technically.

Ready for anything with all-wheel drive

The rear chassis layout retains the central shock absorber with double lateral springs typical of the 1980s Group B rally cars, while at the front there is a modern push-rod shock absorber layout. However, the EVO38, to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show 2024, has something different from some of its noble predecessors: four-wheel drive, realised through a modern and sophisticated system of distribution control and electro-hydraulic differential lock.

This system, just like the more sophisticated electronic World Rally Cars of the early 2000s, allows the differentials to be calibrated directly from the cockpit, offering the driver the possibility of managing the percentage of traction split between the front and rear axles, as well as the possibility of managing the differential lock. This solution also allows the front differential to be completely excluded so as to have, in effect, a rear-wheel drive car.

Kimera EVO38

Using controls on the steering wheel, it is also possible to adjust the suspension calibration through motorised shock absorbers and a lifting system to adapt the car's ground clearance to conditions other than road driving: rough tracks, gravel roads.

The gearbox is a 6-speed manual, but Kimera is also working on an electro-actuated sequential front-mounted gearbox version.

Over 600 PS

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Despite the presence of all-wheel drive, Kimera Automobili's goal for the EVO38 is to maintain the same weight as the EVO37: around 1,100 kg. To achieve this, the additional mass due to the transmission on the front axle is compensated for through the massive use of carbon fibre and titanium.

The rear of the Kimera EVO38

Engine output touches the 600-PS mark, thanks to the re-engineering of numerous components, and variable valve timing ensures not only more power, but also a substantial increase in torque (around 580 Nm) available from low revs. More details on performance will be provided during the Geneva Motor Show, in the meantime we know that as an option you can opt for the direct exhaust turbo.