An Italian company is rebooting the legendary Lancia 037 Group B rally car. The Kimera Automobili EVO37 has been making the rounds this year, including an appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July, and is scheduled to start deliveries as you read this.
The EVO37 is the brainchild of former European Rally Championship driver Luca Betti, who wanted to build a tribute to the 037. Lancia's rally weapon of choice in the early 1980s, it was the last two-wheel drive car to win the World Rally Championship (WRC), defeating the all-wheel-drive Audi Quattro in 1983.
Like the original, the EVO37 starts as a tube-frame chassis loosely based on the Lancia Beta Montecarlo (sold as the Scorpion in the U.S. to avoid clashing with the Chevy Monte Carlo). Betti also hired some of the engineers who worked on the original 037, including engine developer Claudio Lombardi.
The engine itself is a 2.0-liter inline-4 like the original. However, instead of the stock supercharger, the new engine uses a turbocharger and electric compressor. Power climbs from the stock 205 hp and 167 lb-ft of torque to 505 hp and 406 lb-ft. The mid-mounted, longitudinally-positioned engine sends its power to the rear wheels through manual or sequential gearboxes.
Pricing starts at 480,000 euros (about $567,000 at current exchange rates), and production will be limited to 37 cars.
We're wondering how many of those 37 customers already have a Lancia Delta Futurista and New Stratos parked in their garages. The original 037 was the evolutionary step between the Lancia Stratos and Delta Integrale rally cars, so adding the EVO37 would make for the perfect trifecta.
