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Kimera EVO37, the rebirth of the Lancia Rally «037»

There are cars that will last forever, whether in the minds of fans or in the garages of wealthy collectors. But there are people who are not satisfied with what they have and want to go further. Sometimes sacrilege is bordering on many, but there are times when this "sacrilege" is a real spectacle

If there is a special time in the world of rallying, that is the one that includes between 1982 and 1986, the era of Group B, so longed for today. Not for nothing, in those years some of the most brutal and disproportionate cars in the history of rallying were created, so wild, that it was their undoing. Nothing like it will ever be seen again, although today's rally cars are spectacularly fast. 

The best thing about Group B of Rallies is that its regulations required the approval of production versions on which the competition model would be developed. Thus, as has happened other times (the BMW M3, for example, was born as a homologation car), some of the craziest cars on the market appeared, although with small limitations that made them suitable for use on public roads. They were still authentic Group B, but with the "capped" power and the comforts demanded by the users of those years. 

One of the peculiarities is that all Group B had all-wheel drive, or almost all. There was one that went a bit outside the established norm, being in addition, one of the first vehicles homologated for Group B: the Lancia 037. It is one of the more atypical Group B's, with propulsion instead of all-wheel drive, with a coupe body that ended up being “copied” by Ford with the RS200 and was also the last powered car to win the World Championship. Rallies (the world of brands more specifically). 

The Lancia 037, or rather, the Lancia Rally (which is its official name) it was the first car homologated for Group B and it followed the path of the Lancia Stratos: a car created by and for rallying, developed by Abarth on the basis of the Lancia Beta Monte-Carlo and sporting a body designed by Pininfarina. It ended its life in competition as did Group B itself, with a fatal accident, but it remained in the memory of fans as one of the most special cars of such a spectacular era.

Lancia Rally, the most special Group B 

When talking about rallies it is impossible not to mention Group B, it is easy to check it by taking a look at any social network or forum dedicated to rallies. It is like a generalized obsession that sometimes belittles the rest of the vehicles that occupied and occupies the sections of half the world, giving a show to the most fanatical of this sport, one of the most complicated in the world of racing and of course, one of the most sensational to see and experience. If you've never been in a gutter watching cars bite a few inches from your feet, you shouldn't wait to do so. The show and the brotherhood with the rest of the fans is unique

However, in these forums and social networks, there is usually a lot of talk about the Audi Quattro and the Peugeot 205, the most iconic cars in rallying and the most successful in Group B. Between them two, they shared a large part of the podiums and The titles, creating such a rivalry that they forced the rest of the brands to follow their rhythm and Lancia had to put into circulation the Delta S4, the car that ended up putting the last nail in the coffin of Group B. It's funny that Lancia was the first and last in Group B and that his two cars ended his life in racing in the same way. 

In fact, the Lancia cars were truly unique, the Delta S4 for its performance and its incredible dual supercharging engine (compressor and turbo), and the Lancia 037 for its design and solutions. And we can go a little further, considering the Lancia 037 the most special and unique Group B, even though the Austin Metro had a V6. There was no other car like the Lancia 037 and perhaps, for this reason, it is the subject of many digital recreations that imagine its return to the market and perhaps, for this reason, it has been chosen by Kimera Automobili to create one of the most incredible restomods of recent years. . 

However, talking about a restomod is a bit daring, since Kimera Automobili's work goes much further than a restomod, it is almost a car made on purpose, maintaining the features of the Lancia 037, as well as some of its characteristics. It is a realization of the highest level, but To consider it a restomod is to overlook a lot of cars in this car

Resurrection of the Lancia 037 or a totally new car?

Chimera EVO37

A restomod, to give us a slight idea, is a restoration during which some modifications are made and some components are modernized. In general, components from more modern cars of the same brand are used (they do not have to be of the latest generation) and an attempt is made to maintain the same essence of the original car. Obviously, the performance and safety are improved, as well as the equipment, but the car is not changed in its entirety. 

In the case of the Kimera EVO37, the name given to the work, it is a development that starts from a blank sheet (confirmed by Kimera Automobili itself), resulting in a superlative car, a true reissue of the Lancia 037 rather than a restomod. An evolution and modernization that offers a clear image of how this specular coupe could be if the Italian firm were to launch it on the market again, although, as you surely already know, Lancia has a cleaner and less passionate future, being one of the first Stellantis brands in converting to electrification. Although we let others tell you about this, we are going to continue with the Kimera EVO37. 

Lately we are seeing some passionate engineers bent on bringing old myths back to life. There are those who have decided to do this for a long time, such as Alfaholics and their sensational Alfa Romeo, or Singer, with their work on the Porsche 964, not forgetting Eagle and its spectacular E-Type. Kimera joins all of them with a Lancia 037 that makes many cars blush that is branded as real sports cars, with an engine that far surpasses even the Lancia 037 of the World Rally Championship for power and performance. 

To complete this project they have not skimped on resources and that, as expected, shows when buying a unit. But let's put that aside, which is not something that interests us now. Now it is of interest, for example, that its body is made of carbon fiber respecting the lines of the original as much as possible, but modernizing some aspects such as the general finish of the panels that shape it, LED headlights and lights, a fully functional rear diffuser with four two-by-two exhaust outlets ... and of course the wheels inspired by the originals and the huge rear spoiler. . There is no doubt that it is a modernized 037 and also, with great taste for details. 

Said body is mounted on a tubular structure, suspension with Öhlins shock absorbers and Brembo brakes. It is slightly larger than the original Lancia 037, reaching 4,36 meters long (3,96 meters for the Lancia), 1,91 meters wide (1,80 meters for the 037) and 1,20 meters high ( 1,24 meters the original). The EVO37's wheelbase is also wider, at 2,52 meters versus 2,44 meters. 

Regarding the engine, it is a 2.150 cubic centimeter four cylinders positioned in the center rear position, yields 377 kW (512 hp) and 550 Nm of torque thanks, among other things, to a turbo and a very deep redesign and reconstruction work, since it is an engine derived from the original Lancia. 

Only 37 units will be manufactured to the not inconsiderable price of EUR 480.000.

What do you think?

Written by Javi Martin

If you ask me where my love for motoring comes from, I wouldn't know how to answer. It has always been there, although I am the only one in the family who likes this world. My father worked as a draftsman in a metallurgical company with a lot of auto parts production, but there was never a passion like I can have.

I really like automobile history and I am currently creating a personal library dedicated exclusively to motor history in Spain. I also have a huge collection of scanned material and have written the book "The 600, a dream on wheels" (Larousse publishing house).

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