- Martini graphics appear on Kimera’s AWD EVO38.
- Engine output jumps to 631 hp with E85 fuel support.
- New K-39 hypercar also confirmed for production.
Some cars can pull off wearing Martini stripes, but others practically demand them, yet they’ve not been on the menu until now. The Kimera EVO38 has always looked like it escaped from a 1980s rally fan’s daydream, so the arrival of the EVO38 Collezione Martini feels like we’re getting the Kimera we always wanted.
Related: Kimera’s Rally-Bred Special Hides A Feature That Will Make Any Gearhead Stare
Kimera unveiled the new collection in Sardinia during the Rally Storico Costa Smeralda, reviving its partnership with Martini after the earlier one-off EVO37 Martini 7. But unlike that single special build, this isn’t one car. It’s a tiny run of multiple liveries and finishes inspired by Martini’s motorsport legacy.
Kimera says early themes include Pearl White, Vermouth Red, and Dry Green, with more variations to be revealed over time. That means buyers can choose their preferred flavor of rally nostalgia, assuming they move quickly enough to get one. Only a handful remain available, according to the company.
Under the stripes and new vented hood, and behind the eight lights in the nose and center-lock wheels, sits the same core EVO38 formula as before. That means all-wheel drive, a wide and boxy body, carbon-fiber construction, and styling heavily inspired by the legendary Lancia 037, the last rear-wheel drive car to win the WRC, which it did in 1983.
Boosted To 631 HP
The Collezione Martini also gets more muscle. Kimera says the 2.1-liter twin-charged four-cylinder now produces 631 hp (640 PS), up from the standard EVO38’s 592 hp (600 PS). That’s a fairly absurd output for something with only four cylinders and no hybrid help. Torque rises nearly 22 percent to around 516 lb-ft (700 Nm), while the rev limit stretches to 8,200 rpm.
To help generate the newfound muscle there’s now a Flex Fuel system allowing the engine to run E85 bioethanol for maximum power. The engine also gets a supplementary intercooler spray setup that uses high-pressure cold water jets to keep intake temperatures under control during hard driving.
Weight stays around 1,100 kg (2,425 lbs), and Kimera hints these cars may be lighter still. That should make the power wriggling through the six-speed manual and AWD system feel appealingly violent when you’re on those mountain passes doing your best Markku Alen impression.
Hypercar Plans
And if a 631 hp faux-Lancia that looks like it’s still fighting the Group B war somehow feels too restrained, Kimera also confirmed production of its K-39 hypercar, which unlike the Lancia Beta Montecarlo-based EVO38 is a clean-sheet design. The company previously showed the K39 as a concept in 2024, explaining it was inspired by the Montecarlo Turbo silhouette racer that scooped up major trophies from 1979-81, but says we’ll get more details on May 15.
