Barely a month and a half after causing a sensation at his presentation At the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, the Kimera K-39 has already returned to the setting for which it seems to have been designed: the paddocks of a legendary racetrack. On the weekend of July 2–5, 2026, during the Le Mans Classic Legend, the small Italian automaker Kimera Automobili had brought several of his creations along. And, of course, one car caught everyone's eye: the spectacular K-39 Pikes Peak with its Martini Racing livery.
An almost perfect setting for this handcrafted hypercar inspired by Lancia’s glory days in racing. Surrounded by classic cars, the K-39 looked like it had come straight out of the 1980s… except that it boasts technology and performance worthy of the most modern hypercars.
The Lancia spirit of the 1980s, but taken to the extreme
At the Kimera booths, founder Luca Betti had brought together the past and the future. On one side was a genuine Lancia 037 Rally, which he was driving in the event. On the other, two modern interpretations of his vision: a Kimera K-39 Stradale and this incredible K-39 Pikes Peak, which is much more radical.
And the connection between the two eras is immediately apparent. The angular lines, the flared fenders, the massive rear wing, and the Martini Racing livery are all reminiscent of Lancia’s glory days in rallying and endurance racing. But unlike the Kimera EVO37 and EVO38, which were direct reinterpretations of the legendary 037, the K-39 is an entirely new design.
Here, there’s no question of modernizing an old car. Kimera started from scratch to imagine what a Lancia race car might have become if its history had continued to the present day.
A Pikes Peak edition designed to take on the mountain
This Pikes Peak edition is more than just a stylistic statement. It was developed to meet the demands of one of the world’s most extreme races: the famous Pikes Peak Hill Climb in the U.S., which spans approximately 20 kilometers, where drivers must contend with altitude, varying traction, and zero margin for error. To achieve this, Kimera has taken aerodynamics to the extreme. Every surface interacts with the air: a massive front splitter, widened wheel arches, a gigantic rear diffuser, and a monumental rear wing. The brand also announces specific, quickly interchangeable components to adapt the car for the road, the track, or the mountain. Yet beneath this bodywork—which looks like it came straight out of a modern Group C prototype—lies the biggest surprise: an engine that’s anything but Italian.
A 1,000-horsepower Koenigsegg engine
Kimera pulled off a real masterstroke by collaborating with Koenigsegg to develop the K-39’s engine. Behind the cockpit lies a 5.0-liter twin-turbo V8 specially adapted by the Swedish manufacturer for this project. The result is spectacular: 1,000 ch at 7,350 rpm, 1,200 Nm of torque at 5,500 rpm, and a redline of 8,250 rpm. These are figures typically seen in hybrid hypercars, but here they’re achieved without any reported electric assistance.
The goal wasn’t simply to maximize power. In particular, the turbos were tuned to prioritize responsiveness and driving feel, with a powertrain designed to be brutal and capable of performing under the extreme conditions of a race like Pikes Peak. Produced in a very limited run, the Kimera K-39 was already almost entirely sold out just a few days after its unveiling. Following Le Mans Classic, its schedule is set to continue with other international appearances, notably at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Monterey Car Week.
With this K-39, Kimera is no longer content to simply revive the Italian legends of the past. The small Piedmontese brand is now trying to write its own story. And it’s hard to imagine a better tribute to the Martini Racing beasts of the 1980s than a 1,000-horsepower machine capable of blending nostalgia, Italian craftsmanship, and a Koenigsegg engine.
Below is a video of the K39 Stradale, which has the same engine as the K39 Pikes Peak.
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