Lancia returns to rallying without Martini Racing livery... Kimera does it with a 640hp ethanol-powered 4-cylinder collector.

The timing is almost ironic. Just as Lancia is making a remarkable return to rallying after an absence of over 30 years, another Italian player is reviving one of the most mythical symbols of its history: the famous Martini Racing colors. But it's not Lancia that's bringing them back to life... it's Kimera Automobili. Two visions of the rally, two approaches to heritage, and a contrast that's by no means insignificant.

A winning comeback... but no visual legacy

Just a few weeks after its official comeback, Lancia didn't do things by halves. After national victories in Italy and France, the brand struck a major blow by winning the WRC2 at Rally Croatia. At the wheel of the new Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale, Yohan Rossel dominated the event with authority, scoring a clear-cut victory. Better still, the overall performance was impressive: fourth place overall. In sporting terms, the message is clear: Lancia is back... and already competitive. But visually, something is missing.

Martini Racing, a living legend

It's hard to talk about rallying without mentioning Martini Racing. Its blue and red stripes have spanned the decades, associated with some of the most legendary cars in history, including Lancia. It wasn't just a livery. It was a visual signature, a strong identity, almost inseparable from the golden age of rallying. And even today, this aura remains intact.

Kimera rekindles the flame... with ethanol

While Lancia looks to the future, Kimera plunges back into the past with almost obsessive fidelity. On the occasion of the Rally Costa Smeralda Storico - Trofeo Martini 2026, the Italian manufacturer unveiled a very special version of its restomod: the Kimera EVO38 Collezione Martini.

And this time, it's impossible to miss. The Martini livery is omnipresent, available in several interpretations such as Pearl White, Vermouth Red and Dry Green. Each model becomes a rolling tribute to the Group B era, with exposed carbon fiber, center-nut rims and additional rally-style headlamps. But the EVO38 doesn't just look good.

Under the hood is a thoroughly reworked 2.1L Italtecnica four-cylinder engine, with twin superchargers. The result: 640 hp, much higher torque and revs up to 8,200 rpm. All this in a car weighing around 1,100 kg, designed to offer an explosive power-to-weight ratio. A radical machine, analog in spirit but modernized in execution, capable of running on E85 bioethanol thanks to a Flex Fuel system.

A choice far from anecdotal. With this fuel, torque rises by around 22 % to almost 700 Nm, while the engine now climbs to 8,200 rpm with even more immediate throttle response. With a contained weight of around 1,100 kg, the power-to-weight ratio is nothing short of explosive.

But as is often the case with this type of creation, exclusivity is total. Production is extremely limited, with only a few examples still available. The price has not been announced, but it's expected to be well over a million euros, reflecting custom work and engineering pushed to the extreme. And Kimera has no intention of stopping there. The brand is already talking about its next project, the K-39, which will be presented at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este on the shores of Lake Como.