The Italian boutique manufacturer Kimera Automobili, widely celebrated for its meticulous Lancia 037 restomods, has pulled the silk off its first completely in-house development: the K-39. This new machine represents a significant leap forward for the brand, moving beyond the foundations of the previous Evo37 and Evo38 to create an extreme performance vehicle powered by a world-class powertrain from Koenigsegg.
Inspired by Group 5 Racing Heritage and Advanced Aerodynamics
The K-39 is a visual tribute to the legendary Lancia Beta Montecarlo Group 5 silhouette racer, which served as the competition predecessor to the cars that inspired Kimera’s earlier works. Despite its aggressive, circuit-ready aesthetic, the K-39 maintains essential Kimera design DNA, including the distinctive Y-shaped front grille and the iconic quad-headlamp arrangement.
Form follows function in the K-39’s silhouette. Kimera’s engineering team has focused heavily on aerodynamic efficiency, claiming the car generates downforce levels comparable to modern top-tier racing prototypes. A prominent S-duct is integrated into the front end, specifically designed to channel airflow and pin the nose to the tarmac during high-speed maneuvers.
A High-Performance Heart Sourced from Koenigsegg
At the center of the K-39 is a 986bhp twin-turbocharged V8 engine provided by Koenigsegg. While the engine architecture is shared with some of the world’s fastest hypercars, Kimera has tailored the unit to suit the specific character of the K-39. Unlike the massive turbochargers found on Koenigsegg’s own production models, this iteration utilizes smaller turbines.
The decision to downsize the turbos was made to prioritize immediate throttle response and overall driveability, ensuring the power delivery is linear and manageable for both road and track use. Furthermore, the engine management system supports over-the-air (OTA) updates, a feature that allows Kimera to refine performance parameters and potentially increase power output throughout the vehicle’s lifecycle.
From the Street to the Clouds: Pikes Peak and Production
Though the K-39 is engineered for road legality, its soul is firmly planted in motorsport. Kimera has confirmed that a specialized, stripped-out version of the car—complete with a high-downforce aero kit and the legendary Martini Racing livery—is being prepared to tackle the grueling Pikes Peak International Hillclimb.
The project is already seeing high demand among collectors. Kimera plans a strictly limited production run, with over 20 units already allocated to buyers. Additionally, 10 road-legal versions of the Pikes Peak-spec car will be manufactured specifically for the early supporters of the project, offering a rare blend of hillclimb-ready performance and street-legal compliance.
Final Thoughts on the Kimera K-39
The Kimera K-39 marks a pivotal moment for the Italian firm as it transitions from a high-end restomodder to a standalone manufacturer of bespoke performance machinery. By combining the heritage of Italian racing history with the cutting-edge powertrain technology of Koenigsegg, Kimera has created a vehicle that bridges the gap between nostalgic design and modern hypercar performance. With its sights set on both public roads and the peaks of Colorado, the K-39 is a bold statement of intent for the brand’s future.
