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Britain’s Evoluto Automobili is putting its Ferrari F355 restomod through its final paces before entering production.
The 355 by Evoluto has already completed 5000 miles of track driving and 10,000 miles of engine testing on a dyno, and will soon embark on a 20,000-mile durability drive to ensure that every part of the car is production ready.
The car was first shown in 2024 and Evoluto reckons it will be able to deliver the first of 55 cars by the end of this year. Each will be backed by a two-year, 20,000-mile warranty, which is pretty unusual for such a small re-manufacturer.
Evoluto Automobili
Evoluto Automobili
Evoluto Automobili
Styled by CALLUM, the 355 by Evoluto doesn’t fix what was never broken in the first place. There’s a just a slightly larger front grille with a carbon spoiler, a carbon rear diffuser, and all-round LED lighting. Thankfully the pop-up headlight mechanism has been retained.
The cabin gets a rework with exposed carbon fiber and leatherwork, a flat-bottomed steering wheel, new pedals, shift knob, and machined dials. There’s been no attempt to force a big touchscreen inside, instead there’s just a phone holder built-in, and a hidden audio system to link your device to.
Evoluto Automobili
Not that you’ll be playing music, for the revised 3.5-liter naturally-aspirated V-8 is absolutely operatic. With new camshafts, ported cylinder heads and a full stainless steel exhaust system, it’s also much more punchy than the original Prancing Horse unit. When it left Maranello the motor made 375 hp, but now there’s 414 hp, and a rev limit of 8500 rpm. Customers can even opt for a 3.7-liter version with 473 horses if they prefer.
Evoluto Automobili
Drive goes through a proper open-gated manual transmission, and Evoluto has installed its own driveshafts and wheel bearing units to save weight and improve durability. The chassis has also been comprehensively re-engineered with revised hard points, and a wider track. Upper and lower ball joints are repositioned to allow the fitment of modern wheels and tires, while also improving the caster angle. R53 ST46 adjustable dampers are fitted, and a new steering rack reduces the number of turns lock-to-lock from 3.25 to two.
Evoluto also threw out most of the original electrics, developing a wiring harness that is 90 percent new, and fitted its own powertrain ECU. A modern electric HVAC system will keep occupants comfortable.
Over the last year, Evoluto has been piling on the miles, including doing high-speed aerodynamic testing in the extraordinary Catesby Tunnel facility. This 1.7-mile former Victorian railway tunnel can now operate as a sealed unit to provide perfect environment for assessing aerodynamics and cooling systems. It also just happens to act as an amazing echo chamber for the music of internal combustion as you can see, and hear, in the video below.