Restomod

Evoluto F355 Is Light, Loud, and Almost Sold Out

There’s a fine line between preservation and provocation in the restomod world. Coventry-based Evoluto Automobili has decided to ignore that line entirely and redraw it in carbon fibre.

Its latest creation—the 355 by Evoluto—is what happens when you take a mid-’90s Ferrari icon, subject it to 12 months of engineering scrutiny, 5000 miles of track abuse, and then hand the styling pen to Ian Callum. The result is a 420bhp, 1250kg love letter to the analog era, sharpened for 2026.

A Shape You Know, A Surface You Don’t

At a glance, you’ll recognize the donor car: the sublime Ferrari F355 GTS. But linger for a second and the differences stack up.

The nose now wears a larger grille and a pronounced carbonfibre splitter. The pop-up headlights—once a defining ’90s flourish—are gone, replaced by fixed LED units. Around back, a proper diffuser anchors the tail, flanked by ring-shaped LED brake lights that echo the original’s quad-round theme without lapsing into retro pastiche.

Every external panel is now carbonfibre. That alone slashes kerb weight from the F355 GTS’s 1422kg to a target of 1250kg, depending on how indulgent a buyer gets with their spec sheet. It’s a dramatic cut, and one that transforms the car’s fundamental character before you even twist the key.

Stiffer, Lighter, Sharper

Underneath, Evoluto hasn’t simply refreshed the chassis—it’s reengineered it. The structure is now spot-welded and reinforced with carbonfibre bracing, boosting torsional stiffness by 23 percent. Reinforcements cluster around suspension hardpoints, precisely where a 1990s Ferrari would most benefit from modern thinking.

The suspension geometry has been reworked with a wider track, while braking is handled by modern slotted Brembo discs. For those who see kerbs as apexes rather than warnings, carbon-ceramic discs are optional.

Yet Evoluto resists the temptation to sanitize the experience. The car rides on 19-inch wheels wrapped in road-biased Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber, chosen specifically to allow a degree of rear slip. This isn’t about crushing lap times with clinical efficiency; it’s about letting the chassis breathe and move beneath you.

A V8, Reconsidered

The 3.5-litre naturally aspirated V8 remains, but only in the same way a cathedral remains after restoration: spiritually intact, structurally transformed.

A new ignition system sharpens timing and throttle response. The cylinder heads are ported for improved airflow, and bespoke camshafts enhance high-rev stability. The notorious quill shaft—long regarded as a weak link in the original drivetrain—has been replaced with a strengthened Evoluto-designed component to reduce vibration and improve reliability.

There’s also a full-length titanium exhaust with equal-length headers, promising what Evoluto calls an “emotional” soundtrack. Given the F355’s reputation as one of the best-sounding V8s ever fitted to a road car, that’s a bold claim.

Output climbs to 420bhp—40bhp more than the factory-rated 380bhp the F355 boasted in 1994, when it had the highest specific output of any production engine on sale. Combined with the weight loss, power-to-weight improves by 69bhp per tonne. The numbers matter less than what they imply: urgency.

Crucially, drive is still sent through a six-speed manual gearbox. It’s been modified for improved shift feel, but the gated romance remains. No paddles. No dual-clutch. No apologies.

Tested, Not Just Tuned

Before a single customer car rolls out in March, the 355 by Evoluto has endured a 12-month development programme, including 5000 miles of track driving. High-speed aerodynamic and noise testing took place in Northamptonshire’s Catesby Tunnel—a proving ground more often associated with OEM validation than boutique restomods.

Backing that up is a 20,000-mile, two-year warranty—an unusual commitment in a sector where craftsmanship sometimes outpaces durability.

Only 55 Chances

Production is capped at 55 cars. Each buyer can commission bespoke paint finishes, tailor-made interior upholstery, and presumably a spec sheet limited only by taste and budget.

The original F355 was often described as the moment Ferrari rediscovered its edge in the 1990s. The 355 by Evoluto feels like a similar inflection point for the restomod world: less nostalgia trip, more engineering reset.

In a market crowded with carbon-clad classics chasing concours glamour, Evoluto’s Ferrari doesn’t want to sit still under soft lights. It wants to be driven—hard, often, and preferably sideways.

Source: Evoluto

NEW CARS

Vauxhall Corsa GSE Is Coming to Reignite the Griffin’s Hot-Hatch Flame

Eight years is a long time in hot-hatch exile. That’s how long it’s been since the last Vauxhall Corsa VXR snarled off the production line, taking with it the kind of torque-steering, front-tire-melting mischief that once defined Vauxhall’s performance reputation. Now, the griffin is sharpening its claws again.

Vauxhall has confirmed that a performance version of the Corsa—badged Corsa GSE—will arrive later this year, marking the brand’s first proper hot hatch of the electric era. And this time, the fireworks will be powered by volts rather than boost.

GSE Means Business Now

The GSE badge isn’t just a sporty trim anymore. Relaunched last July as a sub-brand for genuinely performance-honed EVs, it made its first modern statement with the 276-hp Vauxhall Mokka GSE. That car nearly doubled the output of the standard Mokka Electric and backed it up with meaningful chassis upgrades—proof that GSE now stands for more than black wheels and contrast stitching.

Expect the Corsa GSE to follow that template, only with less mass and more attitude.

Vauxhall’s teaser image reveals little beyond swollen arches and bespoke 18-inch alloys, but the visual message is clear: this won’t be your local delivery-spec electric supermini. If the Mokka’s playbook is reused, we’re likely looking at the same 276-hp front-mounted motor (shared with the Abarth 600e), plus a proper limited-slip differential to keep the inside wheel from vaporizing under full throttle.

The Mokka GSE also gained uprated anti-roll bars, stiffer rear bushings, bigger brakes, and sticky Michelin Pilot Sport EV rubber. Transplant that hardware into the lighter Corsa, and suddenly the Mokka’s already brisk 5.9-second 0–62 mph time looks vulnerable. A mid-five-second sprint wouldn’t be out of the question—and in a small front-driver, that’s properly rapid.

A GTi Rival, Electrified

The Corsa GSE will line up squarely against the upcoming Peugeot e-208 GTi, its Stellantis cousin. Platform sharing is inevitable, but differentiation will be critical. Vauxhall’s design team appears ready to lean into aggression.

Clues can be found in the wild Vauxhall Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo concept unveiled last August. While its towering rear wing and dramatic diffuser are fantasy-league material, its sharper interpretation of Vauxhall’s Vizor front fascia could preview the production car’s face. Design boss Mark Adams has already hinted that elements of that look are under evaluation for road use.

Translation: expect something meaner, lower, and more purposeful than the standard Electric 156PS.

Heritage, Recharged

Vauxhall boss Eurig Druce says the brand “has a proud heritage of hot hatches,” and he’s not wrong. From the scrappy Vauxhall Nova GSi to the riotous Corsa VXR, small, fast Vauxhalls have long punched above their weight. The difference now? No exhaust crackle, no manual gearbox—just instant torque and the faint whir of electrons being hurled rearward.

Purists may grumble, but if the chassis tuning is right—and if that limited-slip diff does its job—the Corsa GSE could deliver the kind of front-end bite and lift-off adjustability that made its predecessors cult heroes.

Pricing and Positioning

Expect the Corsa GSE to start around £35,000, nudging above today’s range-topping Electric 156PS Ultimate (£33,720). That premium should buy not just extra power, but real hardware: brakes that can survive repeated stops, suspension that resists roll without wrecking ride quality, and steering calibrated for something more than supermarket duty.

If Vauxhall gets it right, the Corsa GSE won’t just be the brand’s first electric hot hatch—it’ll be a statement that the fun isn’t gone, merely rewired.

And after eight years of silence, the griffin’s bark is about to go electric.

Source: Vauxhall

NEW CARS

Lepas L8 Targets RAV4 and CX-5 with Cut-Price PHEV Punch in UK Debut

When a new brand lands on British shores promising premium feel for mainstream money, skepticism is part of the job description. But that’s exactly the pitch from Lepas, which has confirmed that its L8 SUV will be the first model it sells in the United Kingdom.

If the name sounds unfamiliar, the backstory shouldn’t. Lepas is owned by Chinese heavyweight Chery and sits alongside sibling brands Omoda and Jaecoo. The name itself is a carefully engineered mash-up of “leopard,” “leap,” and “passion”—marketing poetry that signals ambition, if not subtlety.

A Flagship with Familiar Targets

The L8 arrives as a five-seat, mid-size SUV aimed squarely at Europe’s family-car sweet spot. Think of the territory currently occupied by the Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4—only with a price tag expected to undercut both. That means going head-to-head with established players from Mazda and Toyota while dangling the promise of extra kit for less cash.

Under the skin, the L8 rides on Chery’s modular T1X platform, shared with its Omoda and Jaecoo cousins. That’s not necessarily a drawback; economies of scale are the not-so-secret weapon of every rising brand with global ambitions.

Plug-In Power, with EV to Follow

Although full UK specs remain under wraps, clues come from markets where the L8 is already on sale. In Indonesia, it’s offered exclusively as a plug-in hybrid, pairing a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor and an 18.3-kWh battery. The combined output stands at 204 horsepower, and the electric-only range is quoted at 56 miles—enough to cover most weekday commutes without waking the petrol engine.

Given that the UK-market Jaecoo 7 uses the same setup, expect the L8 to follow suit. An all-electric version is also likely waiting in the wings, especially since the T1X architecture already supports full EV applications in related models. In other words, Lepas appears to be hedging its bets—PHEV now, EV soon.

Clean Cabin, Big Screens

Inside, the L8 leans heavily into the minimalist playbook. A portrait-oriented 13.2-inch infotainment touchscreen dominates the center stack, while a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster handles driver duties. Refreshingly, Lepas hasn’t gone full touchscreen purist: physical climate buttons and a proper volume dial remain. There’s also a wireless phone charger, because of course there is.

The brand promises “next-generation driving assistance,” though details remain vague. Expect the usual suite of lane-keeping aids, adaptive cruise control, and collision mitigation tech, but we’ll reserve judgment until the spec sheet drops.

More to Come

Full UK-market details are due in the coming weeks ahead of a summer launch. And the L8 won’t be alone for long. According to Autocar, Lepas also plans to bring its L4 and L6 crossovers to Britain, offering a mix of pure internal-combustion, plug-in hybrid, and fully electric powertrains.

For now, the L8 represents the opening salvo: a family SUV with premium aspirations and a value-driven pitch. If Lepas can deliver on price without cutting too many corners, the established order in Britain’s hyper-competitive SUV class may have reason to glance nervously in its rearview mirror.

Source: Autocar

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