Evoluto’s Ferrari 355 Restomod Elevates a ’90s Exotic Icon

Upon its debut in 1994, the Ferrari F355 was a cutting-edge sports car. Its five valves per cylinder, upgraded engine management system compared with the outgoing Ferrari 348, and titanium connecting rods made the powerplant the most powerful one, per liter, in the world. The 355 was also the first road car to use an electro-hydraulic F1-style gearbox. At the same time, the 355 was less temperamental in traffic than its predecessor.

Of course, technology and taste have both changed significantly over the last 30 years. U.K.-based Evoluto Automobili brings the classic Prancing Horse up to modern standards with a new restomod treatment that includes a body redesigned by the great Ian Callum.

Evoluto requires customers to supply their own F355 donor vehicles. (A 1996 Berlinetta coupe costs an average of $153,000 in Good, or #3, condition.) The conversion process includes stripping the car down to the bare chassis. The company then installs carbon-fiber bracing to improve rigidity. It also replaces the wiring harness with a custom unit that allegedly provides “21st-century reliability and improved performance,” according to the company’s press release.

The so-called “355 by Evoluto,” developed by DRVN Advanced Engineering, retains Ferrari’s 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V-8, which receives over 200 revised powertrain components to increase the output to 420 horsepower rather than the original 380. The changes include CNC-ported cylinder heads with larger intake valves, a bespoke inlet camshaft, solid cam lifters, and a coil-on-plug ignition system. The upgraded V-8 can rev to 8500 rpm, and it promises heavenly noises via the new titanium exhaust system.

The F355 ordinarily uses a quill shaft to connect the engine and transmission. Evoluto replaces this piece with a modified version of its own design, and the company claims the new part both reduces vibration and optimizes power transfer compared to the original.

Evoluto improves the F355’s braking ability by fitting Brembo GT six-piston calipers with slotted discs in front and four-piston stoppers at the rear. Buyers can also upgrade to carbon-ceramic rotors.

Callum’s redesigned exterior retains the F355’s wedge-shaped styling while giving the overall appearance a more aggressive look. The body panels are now made from carbon-fiber, and louvers now appear on the hood near the pop-up headlights, creating a nose resembling that of the 308 GTB from the 1970s. The simplified front fascia has larger cooling intakes and small horizontal running lamps that replace the much larger lights on the original car’s nose.

Some of the biggest design changes are at the back, where a large black mesh panel now spans the rear deck between the simplified taillights. The louvers on the rear deck also have a different layout than Pininfarina’s original styling for the F355. The flanks of the Evoluto F355 get raised spears that connect to the intakes on the rear fenders, plus vertical gills near the tail.

The Evoluto-modified F355 wears a simplified interior compared to the original. The center stack no longer includes radio controls. Rather than black plastic HVAC vents, circular metal pieces now rout air into occupants. The panel still has analog gauges. 

Evoluto plans a limited run of 55 units for its special 355, and the company will work with each client to make the car unique. While the company is based in the U.K., customers from the United States are eligible and welcome. “If a customer brings us a LHD American car, we can restore it for them,” says Rob Borrett, communications manager at DRVN Automotive Group, which represents Evoluto Automobili. “Restoration starts at £695,000 [$900,000 at current exchange rates]. Each car is 1 of 1 with a heavily bespoke and personalized product for each customer.” 

Following its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the 355 by Evoluto will be on display in California during Monterey Car Week in August 2024.

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