Ferrari 355 by Evoluto review: “a modern supercar seen through a ‘90s lens”

Is that… a new Ferrari F355?

Correct, it was only a matter of time before arguably the most significant mid-engine V8 in Maranello’s history went under the knife. But while most restomods are content with a little maintenance surgery, the 355 by Evoluto has spiralled out of hand in the most glorious way possible. A 414bhp (or 473bhp if you’re in a hurry, more on that in a bit) Ferrari F355 restomod that’s been totally re-styled and re-engineered to improve everything.

Question is, can 90s supercar perfection really be improved upon? In fact, should it be improved upon when the original is still so beautiful, still delivers high-rev thrills and still has genuine star power? What we’re ultimately asking here is should you spend £100k on a used F355 (plus a good chunk again if you want to make it factory fresh) or £595k plus VAT plus a donor car plus options on the Evoluto, of which they’re only building 55. Yes, your maths are correct, that’s the scary side of £800k.

Yikes, these upgrades had better be good…

Let’s start with the heart of any Ferrari. The original had a flat-plane crank 3.5-litre V8 with 375bhp – a significant increase over the 348’s 312bhp, and at the time the highest specific horsepower-per-litre of any naturally-aspirated car on sale, McLaren F1 included. In period the only real criticisms were a slight lack of torque, and only being truly musical above 5,000rpm.

Over to the Evoluto, where you’ll also find a 3.5-litre V8, that still revs to 8,5000rpm, but power is up to 414bhp and torque hiked by 22 to 295lb ft. Bespoke camshafts, ported cylinder heads (200 components replaced in total) and a new equal-length header stainless-steel exhaust system uncorks the extra horsies, sharper responses and a sound that’s far more soulful lower down, and builds to a much fuller-bodied howl beyond 4,000rpm.

Want more? You can order a 3.7-litre engine upgrade with 473bhp at 9,000rpm and 332lb ft of torque courtesy of that increased capacity, high-lift cam profiles, revised fuelling, titanium conrods, carbon intake plenums and a full titanium exhaust. Throw in a throttle by wire system (it’s a trusty old cable on the 3.5) and a single mass flywheel and it should be more urgent, more of the time. Red engine covers denote the 3.7, black on the 3.5. Although this 3.5 final-stage prototype ignores that completely.

Looks like the styling’s been messed with, too?

This is probably the most controversial bit, mostly because the original is untouchably stunning, but also because some in the TG office think it looks too ‘tuner’. Fair enough; the slats behind the headlights and on the rear flanks add a fussyness, the carbon sills and front splitter I could do without and the gold wheels (now 19-inch, not 18s, and here in the optional magnesium alloy that save 4kg per corner) are a punchy look. Personally, I’d stick with silver.

This is probably the most controversial bit, mostly because the original is untouchably stunning… some in the TG office think it looks too ‘tuner’

However, the fundamental proportions and stance are spot on: 25mm lower ride height, front and rear tracks widened by 77mm and 66mm respectively (done the hard way – not with spacers), effectively squaring everything off and filling the front arches properly. The body is all carbon-fibre, every panel is new, including deeper and wider side intakes to feed the engine and rear brakes that necessitates changing the door handle to a push button and redesigning the entire internal door mechanism.

What about the interior?

Besides refurbished analogue dials, the leather, carbon and metal-clad insides are totally new, and a huge improvement. You turn a key in a barrel to get in, and immediately the DNA is obvious – low, reclined seating position, pedals offset to the left and while the steering still only adjusts for rake, not reach, the deep-dish wheel is superb with a delicate thin rim that reaches out to meet you.

No screens in here, just a cradle for your phone and Bluetooth, and no Ferrari logos allowed except for on direct carry-over components, hence the Cavallino in the front grille, on the shifter-gate and the window glass.

And under the skin?

There’s an entire new rear subframe that can unplug and drop down – making what was previously major engine-out maintenance a whole lot quicker and easier. Bits of carbon-strengthening in the chassis (and the carbon body) ups stiffness by 23 per cent, and fully re-engineered suspension includes new upper and lower arms, uprights, wheel bearings, anti-roll bar drop links and three-way adjustable dampers from R23.

What that means is wider Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres in contact with the road more of the time and cleaner, less corrupted steering. Thanks to all that carbon, a dry weight of 1,250kg is 100kg less than the original.

Was all that work worth it?

It takes less than a minute to deduce this is simply one of the best-sounding, rawest engines I’ve ever experienced – right up there with the gargling Shelby GT350R and the rasping Alfaholics GTA-R in my personal hall of fame. Keep your toe in and there’s a pause just before 40000rpm, as if the engine’s steeling itself for the pure savagery to come as it tears towards the 8,500rpm limiter. I know ‘spine tingling’ is a terrible cliché, but here it’s the most literal description I can offer.

The joy isn’t just the metallic clarity of the note escalating in pitch and volume, it’s that in something like a Ferrari 12cyl with 800bhp+ you also have an atmospheric engine with a sparkling top end, but you’re going so bloody fast by the time you get there that you’ve either been arrested or run over a sheep. Here, the stakes are lower, you have time to enjoy revving it out and you’re not doing triple-figure speeds when you reach for the next gear.

Assume the open-gate manual gearbox is pure joy?   

It keeps the same ratios as the original (Evoluto replaces first and second gears as those are the ones that take a beating in its former life) and, yes, it’s predictably glorious – but you have to be deliberate and place it in the right slot with a bit of muscle. The action isn’t as oily as, say, an Audi R8 manual – but timing clutch, blip and shift is every bit as satisfying.

Any other standout sensations?

The new steering ratio, down from 3.25 turns lock to lock in the original to two turns here, is the same as you get in a modern 296 GTB. Except it doesn’t feel overly light and hyperactive like a 296, there’s more weight and feedback while still feeling crisp and direct.

The ride, too, is superb – something that stood out when I drove an original F355 – and it’s been preserved albeit with top-shelf components and optimised geometry. Everything feels stiffer and tighter, except the suspension that now has a more rigid platform to work off, so can remain supple and still control the body movements beautifully.

Straight away you click into a flow on the road, surfing the crests, hollows and cambers… it’s about interaction, analogue thrills and a bit of theatre

Straight away you click into a flow on the road, surfing the crests, hollows and cambers rather than picking a fight with them. You can cruise through the gears, find a relaxed rhythm and then, when you get your shot, let rip. It’s a car that’s been designed not for track days, hot laps, 0-60mph times or downforce numbers; it’s about interaction, analogue thrills and a bit of theatre. It’s a modern supercar, seen through a ‘90s lens.

Sounds like a slam dunk?

It kinda is… it drives how I always imagined the F355 would, how I’d built it up in my head. By extension that means it’s the supercar I’ve always dreamed of – this heady cocktail of noise, tactility, size and just the right amount of performance. Do you need the 3.7-litre engine upgrade? If your pockets are bottomless (you’re buying a near million-pound F355 so let’s face it, they are) then another 60bhp is always welcome, but I’m not sure you need it. Sometimes less is more. 

I’m aware some will dislike it on principle, see it as a bastardisation of the 355 and bemoan its lack of purity. It’s a colossal amount of money, too, but it’s more fun on the road than hypercars with four times the power, it sounds better (at more accessible speeds) than any modern supercar, and as an ode to analogue the driving experience is pretty much perfect.

It’s the car that Ferrari wishes it could build, but can’t because it’s being kettled towards turbos, hybrids and EVs. For the poster on my bedroom wall it’s still the original 355, it always was, but it’s the Evoluto I’ll drive in my dreams.

Photography: John Wycherley