The Ferrari 348 was, by most accounts, not a stellar performer. Some even suggested it was the worst Ferrari produced in recent times. “This was clearly the worst product Ferrari had developed for some time,” remarked former Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo.

Upon taking the helm at Maranello, Luca immediately set about transforming that car into one of the finest mid-engined Ferraris ever built: the 1994 F355. Now it’s 2024, and it’s been given another makeover. Enter the 355 by Evoluto.

Evoluto is a UK engineering firm specializing in the meticulous restoration and modernization of iconic supercars, and they’ve done just that with Ferrari’s Nineties supercar icon.

Well, your Nineties supercar icon, because the process begins with a customer-supplied car. It’s then stripped back to its core chassis, assessed, cleaned, and strengthened via carbon fusing. This, much like the X-Men’s Wolverine, involves fortifying the 355’s hard points with carbon to improve its torsional rigidity by 23 percent compared to the original.

Unlike the X-Men’s Wolverine, however, the 355 packs a thoroughly reworked version of Ferrari’s sonorous naturally aspirated 3.5-litre flat-plane crank V8. There’s a new CNC ported cylinder head with bigger inlet valves, a bespoke inlet cam, solid cam lifters, a new ECU, and Evoluto’s “coil-on-plug” ignition allowing for more precise ignition timing. A new titanium sports exhaust with equal-length headers is also fitted. A thimble of the Honda NSX's tears. Probably.

In total, more than 200 new and redesigned engine parts contribute to boosting the 355’s power from around 280 kW to 309 kW, with Evoluto promising “21st-century reliability” and better response. Should sound fairly fruity.

There’s a new wiring system and electronic architecture developed in-house, a rework of the six-speed manual gearbox, and Brembo six-piston brakes up front (four-pots at the back, with the option of carbon ceramics all around) bursting out of custom 19-inch forged alloys.

Ditto the body, which now looks like it’s gently trying to burst out of its original – gorgeous – suit. None other than Ian Callum himself (well, his company Callum Designs) was responsible for the redesign, which now features carbon fibre body panels throughout, helping to drop the 355's weight down to 1,250 kg.

There’s a wider track, bigger intakes, and a new splitter up front, LED pop-up headlights, new wing mirrors, and a bit of a flourish on the rear arches. Naturally, you’ll be able to personalize the body – ditto the interior – according to your preferences, with Evoluto offering bespoke paint, leather, and material finishes.

“The 355 was iconic in 1994; now, 30 years later, we’ve re-engineered it to OEM standards,” said Evoluto’s technical boss Amjad Ali. Ali spent seven years working at Porsche tuner Gunther Werks, FYI.

“The 355 by Evoluto programme not only honours the classic legacy of an iconic Italian supercar but also offers our customers a unique journey of personalisation for each commission,” said Darren McDermott, executive chair of the DRVN Automotive Group. DRVN owns Evoluto and Boreham Motorworks, the latter responsible for the new-old Ford RS200 and Mk1 Escorts, FYI.

Price, naturally, depends on each customer’s preferences, but only 55 will be re-engineered to this spec. The F355 was clearly not the worst product Ferrari had developed for some time. It was, in fact, one of the finest mid-engined Ferraris ever built. Do you reckon Evoluto's rework improves on Maranello's masterpiece?