Lotus Evora: Auto Exotica

Motoring Channel Staff - 23/July/2008

London, England — Lotus has revealed the name for its new sports car, Evora, that has since been known only as Project Eagle.

The Lotus Evora was publicly unveiled at the 2008 British Motor Show and promises to deliver an exotic vehicle that is more than just a race track toy.

As we've mentioned in previous articles, the Evora is a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive sports car with a 2+2 seating arrangement.

It's powered by a 3.5-litre V6 Toyota engine (modified by Lotus) that outputs 206kW (280hp) which should give it much more distinctive and guttural sound that other Lotus models.

The vehicle weighs 1350kg and the British car maker claims the new Evora vehicle is faster round the 20km+ Nürburgring circuit than the current big seller, the Lotus Elise, and more stable at speed than the single-minded, motor sports-inspired Exige.

Lotus also chose a 6-speed Toyota-sourced gearbox for the Evora, which is claimed to have CO2 emissions of less than 225g/km and fuel consumption of around 7.8L/100km (30+ MPG).

The mid-mounted V6 engine's vital statistics are as follows:

Power: 206kW @ 6400rpm
Torque: 342Nm @ 4700rpm
0-100km/h: 5.0 seconds
Top speed: 257km/h

Suspending the vehicle are forged aluminium wishbones front and rear that use Bilstein dampers and Eibach springs.

The brakes comprise 350mm vented and cross-drilled front disc brakes and 332mm rear discs clamped by Lotus AP Racing 4-piston calipers for what is claimed to be "phenomenal" stopping power.

"In addition to its excellent performance and exemplary handling, the Evora offers a more refined ownership experience than Lotus's existing smaller four-cylinder models," reads the press release.

Lotus states that one of the prime functions of the new Evora is "to attract new customers to the Lotus brand" and as such "much attention has been paid to its ease of use".

The doors are taller than in the Elise models, which improves ingress and egress or as Lotus put it, "a less athletic undertaking than it is in Lotus's smaller sports cars". 

Tall people will be pleased to hear that the new model will accommodate driver and passenger up to 6'5" tall.

"Very supportive" front sport seats are upholstered in leather and are adjustable fore and aft, plus rake and lumbar.

Lotus has confirmed that Bosch-developed ABS and stability controls will be standard on all Evora models "to provide enhanced safety features whilst maintaining performance characteristics".

Creature comforts will include a "truly cutting edge" Alpine in-car entertainment and navigation system featuring all the good stuff:

Bluetooth hands-free telephone
Satellite navigation
Removable hard-drive
7-inch touch-screen
iPod connectivity
Reversing camera

According to Lotus, the Alpine system is one of "the most sophisticated automotive [audio-visual] systems in the world" and is called IMPRINT. 

Air conditioning, tyre pressure monitoring, and even rear ISOFIX mountings for child seats are offered. Has Lotus gone soft? Not likely.

Lotus says the Evora's 160 litre boot will fit a set of golf clubs and "ingeniously features a fresh air cooling system to reduce the effect of heat ingress from the engine bay" so your groceries don't prematurely roast.

As well as a range of airbags and a switchable stability control system, the new Evora attains its grip from Yokohama tyres. 

The 18-inch front and 19-inch rear alloy wheel rims are shod with tailor-made Yokos with 225/40 ZR18 and 255/35 ZR19 aspect ratios front and rear respectively.

Mike Kimberley, the CEO of Group Lotus, had this to say about during the launch of the new Evora: "Looking to the future, we will continue to research, develop and produce lighter, more efficient vehicles which are linked to our extensive and well-regarded work on all aspects of future fuels, alternative engines and electric and hybrid vehicle solutions for the future. 

"We all have an environmental responsibility to future generations and the Evora is another example where Lotus is seen to make significant steps towards improving the efficiency and sustainability of the motorcar, keeping Britain at the forefront of the high technology motor industry," stated Kimberley.

Lotus will hand build just 2000 Evora units per year. 

The car will begin arriving in Lotus showrooms from the second quarter of 2009 in Europe, followed by other international markets later in the year and into 2010.

Exterior Design

The new Lotus Evora is the "first all-new Lotus since the iconic Elise made its debut in 1995" says the sports car company.

The design leader on the Evora, Russell Carr, explained that his team "...never lost sight of the fact that, although this car must provide real world useability, sportscars are emotional purchases and that you have to seduce the customer through beguiling looks and exotic persona. 

"We are, therefore, very proud that we have been able to use technical and user functionality to positively drive the design in key areas and create some of the car's most distinctive features," says Carr.

Russell Carr added that the "...cornerstone of the design's success was working closely with the technical team to develop a package that allowed us to get the proportions correct.

"The asymmetric wheel sizes, the short rear overhang, long front overhang and cab forward visor screen all contribute to giving the car visual movement and an agile stance. 

"This is incredibly important to us because we want the car's aesthetics to communicate its driving characteristics," said Mr Carr.

Steve Crijns, the design manager, added his own viewpoint: "Overall the design language shows a clear DNA link with its Lotus siblings, whilst establishing its own distinctive and contemporary theme. The undulating shoulder line is brilliantly mirrored in the lower part of the bodyside by the cut-away sill that creates a torso-like muscularity."

Talking about the new-look interior, Russell Carr said the cabin was "A huge departure from what people might expect based on Lotus’s recent past. We wanted the Evora’s cabin to feel special and to be surprising as well as sporty. 

"Precision engineered metal inserts and quality edge-lit switches are brilliantly juxtaposed against soft hand-stitched leather surfaces to give a modern interior with a classic twist," explained Carr.

Anthony Bushell, Lotus's senior interior designer, claimed that "Tactile quality is incredibly important within this segment and so we wanted the interior to use honest premium materials. Much of the switchgear is bespoke, and every metallic component is actually metal."

Related articles:
- Lotus Project Eagle (2009)
- Lotus Elise SC (2008)
- Lotus Europa SE (2008)
- Lotus Exige Sport 240 (2007)
- Lotus Europa S (2006)
- Type 72 Lotus Elise (2002)
- Lotus Elise (2001)