Lotus Evora
The Lotus Evora is a sports car produced by the British company Lotus. The car, which was developed under the project name Project Eagle, was launched on 22 July 2008 at the British International Motor Show. The Evora S was launched in 2010 with a supercharged 3.5-litre V6. A facelifted and more powerful Evora 400 model was unveiled at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, followed by another more powerful variant, the Evora GT430, which was unveiled in 2017.
The Lotus Evora is based on the first all-new vehicle platform from Lotus Cars since the introduction of the Lotus Elise in 1995. The Evora was planned to be the first of three vehicles to be built on the same platform. The sales target was 2,000 cars per year, with prices between £45,000 and just over £50,000, and sales in America scheduled from the beginning of 2010.
Overview
The Evora is the first product of a five-year plan started in 2006 to expand the Lotus lineup beyond its track-specialized offerings and produce a practical road car that would appeal to the mainstream market. As such, it is larger than are recent Elise models and its derivatives, with an unladen weight of, with the automatic version weighing in at. The Evora is currently the only Lotus model with a 2+2 configuration, although it will also be offered in a two-seater configuration, referred to as the "Plus Zero" option. The Evora and the BMW i8 are the only 2+2 mid-engine coupés on sale. The interior is larger to accommodate taller passengers, such as former Lotus CEO Mike Kimberley and two people of 6'5".The cooled boot behind the engine is large enough to fit a set of golf clubs, although Lotus design head Russell Carr denies that this was intentional. Lotus intends for the Evora to compete in different market sectors, including that of the Porsche 911.
Name
The Evora name keeps the Lotus tradition of model names that begin with an E. The name is derived from the words evolution, vogue and aura. Other names considered were Eagle, Exira and Ethos; Eagle and Ethos were rejected because they would be difficult for Lotus to claim as a trademark.Specifications
The Evora is equipped with a mid-mounted, transverse, Toyota-sourced 3.5-litre 24-valve 2GR-FE V6 engine. The Evora S uses the same engine but with a supercharger. Both versions are available with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission with "Intelligent Precision Shift," manufactured by Aisin. The Evora has a drag coefficient of. It is constructed on a lightweight aluminium tub with an additional front crash structure also made from aluminium, along with a steel rear sub-frame that houses the drivetrain. The chassis was designed to utilize proprietary 6000 Series alloy extrusions, which are bonded with an epoxy based adhesive and riveted together to increase torsional rigidity. The Evora also utilises a forged-aluminium, double-wishbone suspension with Bilstein high-performance gas dampers and Eibach coaxial coil springs. Hydraulically assisted power steering is included for increased manoeuvrability.Models
Evora S
In 2010, Lotus unveiled a high-performance variant of the Evora called the Evora S. The "S" in the name stands for "supercharged," but the engine is not intercooled. The car has the same standard design but is more powerful, now rated at and of torque powered by a new supercharger manufactured by Harrop. The car's exhaust was also replaced with a single-tubed exhaust system. The suspension's dampers were recalibrated to suit the vehicle's new suspension characteristics, and the steering also received recalibration.The car was able to accelerate from 0- in 4.6 seconds, with a top speed of.
Lotus ceased production of the S in 2014 and later replaced it and the standard Evora with a new variant called the Evora 400 in 2015.
The Romanian police have an Evora S in their lineup as of 2012.
Evora 400
The Evora 400 is a new variant that replaces the Evora and the Evora S. The "400" in the name is a reference to the vehicle's horsepower rating. The improved engine output of and of torque is made possible by an intercooled supercharger developed by Edelbrock. The Evora 400 has an all-new body kit design, which helps produce an extra of downforce. The exhaust has a new driver-activated system that allows the driver to increase the roar of the exhaust. The interior was slightly revised, notably with narrower sills for simplified entry and exit, a new dashboard design and a new centre-console design. The wheel set was also different, with forged wheels as a new option. The wing was changed to a split rear wing. The car has a total weight of.Acceleration from 0+ is at 4.1 seconds, 0.5 seconds faster than that of the S variant. The 400 can attain a top speed of.
Evora Sport 410
At the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, Lotus unveiled the Evora Sport 410, a slightly enhanced version of the 400. The car's 3.5-liter Toyota-derived V6 received a power increase by, for a total of. The torque was also improved to.The exterior was changed with the addition of a carbon-fibre roof, tailgate and front access panel. The wheels were further lightened and a lithium-ion battery was fitted rather than the traditional lead acid version. Inside, the rear seats were removed and one-piece carbon-fibre bucket seats were fitted. Overall weight was reduced to.
The performance figures were improved with the 0- acceleration time now at 3.9 seconds, and a top speed of. However, if the IPS automatic transmission system is used, top speed is reduced to.
Evora GT430
In 2017, Lotus unveiled the most powerful variant of the Evora and also the fastest street-legal vehicle that Lotus has ever produced, the Evora GT430, though only 60 units were planned. The model is part of an entirely new range in the Evora family called the performance range. The car's 3.5-liter Toyota-derived V6 has an increased power output of powered by an Edelbrock supercharger and a titanium exhaust system. The torque figures were also improved to for manual-transmission models and for models with automatic transmission made possible by launch control and fast gear-change ratios. The GT430 is also the lightest Evora and weighs for manual-transmission models and for automatic-transmission models. The cars with automatic transmission weigh more because of the gear box and its cooling system. Top speed also varies for manual and automatic cars because of gearbox differences and the added weight, rated at for automatic cars and for manual cars. Because of the increased torque, the automatic-transmission cars have a slightly shorter 0- acceleration time of 3.6 seconds, compared with 3.7 seconds for manual-transmission cars. The GT430 also generates more downforce than did its previous variants.The GT430 has a new and aggressive body kit that features a larger carbon-fibre rear wing, larger air intakes, forged aluminium wheels, polycarbonate lights and carbon-fibre bodywork to keep the weight low. The interior is also stripped down to save weight and the rear seats have been removed. The GT430 has carbon-fiber interior components and racing seats. It also features a plaque signifying the car's production number. The creature comforts are retained, with air conditioning included as standard.
Evora GT430 Sport and GT410 Sport
Later in 2017, Lotus unveiled another variant of the Evora GT430 called the Evora GT430 Sport. It features a more aerodynamic body and removes the GT430's rear wing for smoother airflow and reduced drag. This helps increase the top speed to, with the automatic version having a top speed of because of added gearbox weight.To celebrate its 70th anniversary, Lotus unveiled the new Evora GT410 Sport. Available as a two-seater or 2+2, the GT410 Sport takes the GT430's basic shape and adds new composite front and rear body panels minus some of the 430's higher downforce pieces for a subtler shape. The revised front panel has larger carbon-fibre air ducts that move air around the front wheels more efficiently, cutting turbulence and drag. Deeper front and rear splitters and carbon ducts behind the rear wheels add downforce, which is increased by 211 pounds. Other carbon pieces include the front-access panel, roof panel and rear decklid. The car is powered by the same engine powering the rest of the Evora lineup, rated at and of torque, allowing for a 0-to-60 mph acceleration time of 3.9 seconds with the manual and four seconds with the six-speed automatic. The car weighs, less than the 410.