The Lotus Evora is a
sports car
A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...
produced by British car manufacturer
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 British International Motor Show is an annual motor show held by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders between 1903 and 2008 in England, and as The British Motor Show since 2021 by Automotion Events.
Initially held in London at T ...
.
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
The Lotus Elise is a two-seat, rear-wheel drive, mid-engined roadster conceived in early 1994 and released in September 1996 by the British manufacturer Lotus Cars. The Elise has a fibreglass body shell atop its bonded extruded aluminium chas ...
in 1995 (the
Exige and the 2006
Europa S are both derivatives of the Elise). 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
![Lotus Evora Interior Red](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Lotus_Evora_Interior_Red.jpg)
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 (the
Exige,
Europa S, etc.), 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
The BMW i8 is a plug-in hybrid sports car developed by BMW. The i8 was part of BMW's electrified fleet and was marketed under the BMW i sub-brand. The production version of the BMW i8 was unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show and was rel ...
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" (195.6 cm).
The cooled
boot behind the engine is large enough to fit a set of
golf club
A golf club is a club used to hit a golf ball in a game of golf. Each club is composed of a shaft with a grip and a club head. Woods are mainly used for long-distance fairway or tee shots; irons, the most versatile class, are used for a variety ...
s, 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
Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, j ...
,
Exira and
Ethos
Ethos ( or ) is a Greek word meaning "character" that is used to describe the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, nation, or ideology; and the balance between caution, and passion. The Greeks also used this word to refer to ...
; 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 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
is a Japanese corporation that develops and produces components and systems for the automotive industry. Aisin is a Fortune Global 500 company, ranked 359 rankings. Aisin is a member of the Toyota Group of companies.
Aisin was founded in 196 ...
. The Evora has a
drag coefficient
In fluid dynamics, the drag coefficient (commonly denoted as: c_\mathrm, c_x or c_) is a dimensionless quantity that is used to quantify the drag or resistance of an object in a fluid environment, such as air or water. It is used in the drag e ...
of .
It is constructed on a lightweight aluminum tub with an additional front crash structure also made from aluminum, 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-aluminum, double-wishbone suspension with
Bilstein high-performance gas dampers and Eibach coaxial coil springs. Hydraulically assisted
power steering is included for increased maneuverability.
Models
Evora S
![Lotus Evora S in Sint Truiden](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Lotus_Evora_S_in_Sint_Truiden.JPG)
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
![Lotus Evora 400 (2)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Lotus_Evora_400_%282%29.jpg)
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
![Lotus Evora Sport 410 1X7A7890](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Lotus_Evora_Sport_410_1X7A7890.jpg)
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
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
-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
A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery which uses the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy. It is the predominant battery type used in portable consumer electronics and electric vehicles. It also s ...
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
![Lotus Evora GT430](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Lotus_Evora_GT430_.jpg)
In 2017, Lotus unveiled the most powerful variant of the Evora and also the fastest street-legal 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 (250 kg at 190 mph) 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 aluminum 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
Aerodynamics, from grc, ἀήρ ''aero'' (air) + grc, δυναμική (dynamics), is the study of the motion of air, particularly when affected by a solid object, such as an airplane wing. It involves topics covered in the field of fluid dyn ...
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.
Evora GT
![2020 Lotus Evora GT, Monaco White, front right](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/2020_Lotus_Evora_GT%2C_Monaco_White%2C_front_right.jpg)
In June 2019, for the 2020 model year, Lotus introduced the Evora GT for the North American market only. This car uses the same supercharged 3.5-liter V6 like the rest of the lineup but is rated at and for the manual and for the automatic. Cars with the manual transmission feature a standard Torsen rear differential. Regardless of transmission choice, the 0- acceleration time is estimated at 3.8 seconds. The automatic version can reach and the manual's top speed is . The GT uses some of the same aero components as the GT410 Sport, which helps it produce of downforce at maximum speed. This variant of the Evora weighs between and depending on which options are selected. The optional Carbon Pack includes a carbon-fiber roof, rear tailgate, and front access panel which reduces weight by . The optional titanium exhaust reduces weight further by . The manual transmission weighs less than the automatic. The Evora GT was discontinued after the 2021 model year and is set to be replaced by the all-new
Lotus Emira
The Lotus Emira is a sports car manufactured by British automobile manufacturer Lotus Cars. It is intended to be the firm's final vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine.
History
The Emira was launched at Hethel, England o6th July 20 ...
in Spring 2022. 6,117 Evora have been produced overall.
Special editions
Evora 414E Hybrid
In 2012, Lotus produced a prototype hybrid Evora, called 414E. Developed as a demonstration project for the UK Government's
Technology Strategy Board
Innovate UK is the United Kingdom's innovation agency, which provides money and support to organisations to make new products and services. It is a non-departmental public body operating at arm's length from the Government as part of the United ...
, the range-extended electric coupe emits 55 g/km and has an electric only driving range of 30 miles. When combined with the 3-cylinder 1.2-litre (1198 cc) petrol engine acting as a generator (as a similar manner to the
Chevrolet Volt
The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in hybrid manufactured by General Motors, also marketed in rebadged variants as the Holden Volt in Australia and New Zealand and the Buick Velite 5 in China, and with a different fascia as the Vauxhall Ampera in th ...
), the 414E has a range of 300 miles. The 414E formed the basis of the
Infiniti Emerg-e concept car.
Evora S Carabinieri
![2012 Italian GP - Carabinieri](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/2012_Italian_GP_-_Carabinieri.jpg)
In July 2011, Lotus Cars donated two Evora S models with special equipment to the
Carabinieri
The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign polic ...
, the
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
gendarmerie. Lotus also pledged to handle the maintenance of the cars and the training for the drivers.
Evora GTE Road Car
The Evora GTE road version is a variant of the Evora that was built to permit its racing variant to race under GT3 and LM GTE regulations. Only 25 units of this special edition were built. The road car uses the race car's engine and produces , making it the most powerful Lotus ever made. The weight of the car has been lowered drastically to .
Motorsport
LM GTE
![PLM12 23 Alex Job Lotus Townsend Bell](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/PLM12_23_Alex_Job_Lotus_Townsend_Bell.jpg)
During the
2011 Geneva Motor Show, Lotus announced the Evora Enduro GT concept, as a follow up to the Type 124 and GT4 race cars. Lotus is aiming for this car to enter into the
LM GTE
Grand Touring Endurance, shortened to GTE, is a set of regulations maintained by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and IMSA for grand tourer racing cars used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 24 hours of Daytona GTLM, and its associated series. Th ...
category by mid-2011, with a
Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
-supplied V8.
Lotus entered two Evoras at the
2011 24 Hours of Le Mans, which were run by the
Jetalliance Racing team. Despite overheating issues during practice and qualifying, car No. 65 finished 22nd overall, completing 295 laps, whilst car No. 64 retired after 126 laps. The cars ran highly tuned, naturally aspirated variants of its factory V6 engine, instead of the aforementioned V8.
In 2012, Jetalliance Racing failed to negotiate a deal to run the cars in Europe; instead,
Alex Job Racing chose to run a
LM GTE
Grand Touring Endurance, shortened to GTE, is a set of regulations maintained by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and IMSA for grand tourer racing cars used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 24 hours of Daytona GTLM, and its associated series. Th ...
in the
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consisted of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The American Le Mans' hea ...
. Alex Job Racing did not get a good outcome from this however, and the car was later replaced by a
Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 as the main race car for the team.
Group GT4
Ollie Hancock won the
Nürburgring round of the
2010 GT4 European Cup season. A team including
Johnny Mowlem,
Stefano D'Aste and
Gianni Giudici
Gianni Giudici (born 10 March 1946) is an Italian racing driver from Abbiategrasso, in the Province of Milan.
Career
*1970–1992: Italian Touring Car Championship
* 1993: Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft
*1994: Deutsche Tourenwagen Meistersc ...
finished on the podium in the 2011
Dubai 24 Hour
The Dubai 24 Hour Race is both a Sports car racing, sports car and Touring car racing, touring car automobile endurance race held annually at the Dubai Autodrome. It was inaugurated in 2006.
Entrants and participants
As with all races in the 24 ...
endurance race.
In 2011, Stefano D'Aste was the first Italian driver after
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an Italian-born American former racing driver. One of the most successful drivers in the history of motorsports, Andretti is one of only two drivers to have won races in Formula One, IndyCar, t ...
to win on
Circuit Park Zandvoort
Circuit Zandvoort (), known for sponsorship reasons as CM.com Circuit Zandvoort, and previously known as Circuit Park Zandvoort until 2017, is a motorsport race track located in the dunes north of Zandvoort, the Netherlands, near the North Sea ...
with an official Lotus car and the car was the Evora GT4. D'Aste was in first position of the
GT4 European Series
The GT4 European Series is a sports car racing, sports car championship created and organised by SRO Motorsports Group. It is a pro/am championship which followed a formula similar to the FIA GT3 European Championship, which was itself derived fr ...
till the last race but due to a problem that occurred to the engine he got a third position in the series, which was still good, considering that it was the first year that the official Lotus Evora GT4 took part to a full season competing with cars like the
BMW M3,
Porsche 911,
Aston Martin Vantage GT4, and the
Chevrolet Camaro
The Chevrolet Camaro is a mid-size American automobile manufactured by Chevrolet, classified as a pony car. It first went on sale on September 29, 1966, for the 1967 model year and was designed to compete with the Ford Mustang. The Camaro ...
. The Evora proved capable of keeping up with these cars.
In 2012, Richard Adams, David Green and
Martin Byford
Martin Byford (born 27 May 1972) is a British racing driver from Colchester. He competed in the BTCC in 2011 for AmD Milltek. He is currently driving for BPM Motorsport in the 2019 Dunlop Endurance Championship with Ashley Woodman.
Racing car ...
won the Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship in a Lotus Evora GT4.
GT300
![No](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/No.2_SYNTIUM_Apple_Lotus_%281%29_%2836961467351%29.jpg)
Cars Tokai ran a Lotus Evora from 2015 to 2021 in the GT300 class of
Super GT, with backing from Lotus Cars Japan. Engineered by Mooncraft, the Evora GT300 MC was built to the series' "Mother Chassis" regulations, and as such, was a
silhouette racing car A silhouette racing car is a race car which, although bearing a superficial resemblance to a production model, differs mechanically in fundamental ways. The purpose of silhouette cars is to provide a manufacturer with a tangible link to their con ...
sharing almost no parts with its production counterpart. As with all other Mother Chassis cars, it was built on a
Dome chassis and powered by a Nissan
VK45DE naturally aspirated V8. The Evora took its maiden victory at
Fuji Speedway in
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
, followed by its second and last win at
Twin Ring Motegi
Mobility Resort Motegi (モビリティリゾートもてぎ) is a motorsport race track located at Motegi, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Originally named Twin Ring Motegi (ツインリンクもてぎ), the circuit's name came from the facility hav ...
in
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
.
Reception
The Evora received several accolades at its launch from the British motoring press, including: Britain's Best Driver's Car 2009 from ''
Autocar'' and Car of the Year 2009, from ''
Evo.''
The car was reviewed by Jeremy Clarkson on the television show ''
Top Gear
Top Gear may refer to:
* "Top gear", the highest gear available in a vehicle's manual transmission
Television
* ''Top Gear'' (1977 TV series), a British motoring magazine programme
* ''Top Gear'' (2002 TV series), a relaunched version of the or ...
''. Overall his review was positive: he was very happy with the performance, handling and comfort. He was extremely impressed with the ride comfort even after driving it into a field saying "Here, the suspension is taking the knocks, not me." and described the car as "the only car I've ever driven, ever, which is a killer attack dog and an old sofa". However, he considered the rear seats to have not enough legroom, the interior felt tinny and the satellite navigation was sub-optimal.
Road & Track put the Evora in #2 place in their annual "Performance Car of the Year" contest in 2017, noting the Evora is "fully deserving of the ACBC badge on its nose, this brave and charming two-plus-two is perhaps the finest over-the-road enthusiast vehicle available for sale at any price."
References
External links
*
SELOC TechWiki – EvoraAnthology of Videos detailing the Evora model development and evolution
{{Lotus
2+2 coupés
Evora
Sports cars
Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive vehicles
Cars introduced in 2008
Cars introduced in 2009