To me, one of the most misunderstood brands is Lotus. Having had the chance to drive the Evora S when it first came out, I adored it as a driver's car. Though some of its interior materials were suspect, the driving experience was one of the more memorable ones when compared with the likes of a Chevrolet Corvette, Porsche, Ferrari 458 Italia and McLaren 650S.
The clutch was instant on/off, the steering precise and light and the shifter slipped into gear perfectly. And when you dialed it up into Sport mode and the exhaust opened up, man, at 3,000 rpm she purred.
Lotus Evora 400 #GVAMotorShow
But now the Evora as we knew it is dead. That's because the Evora 400 exists and will be the fastest and most powerful production Lotus ever released. Powered via a supercharged 3.5-liter V6 good for 400 horsepower, this Evora will do zero to 60 in 4.1 seconds, this lithe car will be a handler.
Base price? $89,900 when it arrives in the U.S. come December as a 2016 model year product.
This is where things get tough. That's because at this price you can snap up a Porsche 911 and feel a bit more at ease about your purchase. Buying a Lotus is a bit risky given the nature of a limited dealership network and questionable reliability in the past. Not to mention if you really want to get a track car that can double for daily driving purposes, the all-new Corvette Z06 certainly makes a case for itself.
So, I have to ask: is the all-new Evora 400 TOO EXPENSIVE for its own good?
Lotus Evora 400 #GVAMotorShow
Lotus' press release follows:
Lotus announces prices for Evora 400
- Prices start at £72,000 (UK)
- High level of standard specification
- Fastest and most powerful production Lotus ever
- Deliveries from August 2015
Lotus Cars is delighted to announce the prices of the new Evora 400. The latest supercar from Lotus combines high performance with the legendary Lotus benchmark handling and is lighter, more efficient and dynamically better than ever, providing a purer driving experience.
UK prices will start from £72,000 (for other markets, see table below). For this price the car benefits from a high level of standard specification including 370 mm composite two piece brake discs from AP Racing, a Limited Slip Differential, automatic air-conditioning and infotainment system including satellite navigation. In addition to this, the options list includes automatic transmission at £2,000, Alcantara or Leather trim upgrades at £2,500 and metallic paint at £900.
A “Black Pack” option, available at £1,250, provides a distinctive look, with selected exterior panels including the roof, sills and centre section of the three-element rear wing in gloss black and a dark headlining in the interior. Lightweight forged alloy wheels can be fitted for £2,000 and cruise control and yellow or black brake callipers are priced at £300 each.
Jean-Marc Gales, CEO, Group Lotus plc states: “We know that the Lotus Evora 400 can deliver the performance of a car costing significantly more and we are conscious that the pricing is highly competitive. Yet, the greatest merit which no other sports car or supercar can deliver is a peerless Lotus driving experience.”
Jean-Marc Gales concludes: “The Evora 400 is the fastest road-going Lotus that we have ever produced. It delivers supercar looks allied to supercar performance and our global dealer network of 179 dealers which will grow to 200 by the end of the year is excited to be able to deliver this high performing benchmark handling supercar to the ever growing customer waiting list.”
The new Lotus Evora 400 laps the Lotus test track at Hethel six seconds faster than the previous Evora S in a time of 1 minute 32 seconds. Combining high performance with the legendary Lotus benchmark handling, it is faster and dynamically more capable than the previous Lotus Evora leading to greater agility and a more involving drive.
Maximum speed is 186 mph (300 km/h) and acceleration 0-60 mph is just 4.1 seconds (0-100 km/h in 4.2 seconds). Over two thirds of the Lotus Evora 400 is new, including its supercharged and charge-cooled mid-mounted 3.5-litre V6 engine producing 400 horsepower and 410 Nm of torque. A new aluminium chassis incorporates a new interior and the lightweight composite body has changed significantly both front and rear.
The new Evora 400, which was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March, will enter production for European markets in the summer and deliveries will commence in August this year. North American markets will receive the Evora 400 as a 2016 model year in December, with China taking first deliveries in early 2016.
Lotus Evora 400 International pricing including local taxes where applicable:
UK (Pound Sterling) - £72,000
Germany (Euros) - €96,000
Japan (Yen) - ¥13,200,000
USA (Dollars) - $89,900 (excluding local sales taxes)
China (RMB) - 1,318,000
Official fuel consumption figures and CO2 emissions figures are not available at the time of going to press. They will be provided on the Lotus website www.lotuscars.com as soon as they are available.
ENDS