New Lotus Evora Debuts at British Motor Show
Evora Photos
If you’ve been looking for a good reason to visit jolly old England this summer, Lotus might have just made your mind up. Introduced at the British Motor Show in London this week (through August 3), the new Evora 2+2, previously known as Project Eagle, just might become the most popular car in the company’s history.
Why? Unlike the fabulously light and playful Elise Roadster and Exige S Coupe, the Evora is a 2+2 Coupe, a more livable all-rounder that’s ideal for sporting moms and dads with small children, and less expensive to insure in some areas. And if you don’t need the extra seats, a two-seat configuration can be had with a luggage shelf instead, although Lotus says the trunk has space enough for a golf bag, either way.
Lotus dubs its new Evora as having “true character in a faceless world,” (see www.facelesspeople.com) and while Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche and other top-tier manufacturers might disagree with the faceless comment, there’s no denying the new 2+2 has character.
Its rakish lines follow the brand’s family design language, although its longer curves and dramatic angles are smoother and more refined looking that its tiny siblings. The same goes for the Evora’s interior, which is focused more on luxury with standard leather-clad Recaro seats front and back, the rear set including ISOFIX child safety seat mounting points.
Lotus promises aluminum cabin accents and soft-touch surfaces too, plus better fit and finish than its smaller cars, while features like standard climate control and an Alpine audio system with navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, iPod compatibility, touch screen controls and a reverse camera will be part of the package.
While more lavish, Lotus continues its performance through light weight credo. Once again it sources the engine from Toyota, a reliable partner for sure, but this time instead of the high-strung four-cylinder it will fit the Japanese brand’s ubiquitous 3.5-liter V6 under the rear liftback, slated to make up to 280 horsepower at the rear wheels, monitored by traction and stability control.
Lotus engineers state that it is “considerably faster around the famously demanding Nurburgring circuit than the Elise and more stable at speed than the Exige.” That’s a grand statement, and with a top speed in excess of 160 mph and a 0 to 60 mph sprint of under 5 seconds, it most definitely will live up to the Lotus’ legend.
Lotus plans to sell 2,000 Evoras per year.