London 2008: Lotus introduces Evora

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New sports car by Lotus will not be called Eagle as everyone thought until today.

Today Lotus unveiled Evora. It is the first all-new Lotus since the iconic Elise made its debut in 1995, The Evora enters the sports car market as currently the world’s only mid-engined 2+2.

Powered by a Lotus-tuned 3.5-litre V6 Toyota engine producing 280 PS, and weighing just 1350 kg (prototype specification), the Evora promises breathtaking performance.

During preliminary testing around the famous Nürburgring, the Lotus chassis engineers report that it is extremely agile and great fun to drive - even when clad with the full development disguise that hid the beautiful lines from the prying motor-industry paparazzi.

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. Its elegantly styled cabin is elegantly trimmed and its equipment list includes contemporary features such as an advanced touch-screen multi-media system and electric power-fold door mirrors.

The Evora has been designed with global automotive regulations in mind, and future derivatives are planed, these including amongst others, a convertible.

The Evora will be hand crafted and built on a dedicated new assembly line within Lotus’s advanced manufacturing facility at Hethel in the east of England; capacity limitations will restrict production to approximately 2000 cars a year, ensuring the dynamic new sports car’s rarity and exclusivity.

While for Lotus top speed is of less importance than stability at speed, early indications suggest a maximum speed of 160 mph; the 0-60 mph sprint from standstill is estimated at sub 5 seconds (prototype figures).

Evora will reach showrooms from Spring 2009 onwards.

Source: Lotus