They have done it again! Those crazy Brits from Norfolk, UK are shedding kilos, adding horsepower and attacking the stopwatch with near reckless abandon. Reckless meaning 0-100 km/h and not how their latest creation is designed to respond on the road. I guess that’s what we should expect when your factory is built on a former WWII airfield, RAF Hethel. Fighter planes and sports car, sounds like a good combination to me.
The new Lotus Evora Sport 410 drops 70 kg from the current Evora 400. Carbon fibre is used throughout to not only lose weight, but improve overall body mass and rigidity. Curb weight comes in at a very respectable 1,325 kg.
Engine development for the Evora Sport 410 follows in the footsteps of the mighty Lotus 3-Eleven. Power comes in the form of a supercharged 3.5-litre 24-valve V6 engine. It delivers 410 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 302 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm.
Matched to a 6-speed manual transmission, old-school shifting results in a 0-100 km/h time of 4.2 seconds. Equipped with the optional automatic and steering wheel paddle-shifters drops this to 4.1 seconds, which for me is reason enough to at least consider letting the car do the work. Then again, there is something magical about driving a Lotus with eye, both hands and feet coordinating the drive.
Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Group Lotus plc, commented, “We couldn’t help ourselves, and many may have guessed what we were planning following our recent announcements. We wanted to make the Evora even better: lighter, faster and sharper, but our team has exceeded our expectations. Lotus has distilled what makes the Evora so special into something that’s even more focused. The result is dynamically excellent and nothing short of superb.”
Outside design elements include a carbon fibre front splitter, roof panel and rear diffuser. The one-piece carbon tailgate highlights unique louvers; a throwback to Lotus sports cars of the past. Ten-spoke forged aluminum alloy wheels are standard while Michelin Cup 2 tires are optional.
Inside, race-inspired seats are also constructed of carbon fibre and covered in Alcantara as are the door panels. Delete options include the audio system, door handles and storage pockets. Not sure why you would want to leave this off the list, but for the truest road-racing experience, it may be something to consider.
Pricing for the new Lotus Evora Sport 410 is listed at £79,900 in the UK. North American availability and pricing has yet to be announced, but is should be just a matter of time and money before you can put your name on one.