Lotus Evora
To considerable media and public acclaim, Lotus revealed the upcoming Evora sports-GT at the July 2008 London Motor Show. Appearing on the show stand was a deep-silver two-door, 2+2, mid-engine coupe featuring a variety of longstanding Lotus design cues, to the point observers instantly recognized and appreciated Lotus DNA. The family lineage was seen to continue under the skin, where Evora's bonded and riveted aluminum platform, composite body panels and Toyota drivetrain are all trademark Lotus. As with all Loti, Evora extracts the most from the least, with agile dynamics and high performance coming more from advanced structures and weight control than outright engine power.
Evora is the first all-new Lotus in more than a decade, the last all-new model having been Elise Series 1 back in 1995 that spawned the current Elise Series 2, Exige, the 2-Eleven track car, and the non-USA Europa S. The basic Elise platform has also been used for non-USA Opel Speedster and Vauxhall VX220 models, as well as the recently introduced Tesla Roadster pure-electric vehicle.
Evora is larger and significantly more luxurious than other models in the current Lotus lineup. It is also much roomier and more accommodating, as needed for commercial success in today's demanding marketplace. The Evora's size results in higher weight than the Elise-based models. Think of Elise and Exige as pure sportscars, and Evora a (still pure) GT.
Although launched as an enclosed 2+2 coupe, Evora will add at least two model variants in short order, a two-seat coupe with the vestigial rear seats removed and replaced by an open luggage area, and a two-seat soft-top convertible with the open area behind the front seats taken up with a folding top assembly.
Launched with a six-speed manual transmission, Evora will also add some form of automatic transmission during the early part of the build run. The Lotus lineup of four-cylinder engines in the Elise and its derivatives plus the Evora V6 complies with current fleet limits, but will shortly exceed EU limits and require modifications. Don't be too surprised if Evora adopts a hybrid or even all-electric drivetrain during its production run.
Evora is only the fifth vehicle in modern times to combine a 2+2 seating configuration with a mid-engine layout. For those needing to account for the other four, they were the Lamborghini Urraco, Dino (later Ferrari) 308GT4, and Maserati Merak from the 1970s, as well as Ferrari Mondial from the 1980s-90s.
Combining increased cabin space and a certain practicality with the dynamic balance inherent in a mid-engine configuration presents significant design challenges to get proportions right and make the car visually appealing. We think Lotus succeeded, with Evora successfully hiding its 2+2 seating configuration in a vehicle most would initially identify as a two-seater. Of course, the way to get the proportions right was simply to limit the size of the 2+2 seating package. The rear seats are small, and Lotus suggests a passenger height limit of about 5 feet. We suggest short trips only or opting for the upcoming two-seat model with open cargo area.
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