In a move that should surprise
no one, Lotus has raised the bar once again by lightening the Evora in order to
develop the sensational Evora Sport 410. Following on from the recently
announced Elise Cup 250, and the Exige Sport 350, Lotus’ famous Lightweight
Laboratory has been hard at work cutting the weight of the Evora 400 by a
massive 70kg. With a host of high-performance carbon fibre components as standard,
and sharing the 410 hp supercharged engine with the track-bred 3-Eleven, the
Lotus Evora Sport 410 clocks 0-60 in 3.9 seconds on its way to a top speed of
186mph.
The Lotus Evora Sport 410 will
be limited to a global production run of one-hundred and fifty vehicles per
year and will be available in all major markets from June 2016. The car will be
priced at 79,900 Pounds in the UK (Rs 76.79 lakh approx.). Sadly, this car is not going to be available in India.
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.”
This new, top-of-the-range
Evora has been thoroughly re-evaluated, with every component assessed,
optimised and reengineered as required. This covers every aspect of the car,
including a drastically simplified carbon fibre tailgate (combining five
separate elements into one), new lighter-weight door trim panels and the
liberal addition of carbon fibre across the entire car.
The Sport 410 builds on the
excellent work undertaken in the development of the Evora 400, itself a massive
enhancement over the first generation of Evora. However, far from a
stripped-out special, the Evora Sport 410 retains excellent road manners, being
refined and composed during everyday driving.
The significant drop in mass,
and a power boost, means the Evora Sport 410 is capable of lapping the
company’s Hethel test track in 1 minute 28 seconds - an impressive 3 seconds
faster than the Evora 400. Reflecting what Lotus does best, it demonstrates the
company’s principle of ‘adding lightness’.
The Lotus Evora Sport 410 is
the result of Lotus’ philosophy of continuous improvement. With a lower centre
of gravity, and a kerb weight slashed to just 1,325 kg, the car provides an
impressive 309 hp/tonne.
In addition to boosting
straight-line speed, the significant reduction in mass has allowed sharper,
more agile and intuitive handling - with even greater accuracy and feel.
Jean-Marc Gales added, “The Evora chassis was already the best in the business
– the Evora Sport 410 takes it to a whole new level”.
Complementing this is a
higher-output version of the supercharged, 3.5-litre 6-cylinder engine,
developed through the Lotus 3-Eleven project which has beaten Nürburgring
records. As a result, the car boasts 410 hp at 7000 rpm and 410 Nm of torque at
3500 rpm.
The high-performance, carbon
fibre components have played the single biggest role in the evolution of the
Evora Sport 410. These include front splitter, roof panel, tailgate, and rear
diffuser as well as race-derived sports seats and a revised front access panel.
The one-piece carbon tailgate incorporates a louvered section, inspired by some
of Lotus’ most-famous heritage models, and together with carbon rear
quarter-light panels help provide the car with a sleeker, fastback-style
trailing roofline. These changes have also improved the car’s aerodynamic
downforce by 15% with no increase in drag.
The car’s reduced kerb weight
has allowed the recalibration of the suspension, with improved geometry and
completely revised damping, as well as a ride height 5mm lower than the Evora
400. As a result, handling is sharper, along with better body and roll control,
yet ride comfort and composure is retained. Ultra light-weight, 10-spoke forged
aluminium wheels, and optional Michelin Cup 2 tyres, complete the car’s dynamic
revisions.
Appealing to purists, the
Evora Sport 410’s manual gearbox features a low inertia flywheel, to help
ensure swift changes, while a Torsen-type limited slip differential (LSD) gives
better traction, and faster exit speeds when cornering. Available as an option,
the automatic transmission offers gear selection via lightweight aluminium
paddles mounted to the steering wheel.
The new Evora Sport 410 also
features Lotus’ Dynamic Performance Management (DPM) which, selected via a
dashboard switch, provides ‘Sport’ and ‘Race’ settings. Proportionally
increasing throttle response, lowering traction slip thresholds and removing
understeer recognition, it allows enhanced control before the system intervenes.
As standard, the Evora Sport
410 comes with carbon fibre sports seats trimmed with Alcantara, along with the
steering wheel and centre console. An integrated touch-screen entertainment
system can also be specified, including iPod® connectivity and Bluetooth
functionality.
The rest of the Sport 410’s
cabin has received attention as part of its development. Weight saving measures
includes attractive one-piece door trim panels finished in Alcantara, with
contrast stitching, the deletion of door arm rests and stowage pockets, the
relocation of tailgate and fuel filler release buttons and the removal of
speakers - if an entertainment system is not specified.
As well as the standard paint
selection, the new Evora can also be personalised through the recently launched
Lotus Exclusive programme. Combining traditional British craftsmanship with
modern design, the service inspires customers to spend time tailoring the
character of their Lotus with a comprehensive array of options.
Source: Lotus