2010 Lotus Evora Makes An Impact

It has been quite a while since Lotus has developed a completely new vehicle (1995 was when they released the Elise to be exact). The 2010 Lotus Evora in my opinion will breathe new life into the automaker’s lungs. The Elise and Exige were starting to become tiresome and quite frankly the styling was rather quirky.

The decision to produce the Lotus Evora will surely allow Lotus to solidly stake their claim in the compact mid-engine sports car realm. It is the world’s only mid-engine 2+2.

Propelling this attractive machine is a Lotus tuned transverse-mounted 3.5L V6 putting out 276 hp at 6400 RPM / 252 lb.ft torque at 4700 RPM and weighs only 2976lbs. Definitely not the lightest Lotus in the stable however its power to weight ratio is remarkable. Despite it being a mid-engine sports car, it still features a decent 5.7 cubic foot trunk. Gearbox choices will either be a 6 speed manual for the diehard enthusiasts or a paddle shift/automatic for the cruising type.

The chassis is a lightweight modular aluminum structure that rides on forged aluminum wishbone suspension and high performance Bilstein shocks. Attached to that is a staggered set of wheels – 18 inch in the front and 19” in the rear. They are wrapped in 225/40ZR18 255/35ZR19 front and rear tires respectively. Housed within the beautifully designed alloy wheels are vented/cross drilled front 350mm and rear 332mm brake rotors with AP Racing 4 piston calipers providing the needed clamping force.

Unlike the previous Lotus lineup, the Evora has not skimped on the interior features. It comes with fully adjustable leather wrapped Recaro sport seats in the front and leather ISOFIX seats in the rear. The dashboard shows off an all inclusive Alpine multimedia system with a 7” touch screen display and is stacked with iPod integration, DVD capability, Bluetooth and satellite navigation tools.

All in all this car is a clean, well put together package by Lotus and I tip my hat off to them. For a taller person such as myself, the Elise and Exige were difficult to get in and out of however the Evora features a redesigned cabin with the use of a wider and taller door aperture as well as narrower door sills.

Only 2000 units will be hand crafted each year at Lotus’ dedicated Hethel plant in England. This shall ensure that the car is kept somewhat exclusive. The estimated price of the 2+0 configuration will be $149,990 and the 2+2 configuration $156,990. I would say that’s good bang for the buck!