Lotus Evora

Lotus Evora

Manufacturer	Lotus Cars
Production	2009–present
Model years	2010–present
Assembly	Hethel, Norfolk, England
Class	Sports car
Body style	2- or 2+2-passenger coupé
Layout	Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine	3.5 L Toyota 2GR-FE V6 (280 PS (206 kW; 276 hp))[1][2] 3.5 L Toyota 2GR-FE V6 (supercharged, 350 PS (257 kW; 345 hp))
Transmission	6-speed manual[1] 6-speed automatic
Wheelbase	2,575 mm (101.4 in)[1]
Length	4,342 mm (170.9 in)
Width	1,848 mm (72.8 in)
Height	1,223 mm (48.1 in)
Kerb weight	1,350 kg (3,000 lb) 2-passenger variant 1,380 kg (3,000 lb) (2+2-passenger variant)[3]
Designer	Russell Carr[1]

The Lotus Evora is a sports car produced by British car manufacturer Lotus.^[1] The car, which was developed under the project name Project Eagle, was launched as the Evora on 22 July 2008 at the British International Motor Show.^[4]

Development

The Lotus Evora is based on the first all-new vehicle platform from Lotus Cars since the introduction of the Lotus Elise in 1995 (the Exige, introduced in 2000, and the 2006 Europa S are both derivatives of the Elise^[5]).^[6] The Evora is the first vehicle of three vehicles to be built on the same platform; the remaining two vehicles will be on sale by 2011.^[7]

Lotus Evora clay model.

The Evora is the first product of a five year plan started in 2006 to expand the Lotus lineup^[2] beyond its current track-specialized offerings, with the aim of making the Evora a somewhat of a more practical road car that would appeal to the mainstream.^[8] As such it is a larger car than recent Lotus models Elise and its derivatives (Exige, Europa S, etc.), with an estimated curb weight of 1,350 kg (3,000 lb).^[1] It is currently the only Lotus model with a 2+2 configuration, although it has been announced that it will also be offered in a two-seater configuration, referred to as the "Plus Zero" option.^[1] It is also the only 2+2 mid engined coupé on sale. The interior is larger to allow taller persons to fit, such as Lotus CEO Mike Kimberley,^[1] and two 99th percentile (6'5") American males.^[9]
The cooled^[10] boot behind the engine is large enough to fit a set of golf clubs, although Lotus Design Head Russell Carr denies that this was intentional.^[1] Lotus intends the Evora to compete with different market sectors including the Porsche Cayman.^[2]

Name

The name "Evora" keeps the Lotus tradition of beginning model names with an "E". The name is derived from the words evolution, vogue, and aura.^[11] Other names considered were Eagle, Exira and Ethos; Exira was rejected as it was considered not good enough and the other two because it would be difficult for Lotus to claim them as a trademark.^[2] The name "Evora" sounds similar to Évora, which is the name of a Portuguese city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Portugal.

Production

Sales were expected to start in summer 2009.^[12] The sales target is 2000 cars per year, with prices between £45,000 and just over £50,000.^[1] It will arrive at American dealers beginning in January 2010.^[13]

Awards

On 12 August 2009, British car magazine Autocar named the Evora as Britain's Best Driver's Car 2009.^[14]

Reviews

The car was reviewed by presenter Jeremy Clarkson on the British automotive television show Top Gear. The review was positive overall. Clarkson considered the rear seats to have not enough legroom, the interior felt cheap and the satellite navigation was sub-optimal. On the upside he was very happy with the performance, handling and comfort. He was extremely impressed with the ride comfort and described the car as "the only car I've ever driven, ever, which is a killer attack dog and an old sofa".^[15]
The Evora also won EVO magazines 'Car of the Year 2009' and CAR magazines 'performance car of the Year 2009'.^{[citation needed]}

Motorsport

During the 2011 Geneva motor show, Lotus announced the Evora enduro GT concept, as a follow up to the Type 124 and GT4 race cars. Lotus is aiming for this car to enter into the GT3 category by Mid-2011, with a 444 bhp Toyota supplied V8.
Lotus entered two Evoras at the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans, which were run by the Jetalliance Racing team. Despite overheating issues during practice and qualifying, car no.65 finished 22nd overall, completing 295 laps, whilst car no.64 retired after 126 laps.

Performance

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	Lotus Evora at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2010
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• Acceleration: 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds^[11]
• Top speed: 162 mph (261 km/h)^[11]
• CO₂ emission: 205 g/km^[12]
• Fuel consumption: 32.5 miles per imperial gallon (8.69 L/100 km; 27.1 mpg_-US) (EU standards); 17/27 MPG city/highway (US EPA standards)^[12]
• Drag coefficient: 0.337^[1]
• Engine: Mid mounted,transverse 3.5 litre DOHC V6 VVT-I
• Transmission: 6 speed manual, 6 speed automatic by Aisin^[16]
• Chassis: Modular lightweight bonded aluminium structure
• Steering: Lotus tuned hydraulically-assisted power steering
• Suspension: Forged aluminium double wishbone suspension, Bilstein high performance gas dampers, Eibach coaxial coil springs