Evora is the best car to comefrom Lotus so far

Tag : aluminium tub

A supercharged Evora is expected next, followed by a two-seaterversion in 2010. Heading the list later the same year will be thecompany's flagship - a two-seater, mid-engined supercar.
The 1350kg coupe took 21 months to develop and takes its stylingcues from the Elise and Europa, which makes it appear more like atwo-seater than a four.
It sits on an all-aluminium chassis that Lotus claims is 2.5 timesstiffer than the Elise frame. That, and a lightweight aluminiumsuspension set-up, gives the Evora Elise-like handling and ridewhile offering more interior space, says the company.
It says tests around the famous Nurburgring circuit in Germanyrevealed a car that is "extremely agile and great fun to drive".
The cabin is a feast of luxury - unlike previous Lotus models -with leather upholstery, touchscreen satellite navigation, andBluetooth and iPod connectivity.
Much attention has been paid to the car's ease of use in a bid toattract new customers to the brand. Lotus says wider, taller doorapertures and narrower sills make getting in and out of the cabineasier than the company's smaller models. The front seats willaccommodate 2m tall adults.
The convenience factor of the Evora extends to less obvious areasof the car, says the company.
For instance, beneath the skin, the entire front-end structure is ahigh-tech aluminium sacrificial modular unit, attached to the mainextruded aluminium tub.
This unit is designed to deform for maximum safety, and to reducerepair costs in the event of a frontal impact.
Power comes from a modified version of Toyota's 3.5-litre V6 VVTiengine developing 205kW (276bhp) and driving the rear wheels via asix-speed manual gearbox. The car is expected to sprint from zeroto 100km/h in around 4.5s.
Town-and-around fuel economy is 9.5 litres/100km (30mpg), and CO2exhaust emissions are rated at below 225g/km.
A traction and stability control system developed specifically forthe car by Bosch comes as standard.
The Evora will be hand-built at the Lotus plant in Hethel, Britain.Production will be capped at 2000 cars a year to maintainexclusivity. The first models are due to go on sale in Britainearly next year.
Kimberley says Evora is another example of Lotus' significant stepstowards improving the efficiency and sustainability of the car.
"Looking to the future, we will continue to research, develop andproduce lighter, more efficient vehicles which are linked to ourwork on all aspects of future fuels, alternative engines andelectric and hybrid vehicle solutions."