Doing things right.
Lotus has always had the sports car formula right. They start with a dedication to low, balanced weight as the basis for building a car’s performance and add in efficient, powerful engines, a tight suspension, and honed aerodynamics. The new Lotus Evora 400 takes all of this to the next level and is the fastest and most powerful model to roll off the Lotus factory line, ever.
The new Lotus Evora 400 is better in almost every way compared to its predecessor. It’s lighter, quicker, faster, more powerful, has improved drivability, and greater efficiency. More than two thirds of the new Lotus Evora 400 is new and represents the next steps that the brand is taking to become more successful.
“A requirement for all Lotus cars is to be a benchmark for handling, to be the quickest car from A to B and to provide the driver with a pure and involving driving experience. The Evora 400 is the fastest road-going Lotus that we have ever produced, possessing performance that can only be matched by cars costing significantly more. It delivers supercar looks allied to supercar performance,” said Jean-Marc Gales, Chief Executive Officer for Group Lotus plc. “We have always said that to make a car better, you must make it faster and lighter. We have achieved this, of course, but we didn’t stop there, as the considerable number of changes in the interior, chassis, engine and body design have warranted emphatically, the title of a new Lotus Evora.”
What makes the new Lotus Evora 400 the most powerful production model from the British brand, ever is the new 3.5-liter, supercharged V-6 engine. A new supercharger, water-to-air charge-cooler, and engine management system help to increase output by 16-percent from the previous-generation model. A new switched-controlled muffler allows for freer-flowing exhaust gasses and an aggressive sound that brings the track to the street. A total of 400 horsepower at 7,000 RPM and 302 lb-ft. of torque from 3,500 to 6,500 RPM is churned out from the potent V-6 engine.
That power is sent through either a manual or automatic gearbox. The former features a new clutch discs and low-inertia flywheel for precise shifts while the latter has a revised computer shift program. On the manual gearbox, a Torsen-type limited slip differential comes standard to achieve greater amounts of grip.
With the added power, the Lotus Evora 400 can lap the brand’s test track a full six seconds faster than the previous-generation Evora model. Acceleration to 60 mph comes in only 4.1 seconds while top speed is pegged at a healthy 186 mph.
The lightweight DNA that has made Lotus vehicles so desirable for driving enthusiasts is clear and present in the new Evora 400. The entire sports car is 48 lbs. (manual, 50 lbs. automatic) lighter than the previous-generation model. This drop in weight comes from new engine mounts, new forged wheels, seats, and other components.
The Lotus Evora 400 also underwent a facelift that makes it more confident and aggressive while also more aerodynamically optimized. The front fascia boasts larger cooling air intakes and new LED daytime running lights that create a wide appearance even though it is the same width as the previous-gen model. New door mirrors and air intakes pair up with the elongated overall length of 1.4 inches. At the rear, a new lightweight composite diffuser and three-piece wing generate quite a bit of downforce for better stability on the track. In total, 70.5 lbs. of downforce is generated at 150 mph with a low 0.35 coefficient of drag.
Making contact with the asphalt are lightweight and purposeful wheels. The Lotus Evora 400 is fitted with lightweight forged aluminum wheels measuring 19 inches at the front and 20 inches at the rear, that are 7.2 lbs. lighter than the ones fitted to the previous-generation model. These wheels are equipped with 235/35/19 91Y front and 285/30/20 99Y rear Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires. Behind these new shoes are two-piece, cross-drilled and ventilated brake discs measuring 370 x 32 mmm up front and 350 x 30 mm at the rear.
Engineers and designers worked to improve everyday drivability and usability. The Lotus Evora 400 has had its aluminum bonded and extruded chassis redesigned to make entry and exit easier, with the sills being 43 mm narrower and 56 mm lower per side. Higher quality, lightweight door panels sit on either side of the new, lightweight front seats while the rear seats are 280 mm wider and lighter as well. A new HVAC system makes things a bit more comfortable for passengers and improves upon the criticized unit in the previous generation. Drivers can grab ahold of a lightweight forged magnesium steering wheel with red 12-o’clock stripe in front of a redesigned instrument cluster.
The new Lotus Evora 400 will be available in European markets in the summer with deliveries starting in August while North American markets will get the sports car in the autumn as a 2016 model-year vehicle. Each car will be manufactured at the brand’s headquarters in Hethel, Norfolk by 300 craftsmen and women that will grow to 450 over the next few months. Production is also expected to grow from 45 cars per week to 70 cars per week in September of 2015.
Lotus Evora 400 Specifications
Engine:
Displacement: 3.5 liters
Number of Cylinders: V-6
Aspiration: Supercharged
Maximum Horsepower: 400 / 298 kW at 7,000 RPM
Maximum Torque: 302 lb-ft. / 410 Nm from 3,500 to 6,500 RPM
Performance:
Acceleration 0-60 mph: 4.1 seconds
Acceleration 0-62 mph: 4.2 seconds
Top Speed: 186 mph (300 km/h)
Lotus Evora 400 Gallery
Source: Lotus
Is the new Evora 400 the best Lotus available?
