Lotus Evora becomes even more roofless
Author: Chris Barker
Published: 07 August 2008
Good news. The all-new Lotus Evora sports car is going to lose its head completely by 2011, by bidding farewell to its roof and letting the air circulate a little more freely around the driver's bonce. And upping the anti-Porsche 911 Turbo ante by the power of 400bhp.And now for the bad news. It’s at the expense of the all-new Lotus Esprit.Lotus has announced that its all-new 280bhp Evora sports car – launched at the recent British Motor Show amid much frenzy – is to drop all of its remaining inhibitions, and its roof, in 2011 when UK sports car buyers will have their first opportunity to opt for a brand new Lotus Evora convertible.In another weekly instalment of blazing Lotus publicity, the Norfolk-based sports car fettler said that in 2011 the UK’s driving fraternity will be able to get behind the wheel of the first Lotus Evora drop top, which as much as anything else is like an insurance policy to guarantee that Lotus hits the 2,000 units sold target it’s initially set itself.As part of an early-doors overhaul to the new range – coupled with the underlying fact that Lotus see the Evora as having only an eight-year life cycle - the British manufacturer of the world’s only mid-engined 2+2 isn’t going to stop the fiddling there either, giving us fair warning of an impending automatic-gearbox Evora. Cool. But not half as cool as the following.
With the tamer stuff out of the way, Lotus is also implying that a more hardcore - yet still naturally-aspirated - 320bhp Evora S will line up next to a distinctly Porsche 911 Turbo-baiting Evora SC variant. An Evora SC variant that will struggle to keep a facially-disfiguring 400bhp digging into the asphalt. Oh, and a stripped-out Evora R track day special that’ll weigh as much as your pair of trainers, yet warp your mind.With an eagerly anticipated sub four seconds before the distant horizon pops up in your rear view mirror, the 3.5-litre V6 Toyota-tweaked lump will be supercharged to within an inch of its life, transporting you to within an inch of yours.Sadly, Lotus doesn’t have a bottom-less pit in which to find funding for everything it wants to do at once, so the unfortunate victim in all this is the forthcoming Esprit replacement. Which will now be slightly less forthcoming, having now effectively been postponed until further notice. And Lotus has saved up.
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