Auto For Speed

In a move that would have impressed Harry Houdini, Lotus has made one thousand pounds of vehicle mass seemingly disappear – yet we still know it’s there. We’re high in the mountains above San Diego, challenging corners in the 2010 Lotus Evora, and the larger and more luxurious two-plus-two is emulating the moves of its lightweight race-ready Elise and Exige siblings.

What gives the Evora its supernatural powers? How does the all-new Evora fit into the Lotus lineup? And, most importantly, is this the first Lotus you can park in your garage without having to explain it to the neighbors?

Lotus has become synonymous with lightweight, no-frills sports cars thanks to its ass-kicking Elise roadster and Exige coupe – arguably two of the world’s best driver’s cars. Yet, despite their impressiveness on the track, the Lotus Elise and Exige are about as practical as a gutted Spec Miata when it comes to daily drivers.

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Lotus plans to develop an extended line of Evora versions, the majority of that will be launched by the year 2011. “We’ve already had a blown version of the V6 engine running on a bench,” a source within Lotus told Autocar. “It delivered 350bhp and 290lb ft of torque [up from 252lb ft in the standard car without any modifications at all.” (more…)

The Lotus Sport 2-Eleven GT4 Supersport race car asserts itself at the pinnacle of the 2-Eleven range, combining race winning pedigree with unparalleled handling and balance.

Building on the success of the 2-Eleven road and track variants, Lotus Sport has developed this GT4 Supersport race car to compete in the European SRO GT4 Supersports category. (more…)