Supercharged Lotus Evora to make at least 350hp, more variations on the way
01/08/2009, 12:39 PM
By Drew Johnson
The Lotus Evora made its North American debut at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show, but a new report indicates that reveal was just the tip of the iceberg for the 2+2. More variations of the Evora are on the way, including a supercharged model developing at least 350 horsepower.
The supercharged version will use the same 3.5L Toyota-sourced V6 as the base model, with horsepower seeing a boost from 276 to at least 350. Torque will also see an improvement over the naturally aspirated car, likely nearing the 300 lb-ft mark in production form. Those performance figures should be enough to propel the Evora SC to 60 mph in 5 seconds – a half second improvement over the base Evora – and improve the car’s terminal velocity to 175 mph, according to Autocar.
Although the Evora is expected to hit the market in May 2009, horsepower junkies will have to wait a few years longer for the supercharged version. Lotus will be focusing on other variations of the Evora first, delaying the Evora SC’s launch until 2011.
In the meantime, Lotus will be developing more luxurious versions of the Evora to better suit its current list of high-profile clientele. Although it may seem like blasphemy to Lotus loyalist, the British automaker is currently developing an automatic transmission to pair with the Evora, largely due to strong demand in the U.S. However, the automatic gearbox won’t be ready for the car’s U.S. launch. “Right now, it’s looking unlikely that we’ll have the auto version next year,” a Lotus spokesman told Autocar. “There’s quite a lot of development work still to be done on it.”
Also in the works is a roadster version of the Evora. Unlike lightweight Lotus convertibles of the past, the Evora roadster will do with a retractable hardtop. The metal top won’t exactly make the Evora convertible a featherweight, but Lotus engineers are working hard to ensure the unit doesn’t compromise the car’s overall handling. Expect the Evora roadster to show up in Lotus showrooms in late 2010.
01/08, 12:59 PM
posted by:
Lariat Luxury Locomotive Liner No.3
Under consideration. I love the Elise driving experience, but the somewhat added room of Evora is a bonus here.
01/08, 1:41 PM
posted by:
Borat
makes my nipples harden
01/08, 2:06 PM
posted by:
atoms
the automatic stumps me, sure its nice to let one leg relax, but this is a lotus, the leg should get gitty and excited to see the third pedal
01/08, 2:06 PM
posted by:
yarddog82abn
“The metal top won’t exactly make the Evora convertible a featherweight, but Lotus engineers are working hard to ensure the units doesn’t compromise the car’s overall handling”
Why not use just Corbin Fiber? I’m sure the industry has figured out a way to mas produce it at a economical rate… And why not Turbo Charged, with paddle shifters? I’m just saying…
01/08, 2:28 PM
posted by:
kansei
An automatic??? *shudders*
Seriously now, you’re buying a Lotus, not a Mercedes S500 / BMW 6-series. If you can’t figure out how to drive a Lotus, shop elsewhere.
Shame on you lotus. The 2+2 I can understand, makes it an everyday car.. but a manual transmission is fine in any everyday car –anyone who says “but I have to sit in traffic all day it’s terrible” is lazy and/or hasn’t driven a modern manual transmission car, clutch pedals aren’t typically hard as a rock these days, the automatic is a ridiculous proposition. Even if it is an automated manual (a la DSG and others) it’s still preposterous.
I’m sorry, I’m a bit of a manual transmission fanatic/evangelist. What next, a slushbox Caterham R500, a Mazdaspeed vehicle with anything other than a true manual gearbox?
What ever happened to making cars faster by making cars lighter?
01/08, 3:38 PM
posted by:
ltbullitt
if you cant drive a manual or dont like to then lotus isnt for you. America has to have the most amount of people who dont know how to drive manual in relation to the amount of those who actually drive. I will always drive a manual
01/08, 6:25 PM
posted by:
Lariat Luxury Locomotive Liner No.3
@kansei, where are you getting the automatic from? Its shipping release is with a six-speed, and shortly thereafter Lotus will release a paddle-shift automatic. Now the “luxurious version” I do agree is a bunch of nonsense for a Lotus.
01/08, 10:47 PM
posted by:
bimmer_mann_18
@Borat: Hard enough to cut diamonds?
01/08, 11:03 PM
posted by:
Veda
kansei, obviously you haven’t had the chance to live in a crowded asian city sitting in 2 hours of crawling traffic everyday. Then you’d think autos are the greatest invention ever…
01/09, 3:55 AM
posted by:
Ramatai
Carbon Fibre is still very expensive to buy and produce, if it was cost effective I am sure it would be used for all the body panels.
01/09, 8:26 AM
posted by:
Gundy
I likey. I’ve actually never driven a Lotus, gotta get on that. That’s my ‘09 New Year’s resolution. Then, my other one is to make enough money to get a 12-car garage and fill it..
01/09, 11:14 AM
posted by:
Kris K
If I would be living in a city with 2 hours of crawling traffic I definitely wouldn´t drive a sports car. That´s what hybrids are designed for. The Lotus is a very nice looking car. It will need the supercharged V6 for good performance. I expected it to be much lighter, by 200-300 pounds at least.