2010 Lotus Evora Review

Preview

What We Know

Lotus took the wraps off the 2010 Evora at the 2008 British Auto Show. It's a midengine 2+2 coupe that the company says can accommodate two big "American males in the front seats." The Malaysian-owned, British-based marque will build the new model on a new assembly line at its plant in Hethel at the rate of about 2,000 units annually. The Evora is named for a city in Portugal about 65 miles east of Lisbon. It gets a Toyota-sourced, Lotus-tuned 3.5-liter V6 engine that produces 276 horsepower. The aluminum-intensive car weighs just under 3,000 pounds and is characterized by asymmetric wheel sizes, a short rear overhang and a long front overhang. Lotus claims 0-to-60-mph acceleration will take less than 5.0 seconds, with a top speed in excess of 160 mph. In the cabin, Lotus points out that it veers away from "racing-car-inspired technical minimalism." The company said the Evora "employs a softer approach that uses premium quality materials and finishes to create a contemporary but luxurious ambience." The cabin is trimmed in aluminum and hand-stitched leather and gets a new Alpine multimedia system with a 7-inch touchscreen and Bluetooth and iPod connectivity functions. Antilock brakes and stability and traction control are all standard. Options include a reversing camera with a removable satellite navigation element. The car should begin reaching dealers next spring, priced from around $90,000. A supercharged sibling is due in 2010.

What Edmunds.com says

A nice effort for now, but Lotus needs to get going on the Esprit replacement before its buyers get bored of the Elise.