There is always an automaker who is turning things upside down in order to spice up sales and get them moving in the right direction. In the past few weeks, it has been made clear that it’s Lotus’ turn to mix things up a bit. Fresh off of their delaying the Esprit supercar and announcing plans to build their own V6 and V8 engines, the British sports car manufacturer has now let loose plans to create more versions of the Evora sports car.
During the launch of the Evora S in San Jose, Lotus Cars USA PR boss, Kevin Smith, confirmed the company’s plans to bring about more version of the Evora beginning with the Evora IPS. This model will add an automatic transmission to the Evora’s list of goodies and will be launched by the end of 2011. Shortly after that, in late 2012, Lotus will produce the Evora S IPS, followed by the biggest announcement of the day: a convertible Evora.
Smith said that the company would like to add an open-top model to the Evora range, but the company is still not sure whether it will feature a targa top or if it will be a roadster. Either way they choose to go, the convertible Lotus Evora won’t find its way to the streets until 2013.
Lotus’ decision to halt plans for the Elan because it looked too much like the Evora model is kind of funny considering the Evora will be undergoing some aesthetic changes for its next generation as part of the "Lotus New Era" outline. All told, the Evora is scheduled to receive no less than 150 changes compared to the current model so we figured it would be appropriate to take a stab at what it would look like.
Expected to debut sometime in 2013, the Lotus Evora is getting a makeover to boost the aggressive factor and make it a viable competitor for Ferrari models. Lotus’ ex-Ferrari design boss, Donato Coco thinks the current Evora’s front end is "too weak" adding, “Even many economy cars look more aggressive.” The new design will hearken back to the Lotus 18 single-seater seen at the beginning of the 1960s.
Lotus was struggling with slow sales of the current Evora and although there was a boost when the Evora S debuted, the company needed to act fast to keep the momentum going. Their "Lotus New Era" outline, as well as plans to build their own V6 and V8 engines, will hopefully keep things going int he right direction.
When Lotus announced that a production version Elanwould never happen, they also announced that the next generation Evora would receive some aesthetic changes and new trim levels to align it with the rest of the "Lotus New Era" range. These things are typically better on paper then they are in practice, but a leaked image of the future model illustrates these exact predictions.
The new Evora is expected to debut in 2013 and it seems it will include no less than 150 changes compared to the current model. These changes were made in order to make the Evora a serious competitor for the Porsche models in existence. Lotus’ ex-Ferrari design boss, Donato Coco, said that these changes were necessary to make up for the lack of aggression in the current model’s design. The next Evora will feature this added aggression, but will also continue the same design language that started with the Lotus 18 single-seater at the beginning of the 1960s.
We’ll keep our eyes and ears open for any more information on the future of the Evora so stay tuned!
FifthGear went to the Assen TT circuit in the Netherlands and put together two of the most incredible sports cars to date - the Lotus Evora S and the Porsche Carrera S - for a little one on one action.
The Lotus Evora S is powered by a supercharged Toyota-sourced 3.5-liter V6 engine that delivers a total of 350 HP and more than 300 lb-ft of torque. This means a sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds and a top speed in excess of 172mph. On the other hand, the Porsche Carrera S is powered by a 3.8-liter power with an output of 385 HP and a top speed of 186 mph.
At first glance, the Carrera S seems to have a slight advantage, but who will stand up and fight against all odds? Watch the video to find out!
At the 2010 Paris Auto Show, Lotus unveiled the impressive Elan concept with the full intention of bringing it back in production form by 2013. Be it blind passion or just a mere oversight, Lotus failed to notice that their new concept bared a strong resemblance to their Evora model, so the company is putting the concept on hold indefinitely.
This may sound a little familiar considering we had already heard that the Elan was headed back to the drawing board for looking too much like the Esprit Concept revealed at the same auto show. This begs the question as to whether or not the Esprit will also be delayed because of the same issue, but apparently that is not the case. The Esprit and the Elite will share many of the same components, including a V8 engine that is rumored to deliver around 550 horsepower. This engine will be mated to either a standard dual-clutch transmission or an optional manual.
However, before those puppies are born, Lotus will be working on updating the apparently inspiring Evora with some aesthetic changes and new trim levels to align it with the rest of the "Lotus New Era" range. The Elise and Exige will also be seeing the light of day, but will do so with newer versions "more usable for every day". The production Exige will finally be revealed at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.
