We've been hearing a lot about Lotus lately as the Evora S and the Evora IPS were announced as Lotus features at the Paris Motor Show at the end of September. We're going to keep the ball rolling with the British manufacturer as they have just announced that the racing version of the Evora->ke3240 sports car will be making its racing debut this weekend at the European GT4 Championships. Behind the wheel of the sports car will be Lotus rookie driver, Ollie Hancock.

The Lotus Evora Cup is powered by a 4.0 Liter V8 making 360 PS and weighs just 1190 kg, nearly 200 kg less than the road going Evora. It will enter the race carrying the Lotus Type Number 124 and will be painted in a Lotus Motorsport Green with a yellow twin-stripe running down the center.

Next to the Evora Cup, Lotus will also be bringing four ultra lightweight Lotus 2-Eleven GT4 race cars to the event. Two of these sports cars will be decked out in the Lotus Motorsport livery with members of NFS Racing Dubai. The other two Lotus Evoras will be operated by Team Scuderia Giudici, who currently lead the GT4 “Super Sports” Championship category.

Press release after the jump.

Press release

The new Lotus Evora Cup/GT4 makes its racing debut this weekend (28th-29th August 2010) in the hands of Lotus rookie driver Ollie Hancock.

Lotus Motorsport has entered the Lotus Evora Cup/GT4 in the “Invitation” category of the European GT4 Championships as part of a year long development programme prior to a full GT4 championship assault in 2011. The GT4 will also be made available as a customer race car to privateer racing teams.

With 360 PS and weighing in at just 1190 kg, nearly 200 kg less than the road going Evora, the new Evora GT4 carries the Lotus Type Number 124 and represents part of Lotus’ new strategic GT motorsport programme, further details of which will be announced at the Paris Motor Show on the 30th of September 2010.

Liveried in striking Lotus Motorsport Green with a yellow twin-stripe running down the centre, the Lotus Evora Cup/GT4 brings the iconic colour scheme back once again to sports car racing.

The Evora Cup/GT4 will debut just a matter of hours after Lotus announced the new 350 PS, supercharged Evora S road car, to be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show.

Already, the Lotus Evora Cup/GT4 has undergone a punishing and extensive development programme with Lotus Racing’s F1 driver Jarno Trulli, experienced GT racer Johnny Mowlem and Lotus Motorsport’s own Product Manager Gavan Kershaw as part of the development team.

Lotus Motorsport’s IndyCar driver Takuma Sato and 1996 Champ Car  winner, Jimmy Vasser have also given extensive feedback having driven the Evora Cup/GT4 at the legendary Laguna Seca race circuit in early August, giving Lotus’ newest race car a most diverse and comprehensive pedigree.

Accompanying the Evora’s debut will be four ultra lightweight Lotus 2-Eleven GT4 race cars, two of which will be entered in the Lotus Motorsport colour scheme and run by NFS Racing Dubai. The other two cars will be run by Team Scuderia Giudici, who currently lead the GT4 “Super Sports” Championship category.

For those who can’t make the journey to the Nürburgring in the beautiful Eifel region to see the Evora Cup/GT4 making its first racing appearance, then GT racing fans will have an opportunity to see a second Evora Cup/GT4 in the slightly less hilly surroundings of Norfolk where Lotus Motorsport’s Product Manager Gavan Kershaw will be giving demonstration laps during the Snetterton round of the British GT4 Championships also over the weekend of the 28th and 29th of August.