LONDON: Lotus has added 10 more horses to the Evora Sport 410 ‘s supercharged engine, but more remarkably, the English sportscar builder managed to find and shed 70kg worth of weight thanks to the predominant use of carbon fibre parts.
The Evora Sport 410 is being retailed in England for £79,900 (RM500,000) will be limited to a global production run of 150 vehicles per annum and will be available in all major markets from June 2016, while a specific North American version of the Evora Sport 410 will be announced later in the same year.
With the loss in weight and the gain in power, the Evora Sport 410 is now able to go from 0-100kph in about 4.2 seconds before reaching a top speed of 299kph and it’s also capable of lapping the company’s Hethel test track in 1 minute 28 seconds – three seconds faster than the Evora 400.
Lotus, howevers, says that this is not just a stripped-out special, but rather an Evora 400 that’s been re-evaluated, with every component assessed, optimised and re-engineered as required.
The list of Carbon fibre parts include a front splitter, roof panel, tailgate, and rear diffuser as well as race-derived sports seats, door trims, a revised front access panel and rear quarter-light panel.
The final kerb weight of the car now comes down to 1,325kg, which brings its power-to-weight ratio up to 309hp/ton and even with some aerodynamic additions its drag coefficient remains unaffected, while the car’s down force has improved by 15% – 37kg of aerodynamic downforce at 240kph.
The company also adds that with the loss in mass, the 410 is not only faster in a straight line, but its handling has gotten sharper, more agile and intuitive.
Although the 410 produces 410hp at 7,000rpm, maximum torque of 410Nm at 3,500rpm remains unchanged from the 3.5-litre V6 all-aluminium engine equipped with an Edelbrock supercharger, while it rolls on lightweight 10-spoke forged aluminium wheels with optional Michelin Cup 2 tyres.
Following the weight loss, the 410’s suspension geometry and damping characteristics were recalibrated for sharper handling and less body roll.
But even though the suspension is now 5mm lower than the Evora 400, the company says that it still managed to retain its rider comfort.
To appeal to purists, the 410’s manual gearbox features a low inertia flywheel, to help ensure swift changes, while a Torsen-type limited slip differential (LSD) gives better traction, and faster exit speeds when cornering.
The optional automatic transmission offers gear selection via lightweight aluminium paddles mounted on the steering wheel.
The Lotus Dynamic Performance Management (DPM) system provides two drive settings of ‘Sport’ and ‘Race’, which proportionally increases throttle response, lowering traction slip thresholds and removing understeer recognition and allows for more driver control before the system intervenes.
As standard, the Evora Sport 410’s carbon fibre sports seats are upholstered with Alcantara, along with the steering wheel, centre console and the one-piece door trim panels with contrast stitching.
Lastly, an integrated touch-screen entertainment system can also be specified, including iPod connectivity and Bluetooth functionality.
“We couldn’t help ourselves,” admitted Group Lotus plc CEO Jean-Marc Gales.
“We wanted to make the Evora even better: lighter, faster and sharper, but our team has exceeded our expectations. Lotus has distilled what makes the Evora so special into something that’s even more focused. The result is dynamically excellent and nothing short of superb.”
Specifications – Lotus Evora Sport 410
ENGINE, TRANSMISSION AND CHASSIS
High power, 410hp. 3.5 litre V6, 24 valve, water cooled, all-aluminium engine, with Edelbrock supercharger
Sports ratio 6-speed manual transmission
Lightweight low inertia fly wheel
Torsen Type Limited Slip Differential (manual only)
Servo assisted 2-piece cross-drilled and ventilated brake discs with AP Racing four piston calipers (front 370mm x 32mm, rear 350mm x 32mm)
Lightweight aluminium extruded and bonded chassis
Front and rear: Fully independent suspension, forged aluminium double wishbone suspension, anti-roll bar, Eibach springs and Bilstein dampers
Rack and pinion steering box with 2.86 turns lock-to-lock
Lotus tuned hydraulically assisted steering
Driver selectable ESP modes – Drive/Sport/Race
ESP/traction control
Tyre pressure monitoring system
Active exhaust valve control
EXTERIOR SPECIFICATION
Carbon fibre rear diffuser and front splitter
Carbon fibre tailgate with integrated rear spoiler and louvered backlight
Carbon fibre roof panel
Carbon fibre front access panel
Brake callipers – yellow painted with black AP Racing logo
Lightweight satin black forged wheels (19″ front and 20″ rear 10 spoke alloy wheels)
Michelin Pilot Sport tyres (front 235/35 R19, rear 285/30 R20)
Bi-xenon headlights
LED daytime running lights
Powerfold and heated door mirrors
Oval exhaust finisher
Rear parking sensors
Thatcham approved immobiliser and remote activated alarm system
INTERIOR SPECIFICATION
2+0 seat configuration
Engine start button
Alcantara trimmed carbon fibre sports seats with contrast stitching
Steering wheel trimmed in leather and black Alcantara®, with black stitching with red leather position stripe
Lightweight door panels trimmed in Alcantara®
Door grab handle, gear lever gaiter and hand brake sleeve in black leather with black stitching
Gunmetal finished door release levers, door grab handles and instrument panel surround finisher
Aluminium face level vents and blanking plate surround
Aluminium blanking plate etched with Evora Sport 410 logo
Lightweight aluminium gear knob (manual only)
Door sill insert etched with Evora logo
Lightweight driver’s footrest
Steering wheel finisher and HVAC panel in gunmetal finish with metallic finished bezels
Lightweight aluminium pedal pads
Black IP fascia and binnacle top with black twin stitching
Dark grey headlining
Black carpet
Windscreen visor
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres (front 235/35 R19, rear 285/30 R20)
Alcantara® trimmed, adjustable Sparco® seat from Evora 400
Lightweight silver, forged alloy wheels (19″ front and 20″ rear 10 spoke)
4 speaker double DIN ICE unit with full satellite navigation and reversing camera
Sound insulation pack
Air conditioning
Keyword: Lotus Evora Sport 410 - lighter more powerful