The fastest-ever Lotus rolls off the production line and onto roads

7 September, 2015

Construction of the of Lotus’ latest lightweight track warriors, the new 2015 Evora 400 Sport, has come to a head, with the first of the revolutionary new cars being delivered to owners and dealerships all over Europe as we speak.

The Evora 400 Sport has set a new benchmark for the plucky manufacturer, as the fastest-ever production car ever issued by the brand. Predictably, it’s light — weighing in at 1375kg. While some might not consider that number to be wildly impressive, it starts to make more sense when you consider that the 400 Sport is almost 50kg lighter than the preceding Evora model, and beneath its suave and smooth body-lines it conceals a 400hp, supercharged, mid-mounted 3.5-litre V6 engine.

In full flight, the Sport will be capable of hitting 300kph, taking only 4.2 seconds to get to 100kph along the way. And, naturally, it’ll be able to turn on a dime as well, utilizing an AP Racing brake package, a limited-slip differential, and, of course, Lotus’ famed chassis and handling know-how.

The Sport’s options include a complex infotainment system, an automatic transmission, leather-trim upgrades, and metallic paint. But really, if you’re purchasing a Lotus — no less the fastest Lotus ever produced — you’re spending your hard-earned folding because you want a car that can ride a B road like a pro. If you must drop some extra coin on your Evora, the lightweight forged alloy wheels are probably the best bet.

The release of the car comes just as Lotus has hit an economic upswing — not a trend traditionally associated with a car manufacturer with such a niche market. The number of Lotus dealers worldwide has increased markedly, from 138 to 193, in just the last 15 months.

While North American and Chinese markets will be among the next ones to wrap their hands around the Sport, New Zealand will have to wait a little bit longer. But once it’s here, we at New Zealand Classic Car would love to get our mitts on one!

What about you, would you take something like this instead of an Italian or German alternative from the likes of Ferrari or Porsche? Clock in your verdict in our poll below:

Motorman: Blame it on Rio!

Following the third polite advisory, I figured there had to be a fair degree of substance to the warning. “If this is your first visit to Rio de Janeiro, please be careful,” came the personal hushed dialogue from the pleasant hostesses on a far from crowded Varig flight from Los Angeles to the famous Brazilian seaside city.
The previous evening I had flown into LA from Auckland en route to the 1985 international launch of the Fiat Uno Turbo. I was prepared for another long haul of just under 12 hours across Mexico, central America, Colombia, and central Brazil to that nation’s third largest city. Surprisingly the 10,500km run from Los Angeles to Rio is actually longer than the 8800km LA-London air route.
With the journey including a brief stopover in Honolulu I expected to travel just under 44,000km for the return journey to sample what was to be a low-volume version of a popular Italian car that would sell in even lower numbers in New Zealand. I like to think this shows nothing more than my deep commitment to my craft. In fact, even though I became lost on the homeward journey my total air miles would be little different.

Pinnacle Porsche

We were stopped at the side of the road, setting up the next photograph, when a faded Toyota slowed alongside and stopped. The window was already down to give the driver a good look.
“That’s my dream car,” he said, speaking for more than a few of us.
He drank in the gleaming red paint, shining in the sun, and the car’s purposeful swoops and curves. He exhaled half a lungful of cigarette smoke, gave a hang 10–style thumbs up and drove off.
On the side of the road, against a clear blue background, the Porsche stood out in all its stark red glory. It’s the classic 911 shape on steroids. It has the fat, even pouty, front lip of the G series 911s, added to comply with 5mph bumper restrictions in the US. It also has the oversized haunches to accommodate the wider rear wheels and tyres – a first for Porsche, which also confirmed its supercar credentials – and, most noticeably of all, that enormous whale-tail spoiler. They made it look as if Porsche had abandoned its restraint.