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Lotus unveils new supercar — the Evora 400

7 March, 2015

Just over a month ago, Lotus Cars talked about the reveal of a new car at the 2015 Geneva International Motor Show. This new model was stated to remain true to Lotus’s core pillars of lightness, performance, and driving purity. First impressions are promising.

The Lotus Evora 400 is the car in question, and is said to be faster and lighter than the previous model, promising a more engaging drive than the already exciting Evora S.

The supercharged 3.5-litre Toyota 2GR-FZE V6 engine is carried over, but has been completely re-engineered, now producing 400hp and 302lb·ft. The 0–100kph sprint is achieved in a brisk 4.2 seconds, and given the room the Evora 400 will run to a top speed of 300kph. These performance gains have allowed the Evora 400 to lap Lotus’s Hethel test track six seconds faster than the previous-generation Evora.

Compared to the previous model, the Evora 400 also weighs in at 22kg less, thanks to clever design work. A new aluminium chassis and redesigned composite body aid in achieving a weight reduction, lower coefficient of drag, and also allows for a brand-new interior — no doubt welcome news for owners of the previous model Evora.

Escort services – 1968 Escort 1100 Restomod

19 September, 2024

The Escort started off as a 1968 1100 cc two-door sold-new in Britain. At some point it was retired from daily duty and set aside as a pet project for someone. When that project began is unclear, but much of the work was completed in 2014 including a complete rotisserie restoration.
By the end of 2014, it was finished but not completed. Its Wellingtonian owner bought it sight unseen from the UK and it landed here in early 2020. It was soon dispatched to Macbilt in Grenada North, Wellington for them to work their magic.
Macbilt had two instructions: to get the car through compliance for use on the road; and to improve the vehicle and finish the project so it drove as well as it looked. Looking at the car now, it has an amazing presence and stance. It can’t help but attract attention and a bevy of admirers.

Lunch with … Cary Taylor

11 September, 2024

Many years ago — in June 1995 to be more precise — I was being wowed with yet another terrific tale from Geoff Manning who had worked spanners on all types of racing cars. We were chatting at Bruce McLaren Intermediate school on the 25th anniversary of the death of the extraordinary Kiwi for whom the school was named. Geoff, who had been part of Ford’s Le Mans programme in the ’60s, and also Graham Hill’s chief mechanic — clearly realising that he had me in the palm of his hand — offered a piece of advice that I’ve never forgotten: “If you want the really good stories, talk to the mechanics.”
Without doubt the top mechanics, those involved in the highest echelons of motor racing, have stories galore — after all, they had relationships with their drivers so intimate that, to quote Geoff all those years ago, “Mechanics know what really happened.”