Luxury News from Luxury Insider

Lotus Project Eagle Officially Named Evora

Published: 7/23/2008 10:17:00 PM

Keywords: Automobiles

By LAWRENCE TAN

Last week, we reported on Lotus’ new Project Eagle, the British automakers’ first all-new model since the Elise some 13 years ago. Officially unveiled at the London Motor Show on Tuesday as the Evora, the new mid-engined 2+2 Lotus coupe promises to be the most user-friendly Lotus ever produced.

User-friendliness means the driver and front passenger can now enter and exit the car with “less athletic undertaking”, says the company’s press release, and can accommodate “two 99th percentile (6ft 5in tall) American males”.

User-friendliness also translates to space in the rear cabin for children and smaller adults, or if you prefer, the two-seater derivative converts this same space to a luggage shelf. The 160-liter boot is spacious enough for a full set of golf clubs, and with fresh air cooling system as well.

The full-leather clad interiors with Alpine multimedia system, 7-inch touchscreen with advanced audio, video, satellite navigation, Bluetooth and iPod connectivities, as well as options for a reversing camera monitor should come as good news.

The new Evora features Lotus’ new aluminium chassis, known as the Production Low Versatile Vehicle Architecture (VVA), which was carried over and evolved from the Lotus APX Concept, and will allow for changes to dimensions and cost-effective modifications to chassis strength and stiffness.

This vehicle architecture will eventually find its way to future Lotus models, even taking into account front or mid engine installations, and hybrid and electric vehicle (EV) applications.

There’s also a host of safety considerations thrown in besides the high-tech chassis, such as deformable sacrificial aluminium front and steel rear subframe modules, which Lotus says “are designed to minimize damage while protecting the main passenger cell in the event of an accident”.

Lotus Traction Control (LTC) responds and adjusts to the skills of different drivers.

Production of the new Evora will be limited to 2,000 per year at Lotus’ new facility at Hethel, England, and first deliveries are expected in Spring 2009.