438bhp Lotus roadcar? Yes please!

[Leonidae@MFT]

Say hello to Lotus Evora GTE.

From autoblog.com

Lotus has been teasing a tuned-up Evora for a few months now, as rumors flew that the automaker was planning a hardcore version for the street. Finally, however, the rumors have all been confirmed as Lotus pulls back the wraps on the production Evora GTE Road Car. This is similar to the white and gray concept concept car we saw in Monterey, except the car now wears a matte yellow paint scheme, different wheels and a glossy carbon fiber lid.

Lotus says this Evora GTE Road Car is the automaker's most powerful production vehicle to date. The 3.5-liter V6 engine produces 434 horsepower, which is transferred to the forged alloy wheels by way of an automated manual gearbox.

Originally, the Evora GTE was planned as a China-only special edition. The original allotment sold quickly, though, so Lotus has apparently decided to expand production and bring the GTE to a greater number of markets.

Autocar article

From topgear.com

Also on the Lotus stand was its most powerful road car ever built: the 438bhp Lotus Evora GTE. Originally intended for the Asian market, it was created to celebrate Lotus entering the global GTE motorsport category.

It comes with an automated manual transmission racing gearbox, lightweight alloy rims and a "clever use of carbon fibre" to help shed 105kg from a standard Evora: the doors, rear wing and front and rear bumpers are now made of the stuff, along with Recaro CF seats too.

Lotus CEO Dany Bahar said: "The response to this model in China has been so incredible, within days we had sold out with 114 orders. In response we decided that the only logical step from a business perspective was to increase production and widen our reach."

Top Gear article

DLC for next GT5 update?

 

[theotherspongey]

I guess it looks alright, would have suited the Elise or Exige more though.

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

Read the whole TG article in the link..

 

[theotherspongey]

Oops, I was too lazy to click it before

 

[SlipZtrEm]

Bah, I knew it was a matter of time before the Exige got the baby-California face of the Elise.

While the engine swap is cool, and the power/weight ratio is even better, it's a bit sad that it's now a car near 1100kg (the Exige, that is). Still very few cars that can hit it's weight level, but still... Chapman ideals!

The Evora, on the other hand - hell yes. It looks fantastic, and just that much more mean than the stock car, without getting silly. I haven't heard much on the automated manual though, curious how well it works...

Whoa whoa whoa... 105kg off the standard car? Time to go GT3 RS hunting?!

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

Indeed.

 

[exigeracer]

Just wanted to point out that the body styling for the Evora GTE was done by Mansory. Somehow they managed to pull it off, although I'm sure the Evora's original designers (Russell Carr and Steve Crijins) are probably cringing. At least they got the back spoiler way better than the one they showed a few weeks ago at Monterey:

 

[Zenith]

Just wanted to point out that the body styling for the Evora GTE was done by Mansory. Somehow they managed to pull it off, although I'm sure the Evora's original designers (Russell Carr and Steve Crijins) are probably cringing. At least they got the back spoiler way better than the one they showed a few weeks ago at Monterey:

You mean the people who did this?

 

[exigeracer]

You mean the people who did this?

The very same:

 

[McLaren]

Here's hoping the Lotus then, is a new direction for Mansory's design team.

 

[Crispy]

^^^Damn who know Papa Smurf was such a high roller!

 

[MitchZ06]

Don't forget this....

 

[DaxCobra]

What happened to low powered lightweight cars? Or even high powered lightweight cars?

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

They went same way as Dodo's.. Killed by the needs of the time.

 

[The Vanishing Boy]

Leonidae -> You should've add: 438bhp Lotus roadcar?...and its not the Esprit!

BT -> So the one in Monterey is the concept while the one in Deutchland is the real production-spec?

 

[Rue]

Here's hoping the Lotus then, is a new direction for Mansory's design team.

Mansory have a design team? I thought it was just a couple of well-off Chavs in a shed... When I was a teenager they just put big wheels on flash cars, it seems completely illogical odd that they are now designing body-kits for manufacturers with the heritage of such companies as Lotus.

Oops, I was thinking about Project Kahn. Meh, same same.

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

I hardly can wait to see some action videos of this bad boy

 

[JJ72]

more like "man...sorry"

 

[ProjectVRD]

As much as I love the new to be Evora, I just want the new Espirit aka Ferrari killer

 

[Blackbird.]

As much as I love the new to be Evora, I just want the new Espirit aka Ferrari killer

Yes please!

warning: large image