Lotus introduces Evora 400 – fastest ever production Lotus

2015 Lotus Evora 400 front quarter

Lotus has unveiled its “all-new” Lotus Evora 400. Why the inverted commas? While Lotus claims its latest offering is all-new and the fastest production Lotus, ever, it is essentially a facelift.

The restyled front fascia is now more aggressive and sports a massive air intake, infused with LED daytime running lights on both sides. The Evora 400 also rolls on redesigned forged aluminium wheels measuring 19-inch upfront and 20-inch at the back. They are 3.3kg lighter than the pre-facelift Evora’s and are wrapped in sticky 235/35 and 285/30 Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres.

2015 Lotus Evora 400 rear quarter

At the back, the freshly designed bumper now incorporates a lightweight composite diffuser, along with a centrally existing exhaust pipe that is 3-inches wider. A new three-element rear wing connects the rear flanks for a more cohesive look and adds 32kg of downforce at 150 mph.

Under the bonnet, the 3.5-liltre V6 engine is now supercharged, with a water-to-air charge-cooler and tweaked engine management system. The result is 16% increase in power from 257kW (350PS) to 298kW (406PS). Torque has increase from 400Nm to 410Nm with maximum torque available from 3,500rpm to 6,500rpm.

2015 Lotus Evora 400 side

To ensure the Evora 400 sounds the works, sonic changes have been made to the post-cat exhaust system. It features revised muffler internals and a switch that can be driver activated to allow the exhaust to flow more freely, reducing back pressure under higher engine loads and where conditions allow.

There are also new engine mounts that are 5.6kg lighter than the previous Evora, while the six-speed manual gearbox gets a new low inertia flywheel and a reworked clutch disc for improved shift quality. A Torsen-type limited slip differential is now standard. Meanwhile, the automatic transmission is updated with a new shift algorithm. All this means the Evora 400 will blitz from 0-100km/h in just 4.2 seconds before hitting a top speed of 300km/h.

 

2015 Lotus Evora 400 dashboard

With all the weight saving measures, the new model tips the scale at just 1,415kg for the manual variant, while the auto gains an extra 4kg. Lotus claims the car has managed to lap the Lotus test track in Hethel a full six seconds quicker than the previous model.

Driver and passenger now gain easier access to the cockpit, thanks to sills that are 43mm narrower per side and 56mm lower than the previous Evora, along with narrower door inner panels.

2015 Lotus Evora 400 interior

The all new front seats are 3kg lighter each, while the optional rear seats are 280mm wider than before and weighs 3.4kg less.

There are three trim levels on the Evora 400, with each featuring specific trim detailing. All variants get a forged magnesium steering wheel, an updated instrument cluster and a start-stop button – a first for the Evora.

The new Lotus Evora 400 will be hand-built at Lotus’ Headquarters in Hethel.

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