Melbourne show: Lotus Evora tops $160K

LOTUS Cars Australia (LCA) used today’s 2009 Melbourne International Motor Show opening to announce a provisional starting price for its all-new range-topping Evora coupe of $162,990.

The 2+2-seater version of the bespoke British sportscar-maker’s first all-new model since the 1995 Elise will be priced $7000 higher at $169,990 when the two-variant Evora range goes on sale in Australia in the third quarter of 2009.

A special tighter-ratio manual transmission will be a no-cost option for both versions, which reduces the standard car’s claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time from five seconds dead to 4.9 seconds.

First seen at the 2008 British International Motor Show last July, the mid-engined Evora four-seater made its Australian and Southern Hemisphere public debuts in Melbourne.

Set to join the Elise-based Exige and Europa (and the track-focussed 2-Eleven) in the Lotus range, it is powered by a 206kW version of the all-alloy 3.5-litre V6 engine that motivates Toyota Australia’s Aurion, Kluger and RAV4.

The 2+2 version – the world’s only four-seater mid-engined coupe – is claimed to offer child seat capability in the back, as well as a 160-litre boot that’s said to accommodate a full set of golf clubs.

Initially known as ‘Project Eagle’, which emerged from the ashes of Lotus’ aborted M250 concept car project in 2000, the Evora easily will be the most expensive Lotus (that honour currently goes to the $114,990 Exige S), as well as a direct rival for Porsche’s circa-$155,000 Cayman S coupe.

LCA recently appointed the Trivett Group as Sydney’s exclusive Lotus sales and service outlet.

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