Paris show: Lotus boosts flagship Evora

LOTUS is set to broaden the appeal of its flagship Evora sports coupe, adding a supercharged version of its Toyota-source 3.5-litre V6, as well as a six-speed automatic transmission option.

Belting out 257kW – about 20 per cent more power than the standard 206kW Evora – the supercharged Evora S is set to make its public debut at the Paris motor show on September 30.

Lotus Cars Australia has confirmed the Evora S and the automatic Evora IPS (Intelligent Precision Shift) for Australia, probably arriving in late 2010 or early 2011 to rev up slow Evora sales in this country.

The supercharged V6 is similar to the Australian-developed supercharged engine that powered the now defunct Aurion TRD built by Toyota Australia’s go-fast outfit. That version, which used the latest Eaton supercharger technology, produced 241kW and 400Nm.

While the torque of the Lotus version remains the same at 400Nm, power has been ramped up to 257kW, helping the light-weight (1437kg) Evora to sprint from zero to 100km/h in a claimed 4.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 275km/h.

Armed with a push-button ‘sport’ mode, the Evora S allows the driver to sharpen the car's reflexes by raising the rev limit, activating an exhaust bypass, honing the throttle response and adjusting the ESC settings.

The transverse-mounted V6 of the Evora S will only be offered with a six-speed manual gearbox.

The optional automatic Evora IPS, consequently, will only come with the standard normally aspirated 206kW V6, providing 0-100km/h acceleration in 5.5 seconds and a top speed of 248km/h.

The automatic transmission can be shifted via steering-wheel-mounted paddles in manual mode. The driver can also select a ‘sport’ model for higher change points.

Combined fuel consumption for the Evora S – 10.0 litres per 100km – pays a penalty for the extra performance compared with the normally aspirated Evora IPS, which returns 8.8L/100km.

According to Lotus, the Evora S suspension has been fine-tuned to help cope with the added power. As well, it gains a head-up display.

Lotus chief executive officer Dany Bahar said the IPS version would help Lotus to reach out to a slightly different market.

“We hope it will be popular with established automatic locations,” he said.

“It’s been a long time since Lotus created an automatic, and we’ve spent a great deal of time refining this one to make sure that it perfectly complements the Evora drive experience.” The chassis of the Evora, which was launched globally last year, continues to be built on a modular bonded aluminium chassis with forged double-wishbone suspension.

That platform is reported to be the basis for two more models being developed by the Malaysian-owned, British-based company.

Lotus Cars Australia currently offers two variants of the Evora – a two-seater for $139,990 and 2+2 for $146,990.

So far this year, Lotus has registered only five Evoras in Australia, compared with 21 for its top-selling and more affordable Elise.