The new Evora - a Lotus for the family man

It was for 13 years that Lotus cognoscenti had to wait for the British manufacturer to bring a new model to market. Next spring this will apparently happen and the new Lotus Evora will take its bow.

With the Evora, there is supposed to be promising writing on the wall for family men. Indeed, looking at the spec, one rather thinks more of a rapid family saloon than of a dynamic sports car. Its 206 kW/276 HP are delivered from a 3.5 litre V6 engine and the CO2 emissions are stated at 225 gms per kilometre. Acceleration from 0 to 60 is supposed to take less than five seconds and the top speed of the Evora - weighing in at 1.3 tonnes - is said to be 155 MPH. Having said all which, the visual appearance tells a different story. With a wheelbase of 2.58 metres, it is just 4.34 metres long in total and its height of 1.22 metres means that it just about reaches the average driver's belt buckle.

You could well say: just right on the outside, but pretty tight on the inside. One may well ask just how much consideration Lotus is showing for customers with families, an additional spare tyre and a bad back? With its new Evora, Lotus would like to address a new customer base that does not want to do without a minimum level of creature comforts. This is also reflected in the price, as the 4-seater will cost around 70.000 euros. But all Lotus enthusiasts that still have a fixation with the legendary Esprit - James Bond's company car - can take comfort in the fact that a new model eight cylinder model is planned for 2011.

%Gallery-34642%