Evora 400 is the fastest Lotus ever

In its sixty-something-year history, Lotus has produced many fast road cars. But this, the Evora 400, is the fastest of the bunch.

186mph of fast, to be precise, a velocity it'll reach after hitting 60mph in 4.1 seconds. That's courtesy of an uprated version of the Evora S's 3.5-litre supercharged V6, here generating 400bhp and 302lb ft of torque. That's up 55bhp, courtesy of a new supercharger, charge-cooler, engine management system and exhaust.

But With a name like Evora 400, you'll have already guessed how much power it has. From now on, all Lotuses will have the power figure in their names. The Elise S Cup will become the Elise S Cup 220, and so on. 

The Evora 400 represents rather more than just a powertrain tweak for Lotus's two-plus-just-about-two (if you spec the optional rear seats, that is). In fact, Hethel claims the Evora 400 is ‘over two-thirds' new, citing a reduction in kebweight of 22kg, thanks largely to lighter seats and engine mounts.

That, in combination with that extra power and new downforce-generating front end and triple-element rear wing, helps the Evora 400 lap Lotus's Hethel test track six seconds quicker than that Evora S. That's quite a gain.

There's a three-stage traction control toggle, including ‘Sport' and ‘Race' modes. As standard, the Evora 400 gets with a six-speed manual, with a new clutch disc and low-inertia flywheel promising ‘swift and tactile' gearchanges. A six-speed auto is optional.

Lotus reckons it's carved a little more comfort within the Evora's cockpit, too, redesigning the bonded aluminium chassis with narrower sills to make ingress and egress less arduous. Apparently there's more space in the rear, too. We suspect you still won't want to be trapped back there for any length of time.

Visually, you'll spot the Evora 400 by its new front end - with integrated daytime running lights - and of course that hefty rear wing and diffuser.

"The Evora 400 is the fastest road-going Lotus that we have ever produced, possessing performance that can only be matched by cars costing significantly more," says new CEO Jean-Marc Gales. "It delivers supercar looks allied to supercar performance."

We expected the Evora 400 to weigh in north of the £65,000 asking price for the Evora S, and we were right. Prices will start somewhere between £70,000 and £72,000 - some £6,000 to £8,000 more than the Cayman GT4. And that's before options, of which there are many more than before. 

Even so, Lotus expects this new car to account for nearly half its sales by the autumn, when it expects production to climb to 70 cars per week.

Would you take an Evora 400 over that slightly-less-powerful, slightly-cheaper Cayman GT4?