More options, less weight for Lotus’ Evora 400

CUSTOMERS who missed out on Lotus’ limited-run Evora 410 will now be able to spec the less exclusive Evora 400 with additional weight-saving options, including a carbon pack, a lithium-ion battery and titanium exhaust, to bridge the performance gap between the pair.

GoAuto has contacted Australian Lotus Cars distributor Simply Sports Cars to confirm local availability and pricing.

In the United Kingdom the carbon pack costs £6500 ($A11,175), the titanium exhaust is priced at £5500 ($A9456) and the lithium-ion battery carries a £1350 ($A2321) pricetag.

The carbon pack – which comes standard on the Evora 410 – replaces the front splitter, roof, rear wing centre, rear diffuser, front access panel and wing mirror caps with carbon-fibre components, saving a total of 5kg on the Evora 400’s 1395kg overall weight.

Opting for either the lithium-ion battery or titanium sports exhaust will shed an additional 10kg each, while selecting the no-cost option removal of air-conditioning and the rear seats will save another 17kg.

With all weight-saving options included, the Evora 400 will tip the scales at 1353kg, just 38kg lighter than a Porsche 911 Carrera manual.

However, Lotus will install a no-cost cupholder and oddment tray – an accessory fitted as standard in the United States – if asked, which adds 120g.

Powered by a Toyota-derived mid-mounted supercharged 3.5-litre V6 good for 298kW (or 400hp, giving the Evora its name) and 410Nm, the Evora 400 can accelerate from a standstill to 100km/h in 4.2 seconds and on to a maximum speed of 300km/h.

For comparison, the Evora 410’s powerplant outputs an additional 8kW and shaves 0.1 seconds from its 0-100km/h sprint time.

Power in the Evora 400 is fed through a six-speed manual gearbox or an optional six-speed automatic transmission with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

The Lotus Evora 400 kicks off from $184,990 before on-roads for the manual, while the automatic commands a $10,000 price premium at $194,990.

Group Lotus chief executive officer Jean-Marc Gales said the new options are designed to further enhance the driving dynamics of the Evora 400.

“The Lotus Evora 400 is already the lightest car in its segment, with supercar performance, benchmark handling and the purity of driving experience expected of a Lotus,” he said.

“We are now giving customers and opportunity to drive an even light and more responsive car.”