CAR editor Phil McNamara made an unusual discovery when pootling around a Lincolnshire market town recently: an undisguised but unbadged Lotus Evora. CAR is testing the new Evora – the first all-new Lotus for over a decade – next week, so come back in the next few days for our first drive review.
‘I was amazed again by how compact, modern and lithe the Evora looks – especially against the imposing, classical Aston I was driving,’ said our boss, who happened to be testing a DBS* at the time.
‘But I don’t recommend the grey of this Evora, as you couldn’t make out my favourite detail: where the bladed rear screen surround pokes the side glass. It looked like an engineer out with his missus, putting miles on the car ahead of the launch.’
The Lotus Evora is first all-new car line from Hethel since the 1996 Elise and the mid-engine 2+2 goes on sale this summer, priced from £47,500 for a two-seater configuration. The 2+2 model will cost £49,875 – but 450 launch edition cars will be packed with every conceivable option and add £10k to those figures. All come as standard with the 276bhp 3.5-litre V6 and lightweight aluminium construction.
* The editor doesn’t always drive Aston Martins, honest!
>> Come back to CAR Online next week for our first drive review of the new Lotus Evora (2009)