Lotus has revealed an ultra-limited new Evora GT430 special edition. As the name suggests, 430-horsepower makes it the most powerful Lotus road car ever, while a worldwide build run of just 60 cars ensures it will be one of the most collectable. It’s also among the priciest Lotus road cars yet: it’s yours from £112,500 (and you don’t even get air con as standard for that price).
The extreme Evora can do 0-60mph in 3.7 seconds and has a 190mph top speed. Lotus hasn’t simply pushed up the power either, but given it the aerodynamic muscle to cope with the 3.5-litre supercharged V6's firepower: at maximum speed, a quarter-tonne of downforce is pushing the GT430 down into the ground. The car itself weighs a scant 1258kg.
Reviving the GT badge used on the divine Lotus Esprit GT V8 and GT3 further guarantees collectability for the two-seat supercar-slayer, which Group Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales describes as “a legendary Lotus. It’s a truly beautiful car, meticulously finished in hand-crafted carbon and employing the latest aerodynamics and lightweight materials.
“We expect the lucky owners to be blown away by its pure presence and staggering performance.”
Lotus Evora GT430: in detail
Overall weight is down 26kg over a standard Evora, which Lotus says is even more impressive when you consider the GT430 has an additional 9kg added on courtesy of its carbon rear wing plus larger wheels and tyres (19-inch front, 20-inch rear, both 10mm wider). It’s thus the lightest road-going Evora yet built.
What makes it so light? Carbon fibre front and rear bumpers, for starters, which have beautiful exposed weave sections. The same finish is found on the carbon fibre front splitter and access panel, roof panel, the rear wing and a one-piece carbon tailgate complete with louvered section. Check out the composite quarterpanels as well: this thing is mean.
Lotus fits a titanium exhaust as standard, taking 10kg off the rear axle weight, plus three-piece rear discs with aluminium centres, saving 2kg. The discs have J-grooves and AP Racing four-pot front calipers.
Ohlins TTX two-way adjustable dampers, tuned by Lotus, save 10kg, while springs by Eibach are described as ultra-lightweight; they’re of a low sideload design and help raise the spring rate.
Combine all this and you have a Lotus Hethel test track lap time of 1 minute 25.8 seconds, making it the fastest Evora ever. It will feel fast to drive – Lotus has lightened the flywheel, making the engine seem revvier and less inertia-filled – and it’s added a Torsen limited-slip differential for peak corner exit speeds.
Inside, it’s suitably focused with plentiful carbon fibre, Alcantara, perforated leather, matt black panels and contrast stitching wherever possible. But just as you have to pay extra for air con, also be prepared to fork out for a stereo, cup holder, even sound insulation. Lotus hasn’t gone out its way to include non-essentials as standard: instead, GT430 owners get details such as a thinner aluminium undertray (saving 1.5kg) and even optimised aluminium brackets (saving 1.3kg).
As such, we guarantee it will sold out before you know it. If, indeed, it isn’t already…
Source: Lotus
Gallery: 2018 Lotus Evora GT430
