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2020 Lotus Evora GT Road Test | Don’t forget about Lotus

Slipping into the leather, carbon fiber-backed seats and turning on the engine is an event in the 2020 Lotus Evora GT. Stick the stubby, unmarked key in the ignition, turn two notches; press a button on the remote; push the clutch in, and hold the “Engine Start” button down. The tachometer springs to life, zinging up past 2,000 rpm before settling into an even, but emphatic idle. If everybody wasnÂ’t already staring at the little British sports car in the parking lot, they are now. Once the astoundingly complex, but charming start procedure is done, the fun begins. Lotus has sold only one other more powerful version of the Evora in the United States, that being the GT430. This GT is rocking a poked and prodded version of the Toyota 3.5-liter V6 engine found in all Evoras, but as in some other versions, an Edelbrock supercharger has been added to boost output. With the six-speed manual, its output is 416 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque. Twist increases to 332 pound-feet with the six-speed automatic, but donÂ’t buy a Lotus with an automatic. Just donÂ’t do it.  The gear lever snicks into first with positive, notch-like action. LotusÂ’ analog gauges stare back, displaying the most important information in a legible size and font. ThereÂ’s a digital speedometer tucked into a little nook under the steering wheel's red center line, just the right height for a quick glance downward. Grippy leather covers the 9 and 3 positions on the wheel, while soft Alcantara contrasts with the leather on the top and flat bottom of the wheel. Lotus clearly knows that sweaty racetrack hands and Alcantara donÂ’t mix.  This clutch is heavy, is the first thought upon setting out on the road. It fits the car and makes the driver work a little to be smooth. Good. Driving a Lotus shouldnÂ’t be a walk in the park. The driving position is bang-on. Those manually-adjustable (and heated!) leather seats are mounted low, their bolsters large enough to be snug, but short enough to slip over getting in. The view forward doesnÂ’t leave much to be desired, but looking out the back is like looking through a mail slot. ThereÂ’s a tiny box of glass, but itÂ’s tinted, making it difficult to see whatever might be visible. Side mirrors it is, and those are plenty fine, even allowing a view of the wide rear hips.  At speed, racecar vibes abound instantly.

Lotus readying Evora crossover?!

If it seems to you like every sports car manufacturer is getting into the crossover game, that's because it's pretty much true. And now, we potentially have one more to add to the list, as Britain's Car magazine reports that Lotus – yes, Lotus – is proceeding with plans to build a crossover. Rather than build a new crossover from the ground up, however, Lotus is said to be developing a high-riding version of the existing Evora. It's tipped to keep its rear-drive configuration (rather than going with a proper all-wheel-drive system), with a raised ride height and more rugged styling. In that respect, it may emerge more like a Local Motors Rally Fighter than a Porsche Cayenne challenger. That may yet emerge as not such a bad thing as it may seem on the surface, but for those purists who'd balk at the notion of an off-road Lotus, the British automaker has other plans in store as well. The crossover would arrive on the heels of a refreshed version of the existing Evora, a potential convertible version of the same, and a hardcore, track-focused successor to the 2-Eleven is also said to be in the works. In the end, Lotus would only be the latest in a long string of established sports car makers to get into the crossover game. Porsche of course led the way with the Cayenne and followed up with the Macan, Maserati is set to follow suit, and last we heard, Lamborghini was still awaiting approval to build the Urus concept.

Lotus Evora GT410 Sport exhaust is the best new holiday song

No matter what holidays people are celebrating, there's one winter celebration car enthusiasts can come together for: Driftmas. A Lotus Evora GT410 Sport was recently possessed by the ghost of Driftmas present Ken Block and decided to get sideways all over the Lotus campus in Hethel, Norfolk, England. The result is a beautiful winter symphony. The video is done in a slightly cheeky manner, as the yellow Evora shows up to work with a fully geared-up driver in the front seat, and a full Christmas tree stick to the rear engine cover. After blowing past a pristine Espirit S1 in a "slow" zone, the Evora slowly creeps through one of the garages, where a beautiful black and gold Type 72 race car sits quiet as a mouse. It then makes its way through a testing area and to a parking lot, where it rings a few bells around three specialty Lotus models, including what appear to be Exige Cup cars. It finishes the ride in front of the main office, where Lotus has another Christmas tree filled with little toy cars as ornaments. Before the Grinches start complaining about how it's not Gymkhana, that's correct. It's not. But we'd never turn our noses at a video with a soundtrack a sweet as this. Merry Driftmas to all. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Related Video: