The Lotus sports cars began as the brainchild of enthusiast Colin Chapman just after the Second World War. He built niche cars to compete on the race track in club events and minor professional races. By the 1970s, Lotus was an established maker of sports cars and was a major force in the world of Grand Prix racing. Even mighty Ferrari took a back seat to the often eccentric cars from Lotus.
The Lotus company's first foray into the world of mass-produced cars with an appeal greater than just sports cars came with the introduction of the Lotus Esprit.
This was a car that challenged the supercars of the day, at least from a performance standard, but the Esprit was never seriously considered as a rival for Lamborghini or Ferrari simply because it was powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder. That was a shame as it was every bit as good a car despite its small displacement. I had a four-cylinder turbo Esprit and it easily embarrassed its contemporary Ferrari 308s and 328s.
After decades in production, the Esprit had a major change with the introduction of the twin-turbo V8 Esprit. I still own one of those and I enjoy it greatly, but I still miss the four-cylinder Esprit. While considerably slower than the V8, the four seemed just a bit more capable in corners, unless the huge turbo lag caught you unawares. The twin-turbo V8 does not have the turbo lag, but it seems a little more reluctant to behave during high-g cornering, or perhaps it is just that you are entering such corners at much higher speed.
The Esprit was produced for more than three decades from its debut in 1972 to the final version in 2004, but its replacement was already gracing the twisting roads of Europe-- to great critical acclaim.
The Lotus Elise first appeared in the mid 1990s and was far truer to the Lotus heritage than the larger Esprit. The Elise was a small sports car with a small-displacement engine and it behaved as if glued to the road. It soon made a name for itself on race tracks around the world, but, because of its small size, difficult entry and Spartan appointments, it was a purist's car and never a rival for Porsche as far as sales were concerned -- even if it could embarrass any other car in the world in a tight corner.
The Elise was followed by an even more competent coupe version, the supercharged Exige, which is a holy terror on the track but still a difficult car for picking up milk in.
Both the Elise and the Exige have been worldwide sensations and the favourites of purists, professionals, automotive journalists and dyed-in-the-wool sports car enthusiasts. But these cars were just harbingers of what Lotus is about to release on to the roads of the world.
That car is the Evora, a much larger car than the Elise and Exige. It is also a car that may soon find itself much sought after by buyers who would normally purchase a Porsche but have always yearned for something as competent, comfortable and fresher in the looks department.
I recently had my first look at the Evora in Toronto. It was not a car that could be road tested as the Evora is currently going through its North American certifications and is not allowed for road use. While driving it would have been great, just looking at it was enough for now.
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