Review: Lotus Mk.I Evora (2009-11)

Overview

Released in November 2009, Lotus the Mk.I Evora was a mid-engined two-door coupe. Hand-built in Norfolk, England, the Evora was powered by a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission. The Mk.I Evora was available in two (‘2+0’) and two-plus-two (‘2+2’) seat models.

2GR-FE engine

The Evora was powered by Toyota’s all-alloy 2GR-FE 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine which featured double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and variable intake and exhaust valve timing (Toyota’s ‘dual VVT-i’). The engine, however, was tuned by Lotus and had unique ‘T6e’ engine management software.

The Toyota-sourced six-speed manual transmission was offered with standard and sports gear ratios, the latter with closer third, fourth, fifth and sixth ratios.

Development and dimensions

The Evora had an aluminium bonded structure whereby the central tub was attached to an extruded aluminium subframe at the front and a lightweight welded steel subframe at the rear. Furthermore, the composite roof served as a stressed structural member and the seatbelt anchorage frame as a rollover structure, contributing to torsional rigidity of 26,000 Nm per degree.

The Evora was 4350 mm long, 1884 mm wide, 1229 mm tall and had a 2575 mm long wheelbase; kerb mass was 1350 kg.

Suspension

The Evora had forged aluminium double wishbone suspension front and rear – with Bilstein mono-tube gas dampers and Eibach coaxial coil springs – that were attached to the front and rear modules via bespoke bushes.

Lotus Mk.I Evora specifications
	Years	Engine	Trans.	Peak power	Peak torque
Evora	2009-11	3.5-litre petrol V6 (2GR-FE)	6sp man.	200 kW at 6200 rpm	350 Nm at 4700 rpm

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the Evora included two-stage dual front airbags, ABS, brake assist, electronic brake force distribution, traction control and front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters.

Brakes

The Evora was fitted with 350 mm front and 332 mm rear ventilated disc brakes with four-piston aluminium AP Racing brake calipers (front and rear).

Features: Evora

Standard features for the Evora included 18-inch alloy front wheels with Yokohama 225/40 ZR18 tyres and 19-inch rear wheels with 255/35 ZR19 tyres, a four speaker Alpine sound system with CD player, MP3/WMA-compatibility and auxiliary inputs (3.5mm/USB/iPod), air conditioning, adjustable black leather Recaro front seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, gearshift and handbrake, remote central locking, power windows and heated mirrors, a height and reach adjustable steering wheel, 12 volt power outlet, trip computer, motion-sensing alarm and an immobiliser.

The Evora was also fitted with a Bosch electronic differential lock.

Evora Launch Edition: Sport, Premium and Tech Packs

Early ‘Launch Edition’ models of the Evora were fitted with the Sport Pack, Premium Pack or Tech Pack and options such as ‘Hi-power’ silver cast alloy wheels, bi-xenon headlights, an Alpine ‘Imprint’ audio system and reversing camera. Beyond this, the option packs included the following features –

Tech Pack: upgraded sound system with USB input, satellite navigation system with a seven-inch touch-screen display and DVD player, Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control, rear parking sensors and tyre pressure monitoring;
Sport Pack: switchable sports mode for enhanced throttle response and rpm limit, sports traction control mode, diffuser, titanium exhaust, cross-drilled brake discs and black painted brake calipers; and,
Premium Pack: leather trimmed armrest, door pockets and centre console, leather door and footwell side paneling, accent lighting, premium floor mats and a choice of leather seat colour (charcoal, oyster, paprika and chestnut).

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Flyer: Lotus Evora (February 2009)

Review: Lotus Mk.II Evora (2011-21)