2016 Lotus Evora 400 Is British Brand’s Fastest Road Car To Date

It’s no secret that British sports car brand Lotus has been struggling—heck, it only has one road-going model on sale here—but the company has embarked on a turnaround strategy devised by straight-shooting CEO Jean-Marc Gales and is planning a host of new models, starting with a revamped version of its Evora flagship.

ALSO SEE: 2016 Infiniti Q60 Coming With 400- And 450-HP Outputs: Report

The new version is called the Evora 400, and with 400 horsepower and 302 pound-feet of torque generated from its supercharged 3.5-liter V-6 it promises to be the fastest road-going Lotus to date. Some of the performance claims include a 0-60 mph time of just 4.1 seconds, a top speed of 186 mph and a lap time of Lotus’ Hethel test track that’s six whole seconds faster than the current Evora, which is rated at 345 hp and 295 lb-ft.

The engine is mid-mounted and drives the rear wheels via a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic with paddle shifters. For manual-equipped models, a Torsen-type limited-slip differential has been fitted as standard, while the automatic-equipped model benefits from a new shift strategy compared to the current Evora. Another highlight is a switch in the dash that allows the driver to control the level of traction between Drive, Sport and Race settings.

The current Evora’s aluminum monocoque chassis remains in the transformation to the Evora 400, but there have been subtle improvements made almost everywhere. According to Lotus, every component was scrutinised to determine where lightness could be added. Key mods include new engine mounts, a new rear sub-frame and carbon fiber body panels. Total weight savings amount to roughly 50 lbs.

CHECK OUT: What An F1 Car Would Like If Ferrari’s Road Car Division Penned It

For the interior, there has been a comprehensive round of changes. The most significant is a narrowing of the Evora’s wide door sills to ease egress and ingress (the sills are 43 millimeters narrower per side and 56 mm lower than before). This has been achieved without degradation of either torsional stiffness or bending stiffness of the chassis.