Lotus Evora SC and more on the way
January 9, 2009 by George Skentzos
As expected, new reports indicate more variations of the recently unveiled Lotus Evora are on their way – including a flagship supercharged model.
The Toyota-sourced V6 engine has apparently responded well to forced induction, developing 261kW and 393Nm in early testing without any other modifications.
Development time for the supercharged model should be swift, with Lotus having already engineered the braking and cooling performance needed for the addition horsepower into the standard Evora.
Anticipating the need for a blown Evora in future, Lotus also designed the engine bay to accommodate a supercharger between the cylinder banks so as not to obstruct rearward visibility – unlike the current Elise SC.
Despite these preparations, an ‘Evora SC’ is still a long way off, likely to arrive by around 2011 with Lotus instead focussing on two other, more promising variants with mainstream appeal.
The first may spark outrage, with Lotus developing a torque-converter automatic version of the Evora specifically for the U.S. market which is due to arrive next year.
This will be closely followed by a Roadster version which is due in late 2010, with Lotus keen on developing an electric roof mechanism to maintain the current mainstream packaging of the car.
Source: Autocar
Print it: 
the only auto should be a DSG gearbox.
There shouldn’t be an Auto anywhere near this car, even for the fat yanks.
Why even bother sending this beauty to the US, its not a truck and doesn’t have enough chrome. They won’t understand it!!
Unfortunately given these times offering an Auto box can only help lotus, given so many people out there don’t know how to drive a manual yet have loads of cash lying around. I would like to see lotus survive this crisis :P
I’m pretty sure the SC version will be manual only so don’t worry :P
Imagine the power to weight. Given the right suspension tune, this thing will be a weapon.
Talk about a weapon of mass acceleration. You wouldn’t need a face lift after a quick sprint in this; the g force will have done it for you. I hope the average medium husky gentleman (me) can fit in it for a squirt. I do prefer the older shapes though, i am sure the new design is more effective in areas of co efficient drag and such but i miss the bug eyed grass hopper look of old. There’s something amusing about giving the driver in front of you a fright when they glance in the rear view mirror to see a pray mantis flying up behind them faster than the speed of sound with a grinning idiot behind the wheel.
Again a relatively small car company able to get more power out of an engine than the the company who supplied them with the engine. and yet again they have been able to get the supercharger to work properly with the engine – no nasty engine fires etc.
Mind you the fact Lotus designed the Evora with the idea of addinbg a supercharged version to the ine up from the start shows it was a much better executed project than that of Toyota in relation to the TRD Aurion.. where the supercharger was more like a knee jerk reactionn or an after thought
This car will be like a Go Cart with a Roof – alot like its little sister the Exige.. However; i would prefer to have an Aerial Atom
wow, to steal another company’s slogan…I just want one!
As said above, it should be offered with a DSG gearbox (surely Lotus could source one). The supercharged version will be a rocket. All they need to do is remove the read seats (if you can call them that) to remove weight and add more storage space.
wonder when I can get this car :)
Wheelnut I applaud your ability to turn this article negatively against toyota.
I would have thought the very fact Lotus sources Toyota engines rather than other manufacturer engines, should give positive indications towards Toyota.
as much as i hate toyota it says something about there quality when lotus uses toyota engines
lotus once did use rover engines to power their elises. something must have caused the change to toyota engines. probably due to emissions standards or something along those lines.
Yeah, that engine is a ripper. So smooth and loves to revv. Pity Toyota dont release an AWD corolla with it wedged in.
Roflmatic – I wasn’t being negative towards Toyota at all
The fact that Lotus can get so much power out of a Toyota Engine clearly shows the potential of their engines.
However; I don’t/can’t understand why Toyota don’t/can’t do the same thing – particularly when you consider the amoutn of money/resources Toyota have comapred to Lotus.. That is all
I mean A Corolla with an “enhanced” engine – like the ones in the Lotus would make their cars more attractive to car enthusiasts and could become a worthy contender to take on the king of hot hatches the Golf GTi…add AWD and it could take on an Impreza
Toyota obviously considers 200kw to be enough for their cars.
At the moment it still beats the competition on paper so I guess they are leaving themselves some room for improvement for the future?
Tuning the engine for less power than it is capable of would also enhance the longevity of the engine… but lets not get started with the reliability debates hah.
In Japan they have the Toyota Blade Master G which is basically a corolla with this engine.
Maybe in a few years with the importing rules these cars will start trickling into Australia :D
Well maybe if Toyota decided to start selling their pocket rockets which at the moment they’re only selling in Japan – it would change their image of bland and boring cars.
There is really nothing stopping Toyota from importing them right now – they just have to be “endorsed” by the factory and meet the Australian Design Regulations like every other imported car from Nissan Subaru Mitsubishi etc
Wheelnut, did you ever wonder why lotus opted to use toyota engines in the first place? I agree most toyotas look bland but it seems conservative styling sells and that means more $$$ for the big T.
Simon – I know that they are a relatively reliable engine with a lot of potential..
Which is why I asked why don’t Toyota sell a car with a similar engine that produces as much power as what Lotus get out of it.
They sell the Blade in Japan so why not export it to other markets where ricers are becoming more popular such as Australia..
It would definitely help change their image of building bland and boring cars..
Lotus could do the engineering work for em [bolt on the supercharger] and Toyota simply drop it into their cars
And if they did that, would you look to buy a toyota?
I’m not sure you would. Toyota aren’t after the “performance car crowd”. I think they realised that it didn’t work with TRD. They want market share which means appealing to the broadest possible market. I think they will try to achieve performance sales through the lexus brand.
I fully get why you don’t like them, but the people who buy them are looking through different eyes. If I was after performance, one of the last places I’d look would be toyota.
Shock Horror a Lotus weighing 1350KG might as well buy a Nissin 370Z, thats like an Exige with 20x bags of cement in the boot..
Sorry Colin they have Americanize your name :-(