2016 Lotus New Cars

Evora 400 – Q1

Lotus will kick off 2016 with the overhauled Evora 400, which gets significant exterior, interior and mechanical enhancements over the model it replaces.

The Evora 400 is powered by a reworked 3.5-litre supercharged V6 that now pumps out 298kW and 410Nm – up 41kW and 10Nm from the Evora S.

The manual Evora 400, now 22kg lighter at 1419kg, accelerates from 0-100km/h in 4.2 seconds, and boasts a 300km/h top speed – 27km/h quicker than before.

The Evora 400 is visually distinguished from its predecessor by a squarer, more aggressive front bumper with LED driving lights, new mirrors and alloy wheels along the sides, and a three-part integrated wing, more aggressive bumper and a prominent diffuser at the rear.

Lower and narrower sills make are designed to make getting in and out easier, while other changes include new front seats, an optional rear seat that’s wider than before, and a new steering wheel and dashboard.

Elise Sport, Sport 220 – mid 2016

The Lotus Elise will get an update for 2016 that reintroduces the ‘Sport’ moniker and cuts even more weight out of the featherweight sports car.

The revised Elise Sport and Elise Sport 220 will arrive in local showrooms around the middle of the year, replacing the Elise and Elise S variants of the current range.

Both variants are 10kg lighter than their predecessors, weighing in at 866kg (Soprt) and 914kg (Sport 220).

Traditional eye-catching tartan upholstery, first used in the 1976 Esprit S1, is available as an option alongside leather and Alcantara, while a standard Sport drive mode increases throttle response and relaxes traction control intervention.

Exige Sport 350 – coupe (Q3), roadster (late 2016)

The stripped-back Lotus Exige Sport 350 – dubbed “the ultimate incarnation” of the famous nameplate – will go on sale in Australia from the third quarter of 2016.

At 1125kg, the coupe weighs 51kg less than the Exige S, while its 0-100km/h sprint time is as low as 3.8 seconds (down one tenth of a second).

Weigh has been cut from components throughout the car, which as a result features a louvered tailgate, a lighter battery, lightweight engine mounts, a lightweight centre console featuring an exposed gearshift mechanism, lighter HVAC pipework and revised sound insulation.

While the 258kW/400Nm 3.5-litre supercharged V6 remains the same, Lotus has revised the suspension, adding firmer dampers, played with the wheel geometry, and revised the manual gearbox for more precise and quicker shifting.

Inside, new trim packs introduce a “heritage theme” to the cabin with lightweight sports seats and door panels clad in red or yellow tartan (leather or Alcantara interior trim options are also available), in homage to the 1976 Esprit S1.