Lotus Evora to gain off-road-style model, roadster – report

Before you say "hasn't Lotus had some big plans in the past that never came to fruition?", Car Magazine reports Lotus insiders have suggested the Evora sports car is set to spawn a more rugged looking, higher-riding off-road model, in the same vein as the Audi Allroad and TT Offroad concepts.

The report suggests the new crossover coupe will be developed with two markets in mind - China and the US - where, Lotus suggests, more masculine vehicles fare better.

Also expected from the Hethel, Norfolk-based maker is - at long last - a roadster version of the Evora, which is described by new Lotus chief and former Peugeot man Jean-Marc Gales as "the easiest thing in the world to do".

The report also claims some further changes for the Evora in 2015, including revised sills to make ingress and egress easier. That's a fairly major structural change for a car brand that is said to be on the ropes financially.

Stay tuned for more on the Lotus Evora and its myriad derivatives.