Evora – Page 4 – Chapman Report Online

February 13, 2010

Naomi Campbell and Lotus Cars join forces for Haiti

In response to the horrific natural disaster that has crippled the nation of Haiti, Naomi Campbell together with Lotus Cars will be auctioning eight special edition “Naomi for Haiti” Lotus Evora sports cars, with the proceeds from the auction going to help the relief effort in Haiti.

The Lotus Evora is a very desirable, multi-award winning, high performance, mid-engined sports car that presents a fantastic piece of design to bid on. The “Naomi for Haiti” Evora sports car has been specially designed by Lotus Design Director Donato Coco and reflects Naomi’s design direction. The bespoke styling combines the flag of Haiti with a dramatic colour scheme and the cars include a full range of options, meaning these cars will all become desirable collectors items.

The “Naomi for Haiti” Evoras will be auctioned at Naomi Campbell’s Fashion for Relief TM charity fashion show on the 18th of February at the London Fashion Week venue at Somerset House. The remaining “Naomi for Haiti” Evoras will be entered into an auction run on the “Naomi for Haiti” website www.naomiforhaiti.com and bidding will commence at 0800 GMT on the 19th of February and will end at 1200 noon GMT on 28th of February 2010.

The grand total raised for the charity and the highest bidders will be announced by Naomi Campbell at the Geneva Motorshow on the 2nd of March. There will also be a link to the “Naomi for Haiti” website from the Lotus Cars website http://www.grouplotus.com/cars/home.html.

The Fashion For Relief TM event has selected to support the White Ribbon Alliance as it campaigns for the health needs and rights of women and girls around the world, especially supporting its partners in Haiti at this time to rebuild the healthcare system for mothers and babies.

Naomi Campbell says, “I am deeply saddened by the recent tragedy in Haiti. So many have been killed and severely affected by the earthquake – women and children in particular are most vulnerable in disasters. Fashion is universal, personal and touches everyone. I am delighted that Lotus Cars is supporting my Fashion for Relief TM charity and I am sure with such generous help we will raise crucial funds to help save the lives of women and children.”

Dany Bahar, CEO of Group Lotus Plc, stated, “It is a very admirable cause and we are proud to be supporting Naomi Campbell with her Fashion For Relief TM event in aid of the women and children affected by the terrible disaster in Haiti. The whole of Lotus is supporting this very deserving charity, with many working in their own time in order to raise money for the women and children affected by the earthquake in Haiti.”

The Red Cross has said that the earthquake in Haiti has affected approximately 3 million people and it is reported that upwards of 200,000 people have died in the disaster. The magnitude of the earthquake combined with the local geography and house building techniques has exacerbated the destruction.

[press release from Lotus]

February 11, 2010

Jarno Trulli develops his first Lotus race car

F1 Racing driver Jarno Trulli assists in the development of the Lotus Evora Cup race car during its first test session at Snetterton.

The Lotus Evora Cup race car is the latest addition to the Lotus Motorsport racing stable. Fresh from its debut at the Autosport International racing car show in Birmingham the Evora Cup race car was given its first shake-down test at a wintery Snetterton circuit in Norfolk, UK on the 10th and 11th of February 2010.

Lotus Motorsport is conducting an extensive development program for the Evora Cup race car, with Jarno Trulli and his Race Engineer, Gianluca Pisanello bringing their vast racing, development and engineering experience to fine tune the latest Lotus mid-engined race car.

Jarno Trulli and Gianluca Pisanello provided specific input into the aerodynamic balance for slow, medium and fast corners, guidance on the racing setup of the suspension geometry and direction on the engine’s calibration.

After driving the Lotus Evora Cup for the first time, Jarno Trulli said, “I have enjoyed driving the road going Lotus Evora very much and I believe that the Evora Cup will be a very competitive race car package. It was very rewarding to be the first to drive the Evora Cup race car even though the snowy conditions at Snetterton were fairly challenging at times!”

Jarno continued, “The car will continue to be developed with new updates coming soon, but even after the initial drive it is obvious that the car has huge potential. I look forward to working with Lotus Motorsport in developing the car further and I know that my years of motorsport experience will help make the Evora Cup race car even better.”

Claudio Berro, Director of Motorsport at Group Lotus plc stated, “It is a privilege to work on the development of the Evora Cup race car with such an experienced driver and engineering team as Jarno Trulli and Gianluca Pisanello and I believe that this collaboration will produce a great race car for a range of motorsport applications. It is a very exciting time for Lotus and I am honoured to be leading the motorsport programmes at Lotus, starting with the Lotus Evora Cup racing car and race series.

Gianluca Pisanello, Race Engineer for Jarno Trulli said, “I am impressed with the whole Evora Cup race car package, which demonstrates that the road going Lotus Evora is such a competent sports car in the first place and an excellent basis to develop a competitive race car.”

In the past a number of Lotus F1 drivers have successfully raced or assisted in the development of Lotus Cars including F1 World Champions Jim Clark and Nigel Mansell. Jim Clark was a great exponent of the three wheel drift in his Lotus Cortina, campaigning the Lotus to win the British Touring Car Championship in 1964. Whilst Nigel Mansell raced for Lotus he was involved in the development of the prototype Active Suspension Lotus Esprit.

The Evora Cup race car is an evocative sports car that will offer a great platform to race in high level motor sport. The GT4 race car will go on sale starting at £120,000 excluding taxes for the sprint racing version, with the endurance specification race car £150,000 excluding taxes.

The final design, aero’ package and techincal specifications will be presented at the Geneva Motorshow in March 2010.

For more information please check out http://www.lotusevoracup.com

[press release from Lotus]

January 29, 2010

Heikki Kovalainen visits Lotus

F1 driver Heikki Kovalainen visits the home of Lotus Cars to meet the Lotus family and choose the scheme for his personalised Lotus Evora.

It was a real thrill for the Lotus workforce to see Lotus F1 Racing Driver Heikki as he was given a personal tour of the production facilities yesterday, and even more exciting for those few employees who got a rare chance to be driven by the F1 star as he tested the Lotus Evora on Lotus’ own test track for the first time.

During his day with Lotus Cars Heikki was given a special tour of the Classic Team Lotus workshops by Clive Chapman, son of Lotus founder Colin Chapman during which he chatted to Clive and Engineer Bob Dance about their first hand experience of some of the most successful and iconic F1 racing cars of all time. The tour was steeped in Lotus history and included some of the F1 cars that helped Lotus to achieve 79 GP wins, seven constructor’s titles and 6 drivers’ championships, including Emerson Fittipaldi’s Type 72.

Dany Bahar, CEO of Group Lotus plc said, “Group Lotus is very proud of its racing pedigree and we are all very excited to share our story with Heikki. It was our honour to welcome Heikki to Group Lotus and we wish him and the Lotus F1 Racing team every success for the 2010 F1 season.”

Dany Bahar continued, “We take great pride in the sports cars that we produce at Hethel and Heikki’s visit provided a great opportunity to show off the multi-award winning cars that we produce and the advanced niche production facilities at Hethel.”

Heikki was not on Lotus soil long before he was behind the wheel of the Lotus Evora trying it on for size on Lotus’ own test track and commented “The Evora was everything I expected, Lotus is famous for fantastic sports cars and the Evora did not disappoint. The power to weight ratio gives the car a real racecar feel and allowed me to really push the car round the track. I enjoyed every lap and had fun sliding it sideways!”

He went on to say, “The day has been great, I was really excited to see so many happy, motivated people and the support of the Lotus workforce is very much appreciated, I really got a sense of the passion the people have for the Lotus brand.”

Heikki concluded, “I’d really like to thank every one at Lotus for a great day, it was an honour to meet Clive Chapman and learn more abut his legendary father and to see Lotus’ classic F1 cars. I’m really keen to drive one of the JPS cars and maybe will be at Lotus again sometime soon to drive the Type 72!”

December 15, 2009

Martin Brundle visits Lotus to drive the award-winning Lotus Evora

Martin Brundle, one of the most talked about legends in British motorsport recently spent a day at the world-renowned Group Lotus UK headquarters, sampling a piece of Lotus heritage and driving the firm’s latest offering, the all new Lotus Evora.

Brundle called on Classic Team Lotus where Clive Chapman (son of Lotus’ founder Colin Chapman) showcased some of his Father’s much loved Formula 1 projects. Brundle also toured the state of the art manufacturing facilities and sampled the Lotus Evora for the first time around the famous Lotus test track.

It was fantastic for the Lotus workforce to see Brundle passing through; regularly holding court with the eager employees, happy to sign autographs and answer any questions posed. Dany Bahar, CEO of Group Lotus said: “It is an honour for Lotus to host Martin Brundle, one of the most respected and popular names in motor sport. It was an incredible opportunity to demonstrate our exciting array of vehicles and the work of our talented employees to one of the most esteemed analysts in the automotive arena and I am delighted with his positive responses.”

Brundle was joined by his son Alex, one of the rising stars of the Formula Two Championship, proudly following in his fathers motor sport footsteps and dreaming of a future in Formula 1. Martin Brundle thoroughly enjoyed his visit to one of the world’s most iconic automotive marques, commenting: “I remember first visiting Hethel in the 1960s, when my Father drove a Lotus Cortina. I am equally impressed now as I was then and as a Norfolk man, I am delighted Lotus is performing so well. I was pleased to see my old friend Gino Rosato and after hearing more about the future plans from Dany Bahar and his team, I am looking forward to the forthcoming products to come out of Hethel.”

Brundle was further impressed with the new Lotus Evora: “I was especially keen to drive the Evora after reading so many positive magazine reports. On a wet track, the cornering grip and particularly the braking performance deeply impressed me. It’s a quality sports car.”

December 3, 2009

Lotus Evora Wins BBC Top Gear Magazine Sports Car of the Year 2009 Award

The Lotus Evora was selected by Top Gear magazine and online teams as the best Sports Car of the last 12 months.

The Top Gear Awards, now in their 10th year, searched for the most exciting and innovative sports car of this year. The awards are not only well established, but are also truly global, running across 24 international editions and Top Gear websites in the UK, US and Australia.

Conor McNicholas, Editor of BBC Top Gear magazine commented “It’s pretty, quintessentially British, fast and handles like a dream. Evora takes Lotus to a new place in terms of quality but more importantly delivers a sports car rush that puts other marques to shame.”

Dany Bahar, CEO of Group Lotus plc said, “I am delighted that the Evora has won the Top Gear award for Sports Car of the Year 2009. Top Gear is very well regarded around the world and it is a fantastic achievement for all who have worked on the Evora to win such a prestigious award.”

Dany continued, “I am particularly pleased that the Top Gear team commented on the huge improvements in quality at Lotus, confirming that the Evora is an exciting supercar that can also be used for every day driving.”

This accolade adds to the awards haul for the Evora, which includes:

· Autocar magazine – Britain’s Best Driver’s Car 2009

· Car magazine – Performance Car of the Year 2009

· European Aluminium Awards 2008 – Overall Jury Prize – Lotus Evora Aluminium Structure

· EVO magazine – Car of the Year 2009

· iMotor – Overall Winner – Most Rated Car of 2008

November 18, 2009

Lotus Evora Pricing and Dealer Tour

The Evora pricing has been announced at $73,500 (full details in press release below) and you can check it out in person during the Bay Area dealer tour at:

Lotus of San Francisco
Date: December 7, 2009
Time: 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
To RSVP please call Laura Schaub at 415.351.5147

Boardwalk Lotus
Dec 9-10
Redwood City
SPECIAL RECEPTION on Dec 9th, drives on the 10th. GGLC members are invited – email to RSVP

Lotus of Los Gatos
Dec 11-12

Press release from Lotus:

In preparation for the arrival of the all-new 2010 Evora into the US market during the first quarter of 2010, two Evoras are set to begin a 44 dealer Open House Tour. Following are the Evora’s US market product content, option packages, pricing details and the full Open House Tour schedule.

All-New 2010 Lotus Evora Prepares for Launch
While Evora production for the UK and European markets has been ramping up for months to begin fulfilling their orders, production for the US and Canadian markets has yet to begin. Though the Evora has only been shown on a few occasions thus far in the US and Canada, approximately the first two months of production are already pre-sold. To enable more sports car aficionados an opportunity to see the Evora in person, starting Friday, November 13 two Evoras will embark on a 44 dealer Open House Tour of the US.

The Lotus Evora in Summary
The Lotus Evora will enter the sports car market as the only mid-engine 2+2 in production. Evora is designed for people who desire the exotic sports car characteristics of stunning design, exclusivity, dramatic proportions and performance. However, it offers real-world usability, surprising efficiency and a unique sense of occasion as well.

Powered by a 3.5-liter V-6 producing 276 hp at 6,400 rpm and 258 lb./ft. of torque at 4,700 rpm, the Evora employs innovative lightweight chassis technology to ensure all-around exceptional dynamic performance, in keeping with the great Lotus tradition. From its beginning over 60 years ago, Lotus’ consistent guiding principle has been to achieve ‘performance through lightweight’ and that’s always meant all facets of performance including efficiency. The Evora provides unassailable proof of this ethos as the only regular production car in the world capable of accelerating from 0 – 60 mph in under 5 seconds (4.9), on up to a top speed over 160 mph (162) while also delivering 30+ miles per gallon on the highway.

Inside the Evora simplicity meets sophistication in an exquisite combination of detailing and hand-built craftsmanship. By using only the finest leather from renowned experts Muirhead, the interior is hand-trimmed and twin-stitched to create a beautifully tactile and visually striking environment. Genuine aluminum instrument and center console surfaces contain ergonomically positioned controls providing a purposeful drivers’ cockpit. The leather wrapped steering wheel is tilt and telescopically adjustable, flat-bottomed to ease entry and exit and made from ultra-lightweight magnesium to provide super-precise feel through the wheel. The adjustable Recaro seats cradle the occupants and, along with the perfectly placed aluminum pedals, complete the optimum connection between driver – Evora – and the road. The rear seat area is cleverly hidden within the exotic, mid-engine profile of the Evora. An Alpine audio system with available touch-screen navigation, iPod™ (and other MP3 player) connectivity, Bluetooth and other amenities make the journey all the more pleasant. The Evora is a pure sports car that you can happily, comfortably enjoy every day.

For peace of mind, the 2010 Lotus Evora has a 3-year/36,000-mile limited vehicle warranty with an 8-year chassis perforation warranty.

Lotus Evora Pricing + Options	MSRP
2010 Lotus Evora 2+2	$73,500
Premium Package	$1,990
Sport Package	$1,275
Technology Package	$2,995
Sports Ratio 6-Speed Gearbox	$1,500
Premium (IMPRINT) Audio	$695
Reversing Camera	$495
Power Folding Mirrors	$450
Stealth Grey Cast Alloy Wheels	$475
Silver Forged Alloy Wheels	$1,750
Anthracite Forged Alloy Wheels	$2,125
Metallic Paint	$590
Lifestyle Paint	$1,200
Limited Paint	$3,300
StarShield	$995
Destination	$1,175

November 11, 2009

Lotus Scoops EVO Car of the Year Double

The Lotus Evora takes the title of ‘EVO Car of the Year 2009’, with the Lotus 2-Eleven winning the prestigious ‘EVO Track Car of the Year 2009’ competition.

For the ‘EVO Car of the Year 2009’ test EVO Magazine took a fleet of the world’s most desirable driving machines to the sensational roads of the Isle of Skye in Scotland, to evaluate the cars over a three day and 1000 mile test route.

The Lotus Evora, along with cars from manufacturers including Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin were put through their paces on the challenging and technical roads by the EVO team.

In the Car of the Year test, the group of 13 cars were whittled down to the top 5 and then scored out of 100, with the Lotus Evora beating all other entrants with an impressive score of 96.0.

John Barker, Motoring Editor said of the Evora “It’s a magical thing across the ground, deft like an Elise, with exceptional poise and feel. What was telling for me was that, getting into it after any of the other finalists, it was even better than I remembered: a bit smoother, a bit quicker and even sweeter dynamically, too. It’s a beguiling car.”

David Vivian, Contributing Editor, commented, “A quite brilliant car and worthy winner.”

The ‘EVO Track Car of the Year 2009’ event swapped the dramatic scenery and challenging gradients for the more familiar, but fast and demanding West Circuit at the Bedford Autodrome.

The Lotus 2-Eleven along with eleven other cars competed for the title of ‘EVO Track Car of the Year 2009’. The test group contained some of the most exciting track cars on sale today, including hot hatches, track focused supercars and exotic track machines.

In the Track Car of the Year competition the cars were each timed around the West Circuit and compared subjectively to find a winner. On the way to winning the competition the 2-Eleven posted the second fastest time and closely matched the criteria set by the judges of providing entertainment, being rewarding and a challenge to drive.

Roger Green, Track Test Editor, when commenting on the 2-Eleven said “Every single judge described (the 2-Eleven) as ‘superb’ in their assessment notes.”

Henry Catchpole, Road Test Editor, stated that “It’s fabulous. It takes the habitability, finish and dimensions of the road car and adds the dynamics and awesome gearbox of a race car.”

Luke Bennett, Operations Director of Lotus Cars Limited said that “I am delighted that the Evora took the title of “EVO Car of the Year 2009” and it is made even better that at the same time the 2-Eleven has won the Track Car of the Year competition. The Evora and 2-Eleven offer very different ownership propositions; however both have the same Lotus DNA and each reward the driver with a great Lotus driving experience.”

Luke went on to say “It is a great endorsement for Lotus cars that the most refined car in the product line up is picking up awards at the same time as the most extreme car in the range, illustrating the great wealth of engineering and manufacturing expertise at Lotus.”

September 2, 2009

Evora Deliveries Begin

Luke Bennett, Director of Lotus Cars (left) hands over the keys of the first customer Lotus Evora to Mr Matthew Melling at the Lotus Headquarters in Norfolk, UK.

Matthew Melling of Twickenham, UK received the keys of a Storm Titanium Lotus Evora from Luke Bennett, Director of Lotus Cars Limited at the Lotus Headquarters where the new mid-engined 2+2 sportscar is hand built.

Many Lotus dealers around the world have already received their demonstrators and Lotus has, so far, received orders for the next 5 months of production. Demand for Lotus’ award winning Evora has meant that 150 extra new manufacturing staff have been recruited to support assembly operations in Norfolk, UK, a very positive sign at a time when the global motor industry faces huge challenges. Full production is expected to reach the maximum rate by the end of November 2009.

Luke Bennett, Director of Lotus Cars Limited said, “It is quite an emotional time to deliver the first Lotus Evora to Mr. Melling. The whole team has worked incredibly hard to design, engineer and produce such a stunning and high performing sportscar and it is a great feeling to hand over the keys to the first customer today. The Evora has won many awards around the world already so we are not surprised that there is high demand for the car and I am sure that each customer who receives their car will be delighted with their purchase.”

Matthew Melling, a customer of Stratton Motor Company, in Norfolk said, “I was determined to be the first in the world to get my hands on an Evora so with Stratton Motor Company’s help, I laid down my deposit within seconds of the order books being opened last year. I have read all the press reviews of the Evora and am so excited about getting behind the wheel – what a great start to September!”

August 18, 2009

Autocar crown Evora “Britain’s Best Driver’s Car 2009”

The Lotus Evora shows its pedigree fending off tough competition from the world’s best driver’s cars to become Autocar favourite.

The competition included rigorous road and track assessment, using the stunning roads around the South Downs and the fantastic high speed corners at the Goodwood race circuit. The feature included driver’s cars from Aston Martin, Nissan, Porsche, Audi, Lamborghini and Jaguar.

Chas Hallet, Autocar Editor said about the Evora, “The best here. Brilliant on the track. Nimble, delicate and forgiving. Even better on the road.”

Autocar magazine in summing up the competition added, “Decisions don’t come much more clear cut than this, with nine out of 10 judges placing the Evora first. This contest is about finding a car that is not only technically capable, but also thrilling and engaging wherever you drive it, and the Lotus nails those criteria”.

The unique mid-engined 2+2 Lotus Evora combines a super stiff extruded and bonded Aluminium chassis with decades of vehicle dynamics knowledge employed to tune its race car derived double wishbone suspension. The result is a great driver’s car that offers exceptionally high levels of ultimate grip, with performance and braking to match.

Roger Becker, Vehicle Engineering Director said, “The dynamic ability and driving experience of the Evora were the foundation of the engineering process and we are delighted that Autocar has recognised this by giving the Evora this accolade. The Evora offers the great Lotus driving experience in a very comfortable, practical, refined and efficient package, and with only 205 g/km of CO2 it shows that the Evora is a supercar for the 21st century.”

Luke Bennett, Director of Lotus Cars commented, “We are really pleased to win this title as it not only demonstrates the engineering expertise and brilliant manufacturing at Lotus, but also asserts our position in this very exclusive and competitive sector. There is huge global demand for the Evora and to cope with this high demand we are taking on over 150 manufacturing staff, which is roughly a 30% increase.”

Click here to watch Steve Sutcliffe talk about the Evora driving experience. The full article is on the Autocar website.

July 23, 2009

Tony Shute on the Evora Development cycle

TheManufacuturer.com has a fantastic video of a Tony Shute presentation on the design decisions and the development process that went into the creation of the Lotus Evora. It a bit tech heavy and quite long (38 min) but is definitely worth the watch and I guarantee that it will absolutely delight the engineer inside you.

Some of the highlights:

Went from a clean sheet to final production in 27 months
The aluminum wishbones on both sides of the front and the rear uppers use the same tooling
Headlight tooling was developed in China but uses UK parts
Radiator acts as a front wing and generates downforces
Main chassis consists of 20 extrusions
Prototypes were built on the manufacturing line

Click here to watch the video

[TheManufacturer via LotusEnthusiast]