Add power, subtract weight. It's a Lotus, alright.
UK sports car specialists Lotus have pulled the wraps off their very latest creation, the Evora GT430, which the company claims to be the fastest road-going production car in its history. More than just an aesthetic exercise, the Evora GT430 delves deep into the mechanicals of the Evora, and promises to deliver “class-leading handling.”
But first, the numbers. The Evora GT430 utilises a tweaked version of the 3.5-litre supercharged V6 engine we’re all familiar with, putting out an impressive 321kW (or 430hp) and 440Nm. This represents a significant jump over the less-potent Evora Sport 410’s 306kW/410Nm, with the GT430 able to do the century sprint some 0.4-seconds faster than that model. That power goes to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual aided by a limited-slip differential, which will certainly help put that muscle down to the road.
Forged alloys measuring 19-inches up front and 20-inches at the rear give the car a particularly mean stance, with the lightweight wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber. Anchors come in the form of four-piston AP Racing brake callipers ahead of the driver, and lightened 3-piston units behind. Typical of Lotus, the Evora GT430’s been put through the ringer with some 26kg missing over the lesser Evora Sport 410, thanks to things like a titanium exhaust (10kg saved here alone), thinner underbody, carbon-fibre door sills and lightweight Eibach coils.
The visual changes, as sharp and eye-catching though they may be, help to improve the aerodynamics of the GT430, with the carbon-fibre front splitter, engorged and reprofiled front air intakes, large rear wing and aero ducts behind the wheels working together to generate some 250kg of downforce. Should the standard kit not be up to scratch, owners can opt for carbon-fibre framed Sparco seats, four-point racing harnesses, and a touchscreen infotainment system (we don’t recommend the latter though, as the V6 is aurally marvellous).
The Evora GT430’s order books are open, though there’s no official mention of its offering in Australia. The brands’ local importer, Simply Sports Cars, said that there are no confirmed details for our market “as yet.” However, with limited numbers of the lightweight sports car, “they will go quickly.”
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