The first sentence on the press release claims that the Lotus Evora 400 is an "all new supercar" but let's not get carried away, shall we? The latest offering from Hethel might elevate the Evora to the upper echelons on the performance scale but it is, in essence, a facelift.
First things first, the looks. Out front, a reworked front end now sports a massive intake, replete with LED daytime running lights. Forged aluminium wheels, measuring 19- and 20-inch in diameter, front to rear, are shod with 235/35 and 285/30 Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres.
At the rear, a lightweight composite diffuser gets incorporated into the reworked bumper, along with a single centrally-mounted exhaust outlet. A three-element rear spoiler further ensures that no one mistakes it for a regular pre-facelift Evora from behind.
Changes under the skin are just as radical with the 3.5 litre V6 receiving a new supercharger, a water-to-air charge-cooler and a revamped engine management system. As a result, output numbers are now capped at 400 hp (a 55 hp bump from the Evora S) at 7,000 rpm and 410 Nm of torque between 3,500 to 6,500 rpm.
Further technical upgrades include reworked muffler internals and new engine mounts that are touted to be 5.6 kg lighter than the previous Evora. The six-speed manual transmission gets a new low inertia flywheel and a reworked clutch disc for improved shift quality.
Also included as standard on the manual transmission is the addition of a Torsen-type limited slip differential (LSD). The automatic transmission is updated via means of a new shift algorithm. All this adds up to a 0-100 km/h time of just 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 300 km/h.
In true Lotus fashion, all of the changes add up to a new kerb weight of just 1,415 kg for the manual variant while the auto adds on an additional 4 kg. More importantly, the Lotus Evora 400 has managed to lap the Lotus test track in Hethel a full six seconds quicker than the previous model.
Previous complaints regarding the car's accessibility to its cabin have addressed with a reworking of the side sills - it now measures 43 mm narrower per side and placed 56 mm lower than in the previous Evora. Elsewhere, lighter front seats can be optionally paired with 280 mm-wider rear seats.
Three different trim levels are now available on the Evora 400. A forged magnesium steering wheel and an updated instrument cluster greets the driver while a start-stop button has been fitted, a first for the Evora. In-car entertainment gets an upgrade with the inclusion of new slim-line door speakers.
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