LOTUS PREPS ITS EVORA FOR AMERICA

It’s not every day that little Lotus unveils an entirely new model and it’s even rarer that the company releases a model with more than two seats. The new Evora features a mid-mounted 3.5-liter V-6 producing 276 horsepower and 258 foot-pounds of torque. Lotus claims the 3,046-pound Evora will charge to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and press on to a top speed of 162 mph. The fiberglass-bodied car is built around Lotus’s bonded-aluminum Versatile Vehicle Architecture, which is lightweight yet exceedingly rigid. Inside, hand-stitched hide and a touchscreen GPS navigation system belie the Evora’s racetrack readiness. The front buckets, says Lotus, are generously designed to accommodate two “American males” and petite rear seats make two-plus-two motoring a possibility for short trips, at least. Pricing for the U.S. market hasn’t been announced yet, but expect the Evora to run close to its prime rival, the $76,300 Porsche 911 Carrera.

- Jason