Lotus Makes New Softer Evora GT410

Lotus cars has just announced a new version of the Evora. But rather than the usual gram-chasing the brand is known for, this one is designed to be more usable and more comfortable. And the company calls it "exceptional value," though that one's obviously a relative term.

The new model is called the Evora GT410, which is easily confused with the other current Evora, the GT410 Sport. This one's intended to be a daily driver instead of a weekend or trackday special, which means that Lotus has added some luxury features. Like air conditioning. When your motto is to simplify, then add lightness, luxury doesn't mean the same thing it would with other premium cars.

Other nods to driver comfort include Sparco sport seats, with plenty of padding, in place of the carbon fibre buckets in the sport. There are armrests in the doors now, again adding comfort, along with storage bins to give you somewhere to put your stuff.

The suspension is largely the same as the Sport, but gets revised dampers that deliver a more compliant ride. Again helping to make the tiny lightweight two-seater a more usable car day in and day out. A new tailgate adds to the car's rear visibility. There is a backup camera now, along with a premium infotainment system with navigation and Apple CarPlay, and there's even more sound deadening insulation. Founder Colin Chapman would not be amused, though most buyers will be.





Lotus has added some new colours to the options list, including historic colours, and the new car gets Michelin Pilot Sport 4S all-weather tires, though that's definitely not to be confused with all-season. They mean these ones work when it rains, unlike the track day-ready Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires on the Sport.

Leaning toward a more comfortable ride is a new move for Lotus, known for making vehicles as minimalist as possible, but it seems like a winning idea for the British firm, now part of Chinese automaker Geely. It still gets the 410 hp 3.5L supercharged V6 that comes in the Sport, so it's still unlikely to be a slouch.

Lotus has made the softer Evora a bit of a bargain, as well. Despite coming with loads more kit standard, including that radio and the extra sound insulation, it comes in at £3,000 less to start than the GT410 Sport. That puts the Evora GT410 at a UK starting price of £82,900 including tax. No word yet on if the same comfort features will become available on the North-America-spec Evora GT.