The new Evora 400 is coming, and quickly, to Brighton Motorsports in Scottsdale.
Revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March, the new handbuilt Lotus supercar is the fastest, most powerful ever from the English car company –– lighter and more efficient, too, than the already very fine Evora S.
Shane and Karen Mustoe, owners of the eight-year-old dealership and boutique service center, 15650 N. Northsight Blvd., Suite 1, are expecting to receive the first U.S. model in July as part of the initial American tour and should receive inventory in December.
“I think the Evora 400 will incorporate some exciting new improvements to an already fantastic car,” says Karen, who coordinates the front end of the Brighton business and Shane the mechanical side of the 11,000-square-foot facility, with six-plus service bays specializing in repair of vintage (pre-1972) European and American collector cars. “The Evora 400 will be both cosmetically and mechanically edgier than the current model.”
“The standard Evora 400 will incorporate many of the options that are currently available on the Evora S, including a high-end infotainment center and a newly designed leather interior, with improved ergonomics,” Shane adds. “More than two-thirds of the Lotus Evora 400 is new.” Expect the MSRP to be around the $90,000 level.
Since becoming a Morgan dealership, and now Lotus, Brighton Motorsports has added sales staff to service the increased sales volume and hired staff in the repair facility to help with warranty and service customers. “Our technicians have been through three rounds of Lotus specific training and are doing a fantastic job,” Shane says. Lotus also produces the Elise and Exige road cars as well as a variety of racing vehicles such as Exige V6 Cup and Exige Cup R.
And, this summer Brighton is introducing a boutique collection of motorsports-inspired clothing and accessories representing Lotus, Morgan and Brighton. “We are working with an apparel stylist in order to introduce creative and fresh ideas for men and women seeking fun motorsports wearables,” Karen says. Brighton is also representing a new line of Piloti shoes, tees and hats and an expanded line of Griot’s Car Care products.
After all, your new sports car, or classic, must be properly accessorized.
Evora 400: Performance to the Eye, Performance on the Street and Track
Lotus is reporting a top speed of 186 mph and acceleration 0−60 mph of just 4.1 seconds for the Evora 400. In April, Gavan Kershaw, technical manager for Lotus Motorsport, tested the new car at the company’s Norfolk, UK-based track in Hethel, and its best lap of 1:32 ticked a full six seconds faster than the Evora S –– on road tires and with standard road suspension.
The car’s supercharged and charge-cooled mid-mounted 3.5-liter V-6 engine outputs 400 horsepower and 302.4 ft/lbs of torque between 3,500 to 6,500 rpm.
Manual gearbox enhancements have improved shift quality, including a new clutch disc and a low- inertia flywheel, ensuring swift gear changes. A Torsen-type limited slip differential (LSD) has been fitted to improve traction for better lap times. An automatic transmission is an option; lightweight steering wheel-mounted aluminum paddles provide shifting ease.
The driver can also select from three Traction slip thresholds, Drive, Sport and Race, via a driver-selectable switch, with the last two performance settings increasing throttle responsiveness. The driver also activates another switch, which allows the exhaust to flow more freely, reducing back pressure under higher engine loads and produce a supercar sound through the enlarged exhausts.
Helping to produce the performance improvements of the Evora 400 are revised spring and shocks settings, a Limited Slip Differential (LSD) and a downforce figure of 70 pounds at 150 mph, 26 pounds front and 44 pounds rear, produced by the Evora 400’s lightweight composite rear diffuser, three-element rear wing and airflow-management strategy.
In addition, the new aluminum chassis and lightweight composite body has reduced the weight of the car to 3,119 pounds or about 48 pounds from the Evora S with manual transmission. Even the new door panels are lighter weight, as are the ergonomically improved seats.
Lotus, in fact, maintains what it calls a “Lightweight Laboratory” in which every component is examined to determine where “lightness can be added.” This further improves the legendary handling of the new Lotus.
Assisting in the weight reduction are the lightweight forged aluminum wheels, 19” on the front and 20” on the rear, lighter than the previous forged wheels. These now hold Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires (235/35×19 on the front; 285/30×20 on the rear). Braking comes from larger, more powerful two-piece, cross-drilled and ventilated brake discs.
The new car is slightly longer and even more striking than its predecessor: “The new front and rear sections give the car a much more aggressive and exciting presence,” says Arnie Johnson, director of Operations for Lotus Cars USA, Lawrenceville, Georgia. In addition, large side intakes add to the car’s road presence but also cool the engine and increase aerodynamic downforce. “Supercar looks are aligned with supercar performance.”
Inside refinements include trim upgrades in Alcantara or Scottish leather, a new HVAC system that provides greater airflow and operator control, a lightweight forged magnesium steering wheel and a revised instrument cluster with easy-to-read white-on-black graphics. A high-end in-car entertainment system is standard, incorporating A-pillar tweeters for better sound-reproduction quality.
“This evolution of the Evora 400 will delight our valued customers,” Johnson says, “and will no doubt catch the attention of any automotive enthusiast.”
Catch it, if you can, at Brighton, soon.
Brighton Motorsports, call 480.483.4682 or visit www.BrightonMotorsports.com
