Lotus has unveiled the newest in its lineup of Evora models, the GT410 Sport. The GT410 replaces the Evora Sport 410 model, bringing with it a 3.9-second 0-60 mph sprint. With a ridiculously low dry weight and an equally mind-boggling horsepower to weight ratio, the Evora GT410 Sport really wiggles the eyebrows.
2018 marks Lotus' 70th anniversary and to kick off the birthday celebrations, the company unveiled the Evora GT410 Sport in typical Lotus blue on a country estate somewhere near its Hethel factory home. The Evora GT410 Sport is available in both two-seat and two-plus-two configurations and builds on aerodynamics and design elements of its powerful Evora GT430 stablemate.
The body style similarities between the GT410 and GT430 are obvious, particularly in the front and rear panels. Differences of note are the smaller rear wing and the less aggressive dip to either side of the GT410's hood compared to the GT430. These are to reduce the downforce being created for the bigger-engined car to accommodate the smaller power output and thus push-down needs of the 410. Nevertheless, the GT410 produces a full 50 percent more downforce (96 kg) than the Sport 410 it's replacing.
Propelling the little coupe is a high-output version of the 3.5-liter six-cylinder engine used in several Lotus cars. This supercharged six has an integrated water-to-air charge cooler and produces 410 horsepower (306 kW) at 7,000 rpm and 310 pound-feet (420 Nm) of torque at 3,500 rpm. The automatic transmission can shift fast enough to push the little Lotus Evora GT410 Sport from zero to 60 mph (0-92 km/h) in under 4 seconds, while it takes about a tenth of a second more for a driver to get the same speed with the manual gearbox in this car. Both versions are six-speed units.
Along with the redesign of the Evora Sport's bodywork and engine came a rethinking of the car's mass. Several changes were made to the car to include more use of carbon fiber, the addition of titanium exhaust components, and more to reduce weight. This resulted in the Lotus Evora GT410 Sport having an unladen weight of just 1,297 kg (2,859 lb) and a dry weight of 1,256 kg (2,769 lb). This is a weight savings of 98 kg compared to the Evora 400 and 28 kg less than the Evora Sport 410. Many of those weight loss components, specifically exhaust changes, are optional extras.
The new dry weight for the Evora GT410 Sport gives it an impressive horsepower to weight ratio of a face-flapping 326 hp per tonne. The top speed for the new Evora is 190 mph (305 km/h).
Keeping all of this on the pavement are Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires and a specially-tuned sports suspension package from Eibach, Ohlins, and Bilstein. The Bilstein dampers and shocks are standard, but can be upgraded to Ohlins TTX dampers to reduce weight and improve adjustment capabilities. Forged aluminum wheels made to be ultra-lightweight are standard on the Evora GT410 Sport. Stopping all of this are four-piston brake calipers from AP Racing at front and rear.
The Lotus Evora GT410 Sport's interior will be familiar to all Evora fans with a similar layout and design to its stablemates. The two-seat version has carbon race seats as standard while the four-seat option does not. The four-seat option requires wider rear wheels or a forged wheel option from the Evora 400 to compensate for the weight distribution differences in the extra seating.
Lotus is promising much more for 2018, hinting at this being a "strong year" for the company as it celebrates its 70th birthday. The Lotus Evora GT410 Sport will become available globally, starting in Europe now and in the United States and China in the third quarter of 2018. Pricing starts at £85,900 (about US$117,000).
Source: Lotus
