Norwich, United Kingdom – Lotus just announced another special version of the Evora, called the GT430. While the company keeps churning out quite a few special editions of the Evora and Elise, this one is a real standout. It tips its hat at the legendary Esprit V8 GT and Esprit GT3. What’s more, the Lotus Evora GT430 is the most powerful street-legal Lotus ever made. Not only does it pack incredible performance, Lotus will only make 60 of them in the world.
Naturally, Lotus added lightness to this car. It tips the scale at a mere 2,773 pounds. That’s about 57 pounds lighter than the Evora Sport 410, which was already incredibly lightweight. In fact, Lotus has never made such a lightweight Evora, and it may never again.
To help shed some weight, engineers ditched the backseat. Extensive use of carbon fiber, including specially designed body panels, contribute to the weight loss.
When combined with the 430-horsepower supercharged 3.5-liter V6, that translates to explosive performance. According to Lotus, the sprint from 0 to 60 mph only takes 3.7 seconds. It can also reach 190 mph. That’s not in the running for fastest car, but it is nothing to scoff at.
All that power matched with a low curb weight could be a recipe for disaster. Lotus took tips from the supercar world to keep this Evora planted firmly on the ground.
An array of aero elements generates about 551 pounds of downforce at speed. Among the equipment are bigger front apertures, a redesigned front splitter, rear aero ducts, a big rear diffuser and a large wing.
Those are all things you would normally expect on a weekend racer such as this. However, Lotus took it a step further with louvres and air blades fixed to the top of both front wheel arches.
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“The Evora GT430 is a landmark car for Lotus. Lightweight engineering and class-leading handling, paired with Lotus’ aerodynamic expertise, define the Evora GT430 as a legendary Lotus. It’s a truly beautiful car, meticulously finished in hand-crafted carbon, and employing the latest aerodynamics and lightweight materials. This highly developed vehicle perfectly reflects Lotus’ attention to engineering and design. We expect the lucky owners to be blown away by its pure presence and staggering performance,” said Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales.
Of course, no Lotus is complete without excellent handling. Considering all the power the Lotus Evora GT430 puts out, and how lightweight it is, the suspension needed some upgrades.
Lotus tuned Ohlins TTX two-way adjustable twin-tube dampers. They feature adjustable rebound and compression settings. They even shed some additional weight. Complementing that are Eibach springs that have a low side load and are ultra-lightweight.
Lotus is taking orders for the Evora GT430 now. But if you live in North America, a separate version will be coming here in the spring of 2018.
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