You probably don’t want fans of Lotus performance cars to paint your house or pick your work outfits. But, they seem up to the task of picking eye-catching color schemes for limited edition coupes.
To celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary at their current headquarters in Hethel, Norfolk, UK, Lotus let its fans choose the color scheme for the new Evora 400. Via social media, Lotus listed a series of color options that tied into the automaker’s racing and road car history.
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The winner was the Blue and Orange blend above. The scheme originated in the 1960s with Lotus vehicles. Once built, the Evora 400 will offer a complementary color blend inside to match its bright exterior, blending orange thread with black leather.
The new Blue and Orange Limited Edition Evora 400 is one of a small set of small batch cars Lotus is announcing and building to mark 2016 and the 50th anniversary since the founding of the Lotus Factory and Headquarters in Hethel. Lotus calls the Evora 400 an “ultra low volume creation,” meaning it’ll be for sale and gone quickly — if every one isn’t ordered and purchased even before they’re built.
Hand-built, the new Evora 400 emerged out of Lotus’ Lightweight Laboratory, and the entire car weights just over 3,000 pounds. Combining such a lightweight design with a supercharged, mid-mounted 3.5 liter V6 engine produces 400 horsepower. That means the car accelerates from 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds, with a top speed of 186 mph — creating a startling sensation in a coupe so small.
The car comes standard with a tight, proper six-speed gearbox. Buyers can ask for an automatic transmission with paddle sifters. But, such people shouldn’t be allowed to buy the car.
Two-piece disc brakes, a Limited Slip Differential, automatic air-conditioning and even an infotainment system with satellite navigation round out the in car features. The latter is a bit of a stunner as past Lotus creations were famous for forgoing radios or anything else that might add weight. The cars were track machines and intended only for pure driving pleasure. There’s little doubt this limited edition will honor fit that bill.
