Lotus
Evora GX Racecar
Hot
off the back of unleashing the Evora GTC racer, Lotus Racing engineers have
been honing the Lotus Evora GX to meet the requirements of North America's
legendary sports car series, the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series.
Late
in the 2012 season the Evora will race under the Rolex Series' GT rules as GX
rules begin in 2013. With the Lotus Evora GX, the driving experience is even
more pure, and the beefy body kit is even more aggressive.
McMahon
Raceworks with Condor Motorsport have placed an order for their Lotus Evora GX,
and the team led by David McMahon with Armando Trentini as lead driver and
consultant, will enter the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series.
Like
the GTC, carbon-fibre doors, roof and engine cover have replaced the SMC and
RTM composite panels of the previous evolution GT4 Enduro, and Plexiglass
replaces the polycarbonate windows in order to trim yet more weight off what is
already a very light car. At 1,150 kg, it tips the scales at just 10 kg over the
weight of the GTC model, despite being fitted with the much thicker US-spec
roll cage.
There
are aerodynamic changes too, with a new front splitter and front bumper, and
the standard Rolex Series rear wing which, along with the car's wide wheels and
flared arches, give it very mean stance. To meet other series requirements, ABS
and traction control have been removed, putting more emphasis on driver skill.
There's
also a new fuel filler system, Continental tyres, and yellow headlamps in order
to tick all the race series specific boxes. The 4-litre V6 continues to pump
out 440 bhp and 440 Nm of torque, linked to an XTRAC six-speed sequential
paddle-shift. The GX is priced at US$ 335,000 and will be built to order.
