Lotus Evora 400 Roadster
For 2017, Lotus is bringing the Evora 400 to our shores, and a North
American version of the Sport 410 has been promised.
Lotus told Autocar that it expects the convertible to account for half of its
sales here in the States, and we don't doubt that. But it's still just another
version of the same automobile, and 500-700 additional sales is not going to be
enough to reestablish Lotus as a legitimate sportscar contender here in
America. For that, it's going to need another model line or two, hopefully at
an entry-level pricepoint.
On the bright side, the Evora Roadster
sounds like a solid step in the right direction. It's apparently just as stiff
and lightweight as the coupe and that
means its 400-horsepower, supercharged V6 engine will still propel it from 0-60
in 4.1 seconds and to a top speed of 186 miles per hour. Plus, the Lotus name
is well established and highly respected.
We're sure Lotus doesn't expect the
Evora Roadster to completely reverse its unfortunate fortunes in the States.
The promise of a new Elise in 2020 ought to help in that regard, assuming it
will be more attainable than the US$ 90,000 Evora. In the meantime, we can't wait
to feel that familiar wind-in-the-hair excitement we're sure the Lotus Evora
Roadster will provide.
