The 2020 Lotus Evora GT is soon to land in America

Lotus Cars has announced the 2020 Evora GT, the fastest and most powerful street-legal Lotus ever sold in North America. Powered by a 416-horsepower, supercharged version of Lotus’ Toyota-built 3.5-liter V-6, the Evora GT will have a top speed of 188 mph and do 0–60 mph in 3.8 seconds. The 2020 Evora GT replaces the Evora 400 and Evora Sport 410 models for the U.S. and Canadian markets. 

The new Evora will be available in both two-seat and 2+2 configurations, and you’ll be able to order it with an automatic transmission even though that may offend Lotus purists.

The late Colin Chapman might also be offended at a Lotus that weighs more than a ton and a half, but at 3104 pounds, the Evora GT has a most respectable 295-horsepower-per-ton power-to-weight ratio. Lotus has added sufficient lightness to reduce the GT’s weight by 71 pounds (if equipped with lightweight options) when compared to the Evora 400. To reduce weight, the rear bumper, A panels, rear wheel ducts, and sill covers are made of carbon-fiber composite. An optional $10,000 Carbon Pack adds a composite roof, one-piece louvered hatch, and a carbon diffuser, further reducing weight. Even more weight can be shed if you opt for the available titanium exhaust system.

The Evora’s body and associated fittings—like the front lip spoiler, front wheel arch louvers, ducts behind the rear wheels, and a racing-derived rear underbody diffuser—control airflow around, below, and through the car, doubling the amount of available downforce over the Evora 400.

Unsprung mass is reduced with what Lotus is calling “ultra-lightweight” forged and machined aluminum wheels, staggered with 19-inch diameter, 8-inch-wide rims in front and 20-inch diameter, 10.5-inch-wide rims in back. Diamond-cut satin black or red finishes are optional. Tires are Michelin Pilot Sport Cup radials, with 245/35/R19s in front and 295/30/R20s in back.

A sport suspension package—ultra-light, low-sideload coil springs from Eibach and Bilstein sport shock absorbers—comes standard, as does the Torsen limited-slip differential. If you order an automatic transmission, you’ll get paddle shifters and the same 3.8-second 0–60 time.

The driver can select from four ESP modes: Drive, Sport, Race, and Off. Sport and Race settings give quicker throttle response and allow for more traction slip before activating stability control.

The interior is trimmed in black Alcantara, with two-tone contrasting stitching. Leather is an option. Under the leather and Alcantara wrapping, the steering wheel is made of lightweight magnesium. Mass is further reduced with carbon fiber, used for the instrument pod cover and the backs of the Sparco-supplied racing seats. The infotainment system centers around a 7-inch touch screen, with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, GPS navigation, and a backup camera as standard equipment.

If the standard options aren’t sufficient, buyers can fully personalize their Evora GT with the Lotus Exclusive program. Introduced last year to keep up with bespoke programs at other exotic car makers, the program caters to customers who opt for some degree of customization—so far, that’s about a third of Lotus buyers. 

No delivery schedule has been released, but you can order a 2020 Evora GT starting now. MSRP starts at $96,950.