Meet the new Lotus Evora GT430

This Lotus isn’t a sports car, it’s a supercar

The Lotus Evora hasn’t been a totally wild success. But Lotus boss Jean-Marc Gales has been steadily feeding and nourishing the car until here we see it in full bloom. The GT430 title tells us a bit about it, that it has 430bhp and that it has GT provenance. Those are two mighty impressive claims in a Lotus but the thing is this one can now back that up and then some.

Think of the GT4 race car, then make a road-going version of it and you’re part of the way there. There’s 20bhp more than in the Sport 410 on which it is based, plus there is less weight, new aerodynamics and the adjustable suspension found in the racing version. In fact the GT430 is a useful 36kg less than the Sport 410.

You do wonder how Lotus keeps reducing weight since their cars are fairly skeletal to start with, but increasing amounts of carbonfibre is one route explored in full here. But the first time you turn in to a corner you feel the benefits, both of this and the aerodynamic package.

There’s 250kg of downforce to be exploited, helped by that huge rear wing, and that’s such a large amount that it can be difficult to get your head round. It’s not a marketing gimmick that Lotus will sell you a toned-down version with the wing removed if you find it too much to cope with.

As with all Lotus cars, the aim is to intimately involve you rather than intimidate and scare you. You’re plugged in to the suspension and steering as clearly as if you could see the cables. The Ohlins suspension has massively increased spring rates over the Sport 410, like 47% up on the front, so this is a car that lets you know exactly what the road is doing. It tells you in such detail that for a daily driver it might be simply too intense.

On the track it’s just sublime, and the package all together amounts to speeds that you tend to doubt when glancing at the speedo. We’re going how quickly? The engine is mega-urgent, and the power is superbly delivered by the improved transmission. The noise through the titanium exhaust above 4500rpm is just enthralling and thrilling – you’d have to hear it to believe it.

This is a fast car in a straight line, capable of 190mph, and it’s almost as fast round the corners, with the whole package sticking the car to the track with real confidence. It makes you feel like a better driver than you probably are. Okay, that means it makes me feel a better driver…

But it’s also got a big price tag for a Lotus, at £112,500. Has Lotus over-reached itself, even given the original plan to only build 30? They’ve already got the order book up to 180 examples.

Something really different and very, very good will always sell in the higher ends of the car market. Buyers won’t worry about the daily usability because they have other cars for that. And if they buy this they’re buying one of the very best cars that they can buy. It’s a pleasure to see the Evora this blooming good.

Lotus Evora GT430

Price £112,500
Engine 3456cc, V6, supercharged petrol
Power 430bhp at 7000rpm
Torque 325lb ft at 4500rpm
Gearbox 6-spd manual
Kerbweight 1299kg
Top speed 190mph
0-62mph 3.7sec
Fuel economy na
CO2 rating 234g/km
Rivals McLaren 540C, Porsche 911 GT3

Graham Scott is a writer for AutoCar.