Wednesday 6th September 2017

Lotus Evora GT430 Sport

Like the idea of a faster Evora but don't need all the track aero? The GT430 Sport is for you!

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We like Lotuses at PH, don't we? Driver focused, involving and exciting sports cars that reward on road and track, they're really refreshing in an automotive world dominated by less interesting things. And Hethel just keeps coming back with more stuff...

Cor!

In July we had the Evora GT430, a car that attracted 228 mostly positive comments on PH and an average PH o'meter rating of 8.76 after 114 votes. It was received rather well, put it that way. Now there's the GT430 Sport, a less hardcore - all things being relative - version of the fastest Evora.

Spotted the difference? The wild aero kit of the regular GT430 has been ditched, lending the Sport a slightly more subdued look, a kerbweight reduction of 10kg (1,248kg dry) and less downforce (100kg at top speed, as opposed to 250kg for the GT430). Therefore the Sport is a fraction slower around the Hethel test track - 1:26.8 plays 1:25.8 - than the GT430, though this is still a very rapid car: Lotus claims 0-100mph in less than eight seconds, and 196mph flat out, giving it the highest top speed of any Lotus production car.

Much of the GT430 package has been carried over to the Sport: Ohlins TTX adjustable dampers, AP Racing brake calipers, a Torsen limited-slip diff and a 436hp version of the supercharged V6. While the Sport features the same design of forged wheel and Cup 2 tyre as the GT430, this car uses fractionally narrower versions: 235/35 R19 at the front (against 245/35 R19s) and 285/30 R20s at the back with a 9.5-inch wheel (295/30 R20s with a 10.5-inch wheel on the GT430). Interestingly an automatic gearbox has also been confirmed today for both models, though that isn't available until January. And you wouldn't unless you really had to, would you?

When can we drive it? When can we drive it? When...

Elsewhere it's as you might expect: plentiful carbon inside and out, a massive central-exit exhaust and a level of swagger we've not really seen from Lotus for a very long time. Imagine what it sounds like!

Now the £112,500 asking price for the GT430 did raise some eyebrows; the Sport does undercut that by £8,000 with an RRP of £104,500. Also the the automatic gearbox will cost £2,600 on both models, with the GT430's wider rear wheels and tyres available on the Sport for an additional £2,000. More details when we have them!

 

 

[HardMiles]

Art. Best looking new car in years!

[WCZ]

phew, I was getting worried there wouldn't be another special edition Lotus this year

[cib24]

Lol, I like it but damn I hope 400 and 410 Sport owners can at least benefit from an updated ECU map for more power to match the 430 even if they don't get the other goodies on this car.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

WCZ said:

phew, I was getting worried there wouldn't be another special edition Lotus this yearmonth

FTFY

[Hungrymc]

Am sure it will be a little out of my price league, but what a fabulous car.!

[Raman Kandola]

Great looking car!

[dxg]

So, the press release is using renderings rather than photos. Have they not actually built one yet (I'm talking about blue car)?

[Tickle]

That is one good looking car! The Evora always looked better in the flesh but this looks good in pictures too.

A roadster would be great in the Evora line-up though.

[hondansx]

Probably not. They often tend to 'calculate' lap times.

However, it looks bloody great. With these latest iterations, the Evora has become a very good looking car. They deserve to sell well, together with the amazing new Exige - although I read in EVO that they are sold out anyway.

I do agree with the comment above though, this glut of new iterations would leave a sour taste in my mouth if i'd recently bought a now inferior, old car only months ago. I think it would do wonders for customer retention if Lotus offered free ECU updates and discounted upgrade packs to clients. It would also surely help residuals.

[MagicalTrevor]

PH Article said:

We like Lotuses at PH, don't we?

Especially when they're competition prizes

#FloggingADeadHorse

[chappardababbar]

I bloody love it

[Sion111R]

Spent ages trying to write something meaningful and deserving of its place on a PH post....
But to cut out the waffle,
WANT.

[simonrockman]

Tickle said:

That is one good looking car! The Evora always looked better in the flesh but this looks good in pictures too.

A roadster would be great in the Evora line-up though.

I ordered an Evora when it was still called the Eagle. If I had taken delivery it would have been number 35. Lotus was talking about a convertible back then. Must have been the best part of 10 years ago.

[C7 JFW]

So it's the same as the McLaren.

We'll offer one with spoilers.
We'll offer one with carpet.
We'll progressively increase the power level so all existing owners feel inclined to come back and repeat.

I can't help but feel that takes the shine from each successive revision. It feels like there's been a 'revision' every 90 days this summer.

[Itsallicanafford]

they must have chained the bloke in the R&D department to his desk to produce all these new cars, either that or his dog is very prolific

[Matt Bird]

Hi all,

Just to say there is a price, I'd missed it from the press release

The Sport is cheaper than the GT430, and is £104,500.

Cheers!


Matt

[wevster]

WCZ said:

phew, I was getting worried there wouldn't be another special edition Lotus this year

[Plainview23]

Looks absolutely fantastic. Best looking Lotus in a while.
Wouldn't dream of dropping £100k on it though. I'm too sensible for that kind of shenanigans unfortunately!

Interestingly, despite being generally calamitous, Brexit should be good for Lotus.... every cloud....

[joshleb]

Matt Bird said:

Hi all,

Just to say there is a price, I'd missed it from the press release

The Sport is cheaper than the GT430, and is £104,500.

Cheers!


Matt

Is this for real!?

Looks amazing, and am sure it is a great car, but over 100k!!! Ooophh

[unsprung]

Gorgeous. Looks futuristic in that silky blue colour, and with its monochromatic greenhouse.

Too bad about the likely price (given that the GT430 is listed at £112,000). There remains a whiff of elitism about this brand, at least on the other side of the Atlantic.