The Lotus Evora is a sports car produced by British car manufacturer Lotus. The car, which was developed under the project name Project Eagle, was launched as the Evora on 22 July 2008 at the British International Motor Show.
The Lotus Evora is based on the first all-new vehicle platform from Lotus Cars since the introduction of the Lotus Elise in 1995 (the Exige, introduced in 2000, and the 2006 Europa S are both derivatives of the Elise). The Evora is the first vehicle of three vehicles to be built on the same platform; the remaining two vehicles will be on sale by 2011.
The Evora is the first product of a five year plan started in 2006 to expand the Lotus lineup beyond it's current track-specialized offerings, with the aim of making the Evora a somewhat of a more practical road car that would appeal to the mainstream. As such it is a larger car than recent Lotus models Elise and its derivatives (Exige, Europa S, etc.), with an estimated curb weight of 1,350 kg (3,000 lb). It is currently the only Lotus model with a 2+2 configuration, although it has been announced that it will also be offered in a two-seater configuration, referred to as the "Plus Zero" option. It is also the only 2+2 mid engined coupé on sale. The interior is larger to allow taller persons to fit, such as Lotus CEO Mike Kimberley, and two 99th percentile (6'5") American males.
The cooled boot behind the engine is large enough to fit a set of golf clubs, although Lotus Design Head Russell Carr denies that this was intentional. Lotus intends the Evora to compete with different market sectors including the Porsche Cayman.
The name "Evora" keeps the Lotus tradition of beginning model names with an "E". The name is derived from the words evolution, vogue, and aura. Other names considered were Eagle, Exira and Ethos; Exira was rejected as it was considered not good enough and the other two because it would be difficult for Lotus to claim them as a trademark. The name "Evora" sounds similar to Évora, which is the name of a Portuguese city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Portugal.
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