Jarowan Power /Lotus Driving report Lotus Evora GT430 & GT430 Sport (2017)
09.10.2017
- The cost of the Evora GT430 Sport and GT430
- The aerodynamics
- empty weight of 1,289 and 1,299 kilograms
- Brakes, camber & traction control
- New spring damper unit
- acceleration, steering, Manual transmission
- Market launch
A really completely newly developed L otus in three years at the earliest. Until then, the English sports car manufacturer brings new derivatives from its Elise, Exige and Evora series from time to time and ignites new performance levels. This time it is the turn of the largest and most comfortably knitted Lotus. Lotus builds the GT430 in two body styles. Once with a wing and once without. In the latter case it bears the addition 'Sport'. We drove both models. The winged mid-engine sports car on the racetrack, its more inconspicuously designed counterpart on country roads and through English towns. We learned that during our visit and on the drive.
Evora turns. The mechanics assemble almost everything by hand. Except for the side skirts, the doors and the roof. The machines have to work. Because a deviation of just one millimeter is enough to prevent the door from closing properly, for example. Lotus is producing 60 copies of each of the two models. The GT430 Sport costs 139,000 euros in Germany. The more sophisticated aerodynamic counterpart is estimated by Lotus at 151,000 euros. For comparison: the Lotus Evora Sport 410 is 108,500 euros. A Porsche 911 GT3 at 152,416 euros. At this high price, it is not enough to simply turn the power screwTurn. 
Jarowan Power /Lotus Changes to the chassis lower the center of gravity by 5 millimeters.
Jarowan Power /Lotus
Changes to the chassis lower the center of gravity by 5 millimeters.
The changes to the chassis lower the center of gravity by five millimeters. The track is 2.5 centimeters wider at the front and half a centimeter at the rear. Trims for driving on country roads and through English townsLotus softened the GT430 Sport. Incidentally, the mechanics of the wingless sports car does not differ from its brother. With a softer trimmed chassis, there is hardly any difference to the Evora Sport 410 despite higher spring rates (increased by 47 percent at the front, 20 percent at the rear). Especially since the optional Sparco seats with carbon backs (16 kilograms each) and significantly more upholstery are built into the sports car. You notice bumps and bumps, but you are not shaken by them. In other words: You can cruise in the Evora for a certain time and don't despair if a truck strolls in front of you.
6. Acceleration, steering, gearshift
The 436 hp come from the well-known V6 supercharger with a displacement of 3.5 liters. Lotus changed the ignition, adjusted the timing of the two camshafts and stored new parameters for fuel injection in the engine control unit. The maximum output is 7,000 revolutions per minute. Maybe a second before the V6 rattles into the limiter. The next gear is preferred to use the aluminum shift stick. The part slides through the short alleys with resistance.
The hydraulically controlled steering is also fun. The Lotus pulls where the driver wants it. If you overdo it, the cars tend to understeer gently. You always have the feeling that the car is communicating directly with the road surface. And not that any control unit is interposed. The ESP withdraws in race mode, but remains activated in the background. Only when you press it again for three seconds does the Evora strip off the electronic lines.
Both models master the image sprint to 100 km /h in 3.8 seconds, manually switched. As fast as the Corvette Z06 and the Mercedes-AMG GT S and a tenth of a second faster than the 911 GT3.
7. Market launch
Lotus has already sold the first cars. Both models are initially only available with a six-speed manual switch. The automatic transmission with 450 Nm torque will follow from December 2017. “95 percent will use the handset. The automatic will be available primarily in combination with the GT430 Sport and the more comfortable Sparco seats, ”Gales calculates.
