Lotus Evora Race Car and Evora Cup Series

Lotus Motorsport is launching a new race car and race series revolved around their in-production Lotus Evora. The Lotus Evora Cup race car, on sale for £120,000 excluding taxes, will use a new 395-horsepower 4.0-liter V6 engine mated to a Cima six-speed paddle-shift sequential transmission.

Built to GT4 specs, the car qualifies to race in many events worldwide. Still, Lotus execs decided that a one-make race calendar would be a good way to showcase the car's abilities. The 2010 Evora Cup uses a system where five points will be awarded for showing up to a race, five points for a first-place finish, down to one point for a fifth-place end. Double points will be given at the Lotus Festivals in Donington Park, England, in October, and Vallelunga, Italy, in November. The winner of the series is the driver with the most points over six months. Over €100,000 in cash prizes will be awarded.



The Evora race car weighs 200 kilos less than the production model, weighing in at 1200 kg. Lotus did not specifically state where the weight savings come from, mentioning that the production car already uses a lightweight aluminum chassis, but they did install a carbon fiber Dallara aerokit. To keep things under control, engineers chose six-piston front callipers and two-piece aluminum belled discs.

"The Evora Cup racing car is the first step along the route for Lotus Motorsport to realise its racing ambitions," says Lotus Director of Motorsport Claudio Berro. "I am looking forward to seeing the Evora racing this year in the Lotus Evora Cup competition and I am excited by the plans for 2011, where Lotus intends to introduce a pan European one make race series for the Evora Cup."

Painted in Epsom Green with a single Solar Yellow racing stripe down the middle, the Lotus Evora Race Car will be introduced to the public at Autosport International in Birmingham, England, today.