2008 British Auto Show: Lotus Evora Fit for American Males Debuts

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LONDON, England — Lotus took the wraps off its Project Eagle at the 2008 British Auto Show. It's now called the Evora, a midengine 2+2 coupe that the company says can accommodate two big "American males in the front seats." The Malaysian-owned, British-based marque will build the new model on a new assembly line at its plant in Hethel at the rate of about 2,000 units annually.

The Evora is named for a city in Portugal about 65 miles east of Lisbon. It gets a Toyota-sourced, Lotus-tuned 3.5-liter V6 engine that produces 276 horsepower. The aluminum-intensive car weighs just under 3,000 pounds and is characterized by asymmetric wheel sizes, a short rear overhang and a long front overhang. Lotus claims 0-to-60-mph acceleration will take less than 5.0 seconds, with a top speed in excess of 160 mph.

In the cabin, Lotus points out that it veers away from "racing-car-inspired technical minimalism." The company said the Evora "employs a softer approach that [uses] premium quality materials and finishes to create a contemporary but luxurious ambience." The cabin is trimmed in aluminum and hand-stitched leather and gets a new Alpine multimedia system with a 7-inch touchscreen and Bluetooth and iPod connectivity functions.

Antilock brakes and stability and traction control are all standard. Options include a reversing camera with a removable satellite navigation element.

Mike Kimberley, CEO of Group Lotus, described the Evora as "the biggest milestone Lotus has achieved since the Elise was born 13 years ago."

The car should begin reaching dealers next spring, priced from around $90,000. A supercharged sibling is due in 2010.

What this means to you: One of the hits of the British show. — Anita Lienert and Paul Lienert, Correspondents