2010 Paris Preview: 2011 Lotus Evora S and Evora IPS (automatic)

Lotus Evora S

As announced earlier this month, Lotus today confirmed (with details and images) that it will unveil the Evora S and the Evora IPS (previously stated as Evora Auto) at the 2010 Paris Motor Show.

The Lotus Evora S gets an upgraded 3.5L V6 Toyota-sourced engine making 345-hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. That allows 0-60 mph to come in 4.6 seconds with a top speed of 172 mph. We’re not really sure how the Evora S will perform but Lotus CEO Dany Bahar says that “You don’t realise what you were missing from your driving experience until you get behind the wheel of the Evora S.”

The Lotus Evora now comes with an IPS (Intelligent Precision Shift) option, which is a 6-speed automatic gearbox that is mated to the 3.5L V6 making 276-hp. 0-60 mph with the IPS option on the Lotus Evora comes in 5.3 seconds with a top speed of 155 mph. Evora’s with the IPS option will allow drivers to switch between manual paddle shift and automatic drive modes. A ‘sport’ mode is also available and allows the driver to feel each gear shift and be in complete control of the transmission.

Launch details and pricing info on the Lotus Evora S and the Lotus Evora IPS will be announced closer to launch date.

Lotus Evora S / Lotus Evora IPS:

It’s an Evora but not as you know it

Ahead of the official unveil at the Paris Motor Show on September 30th, Lotus announce the latest evolution of the award winning Evora ““ the Evora S and Evora IPS (Intelligent Precision Shift) option.

Lotus has taken the award winning* Evora and re-created it with a 350 PS 3.5l V6 engine to create the Evora S. Dany Bahar Lotus’ Chief Executive Officer summed it up beautifully when he said: “You don’t realise what you were missing from your driving experience until you get behind the wheel of the Evora S.”

So apart from the obvious power difference, how is the Evora S different to the standard Evora? It’s another question we put to the CEO (given that he’s spent a little time behind the wheel, we thought he’d be best placed to answer questions). This is what he said: “It’s the next level of Evora experience. It communicates with you better, the suspension setting has been fine tuned for added power and control so it responds even more to direction. It’s an instinctual car, the experience is pure.”

“We were proud of the Evora but we’re even prouder of the Evora S, I feel like it does the true Lotus experience justice. The really great thing is that as we move forward the standard Evora should also benefit from some of these developments.”

The Evora S comes with a sport pack as standard featuring a ‘sport’ button which allows the driver to control throttle response and activate the exhaust by-pass valve. The sport button also raises the instantaneous rev limit and changes the dynamic stability control settings resulting in a total experience change. There are cross-drilled brakes for improved cooling. And here’s a heads up for those who buy into the old adage ‘you can tell the men from the boys by the size of their toys’: the external emotion of the Evora S has been improved with a completely new active exhaust which means that at the push of a button the car sounds just as dramatic as it feels.

Commenting on the Evora S, Lotus Chief Commercial Officer Andreas Prillmann said: “The Evora S is a natural progression for us but more than that, it’s a taste of what people can come to expect from the next generation of Lotus cars. It retains core Lotus values such as performance through lightweight but it also gives more than that. It’s the perfect combination of top performance, style and comfort. Form doesn’t sacrifice function in the case of the Evora S.”

So there you have it folks, the next generation of Lotus Evora, the Evora S, set to be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show.

But that’s not all. In addition to the Evora S, Lotus also presents the IPS (Intelligent Precision Shift) option. This inception of the seven-time-award-winning (who’s counting? We are!) Evora sees an automatic 6-speed gearbox with Lotus developed transmission control with a 3.5 l V6 engine delivering 280 PS assuring a superior automatic driving experience.

The IPS version of the Evora allows the driver to switch between manual paddle shift and automatic drive modes. The driver also has the option of selecting ‘sport’ mode which showcases the Lotus sport driving experience allowing the driver to really feel each gear shift and be in complete control of the transmission.

Commenting on the development Dany Bahar said: “The Evora IPS is set to broaden the appeal of the Evora and reach out to a slightly different market. We hope it will be popular with established automatic locations such as Asia, the Middle East and the US. It’s been a long time since Lotus created an automatic and we’ve spent a great deal of time refining this one to make sure that it perfectly complements the Evora drive experience.”

Evora S Technical Specification

Model Evora S
Engine – Mid mounted, transverse 3.5 litre DOHC V6 VVT-I
Emissions see below due to wheel options
Transmission – 6 speed manual
Chassis – Modular lightweight bonded aluminium structure
Steering – Lotus tuned hydraulically-assisted power steering
Suspension – Forged aluminium double wishbone suspension
Bilstein high performance gas dampers
Eibach coaxial coil springs

Performance data

Standard wheel option
Fuel consumption – urban 14.5 l/100km
Fuel consumption ““ extra urban 7.4 l/100km
Fuel consumption – combined 10.0l/100km
CO2 Emissions 235 g/km

19/20” wheel option
Fuel consumption – urban 14.6 I/100km
Fuel consumption ““ extra urban 7.6 I/100km
Fuel consumption – combined 10.2 I/100km
CO2 Emissions 239 g/km

Max power – 350 PS / 257.5 kW @ 7000 rpm
Max torque – 400 Nm / 295 lb ft @ 4500 rpm
0-60 mph – 4.6s
0-100 km/h 4.8s
Maximum speed – 172mph
Vehicle mass (unladen) – 1437kg

Evora IPS Option Technical Specification

Engine – Mid mounted, transverse 3.5 litre DOHC V6 VVT-I
Emissions – 208 g/km
Transmission Electronically controlled 6 speed automatic
Chassis Modular lightweight bonded aluminium structure
Steering Lotus tuned hydraulically-assisted power steering
Suspension Forged aluminium double wishbone suspension
Bilstein high performance gas dampers
Eibach coaxial coil springs

Performance data

Fuel consumption – urban 12.6 l/100km
Fuel consumption ““ extra urban 6.6 l/100km
Fuel consumption – combined 8.8 l/100km
CO2 Emissions 208 g/km

Max power – 280 PS / 206 KW @ 6400rpm
Max torque – 350 Nm / 258 lb ft @ 4700rpm
0-60 mph – 5.3s
0-100 km/h – 5.5s
Maximum speed – 155mph
Vehicle mass (unladen) – 1436 kg

– By: Omar Rana