Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar

[Bibs]

The Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar has been developed from the award-winning Evora road car and is built to FIA regulations and safety standards.

The Type 124 (pronounced One Twenty Four) Endurance Racecar is the next step in the evolution of the Evora. The car will make its 24 hour racing debut at the ADAC N

[Simon350S]

Very nice

[Al]

Wow. Stunning. As a race marshal and a saloon type race fan this just cements it for me. Simply georgeous.

You know that they say if a racing car looks "right" to styart with then it generally goes "right". Can't wait to see how this performs against the opposition but it has everything going for it from the very start not to mention it's Lotus DNA.

Looks like I'll have to try and get to Silverstone next year if home. You able to marshal there Bibs or are you only a Brands man?

[Bibs]

Brands and Lydden Hill, might give Silverstone a try though for that in their fancy black probans, indeed I might volunteer for the 'Ring 24 next year too

[Advantage]

[Wimbledon]

Stunning!

[NedaSay]

Wow!!!

Can't wait to see that on the track! I may go to the Nurb just to see it lap!

Will this front nose make its way to the road car cause I like it more than what the road car has now!

Edited September 11, 2009 by NedaSay

[mail@stefan-boehm.de]

Will this front nose make its way to the road car cause I like it more than what the road car has now!

oh my, here we go...

First, I do definitely like the idea of the Evora going racing. And yes, the car needs to be modified for that. Maybe even with diffusors and rear wings that hilarious.

However I can see flood gates open for all sort of Evora "tuning" which is a shame. Look at Elises/Exiges - cars have been modified to death to become boy racers, the Elise lost badly image-wise during the last years. I did really hope that this would not happen to the Evora and the car would maintain it's status as a quick and elegant GT car. But alas, here we go again. Want a bet for the first gullwing Evora, the first Evora with stripes and flame decals ? It was going to happen, but that soon ?

OTH the paddle shift is something I'd really love to see as an option

[Al]

Although I didn't say it when I made earlier comment, my initial reaction was the same as Neda Say in that I thought the front was nicer. I spent some of the time this afternoon looking at just how it had changed and it really is very subtle and neat how thay have actually moved a lot of planes and dimensions about but managed to keep the Evora look almost totally there. Partly the paint job decals drawing the eye elsewhere as well. Impressed. However I wouldn't want it on a road car as I have just got rid of a factory body kitted Porsche and it was just too low. It caught everything and judging by the Esprit Forum wish list for the new car to have a suspension ride lifter at slow speed, the Esprit does too. It ruins your day leaving paint on every speed hump and deep dip you approach at speed.

Now we can see the rear I also love how they have kept standard spoler integrated. I was expecting a bit of a mess there. I also love how the rear of each wheel arch has vents. That could be a lovely styling clue on later more powerful road models to distinguish them from "lesser" brothers. even the rear underbody diffuser is similar type styling to road car. Overall I think it is the mutts nuts.

I agree about the paddle shift which I want on my next one. You know - the Supercharged Cabrio

[Guest EBORA]

My favourites!

[pfoster@fiberbyte.com]

Bibs, your article mentioned output tuned to 400ps. Presumably this is supercharged, but there is no specific mention of it. I wonder how long before we see a supercharged road version if this is what they are already achieving???

[Mischi]

Ohhh Very Nice!

The Evora looks alot happier!

[NedaSay]

Oh please no! No gullwing doors!

I really like that front nose and would like nothing better than to see Lotus Cars go with this one on the S or SC variant of the car! It's an evora nobody wants to get decals or other stupid things on it! But the front nose and the rear side vents will make sense on the oommphed up model.

Of course I want paddleshifters and more than anything else I want a superlight alcantara microfiber interior to get closer to these announced 2600 lbs or 1180 kg!!!! Which means bye bye to the back seats.

This 124 doesn't have a blower and already delivers 394 bhp. I'd be curious to see which category Lotus Sport will choose to compete in, I hope GT3!

[TomE]

They did a good job of keeping that quiet! Like the subtle styling changes and the Sport "eyebrows" made me chuckle, along with the rear diffuser and mahoosive wing. Looks like a very purposeful racecar. And 394bhp out of the same engine without charging it? Impressive and gives an indication that there should be scope for tweaking the road cars.

[9doors]

Bibs, your article mentioned output tuned to 400ps. Presumably this is supercharged, but there is no specific mention of it. I wonder how long before we see a supercharged road version if this is what they are already achieving???

Beside the beautiful looks, this also got my attention...Looks like Lotus already knows how to get some magic out of that Toyota V6. Excellent news, since many here in the States (myself, not being one of them) are dismissing this engine as one that shouldn't be in a sports car.

[Mischi]

Seems like someone decided he couldn't wait and took the Evora on the track:

Edited September 13, 2009 by Mischi

[bazsport160titanium]

Edited September 16, 2009 by bazsport160titanium

[x6gas]

Seems like someone decided he couldn't wait and took the Evora on the track:

...and not a great advert given that the Evora gets burnt-off by an S1 Elise half way around!

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Why? the s1 elise is much smaller and nearly half the weight even with stock and Power to weight is about the same.

However given the exhaust note I doubt that was a completely standard elise

Also it looks as if the evora lifted to let the faster car through.

As for how this affects road cars... Well here's my 2p's worth on how I see it.

I've no doubt there will be a hot Eovra and superchaging is the most likely option - the unit is already tried and tested with a supercharger in the states and it's likely toyota will warranty such a setup. Lotus also have lots of supercharging experience now with he Elise/Exige/211. The downside is that don'tbe expecting too much - 320-330ish hp is a likely number. this is circa what hey run in the US cars and Lotus simply can't afford to warranty the units themselves so will be undr restrictions as to what they can and can't do. Not all bad though as a supercharged headline numbers doesn't really convey the impact low down torque increase.

However... looking at the similar situation with the Exige and 211 I would also expect after the Evora S has been around a little while that there would be a limited Evora RS that is more track focused with the wick turned up more. But don't forget theres a new esprit on the cards and like the Cayman/911 situation Lotus would not want another car taking the attention away from it's halo supercar. So the Evora RS would be like the Exige cup - roll cage, extinguisher, no stereo, stripped out, no rear seats, no sat nav... etc... Pretty much everything you could do to make it not like a road car thus so giving some separation from the Esprit.

Throw in a Evora Convertible then you've got a petty complete line up.

[Bibs]

In may not have made it onto the grid yet but it's made it into a computer game!

-- A fleet of new vehicles will speed out of the garage of studio Turn 10 as part of a fresh download for the Xbox 360 racing game Forza Motorsport 3. The Summer Velocity Car Pack is available now for 400 points ($5) and feature 10 cars, including the 2010 Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar and the 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG.

[comem47]

...and not a great advert given that the Evora gets burnt-off by an S1 Elise half way around!

But did the Elise also have a passenger shooting a video? ;-)

[Beaujolais Dom]

What has happened to the Type 124 and the plans for a limited factory backed season in it? It all seems to have gone quiet, which is a great shame. Having been to the FIA GT races at Silverstone this year, it is so much more fun than attending a grand prix - easy to park, you can wander all round the circuit, open paddock so you can get close to the cars and drivers...

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And free for practice days.

They sound lurrrvly when running at full chat.

[NedaSay]

Great news! The Type 124 is back on track! Stephane Ratel, the endurance supremo in Europe (his company runs Birtish GT and F3, FIA GT 2, 3 and 4 categories as well as the new world GT1) mentioned at Spa 24 that the Evora would join the GT2 category in 2012! The program is led by Johnny Mowlem! The car would be a kit based on the Evora Cup car which is technically a GT4!

Glad to see that the glorious looking Evora Type 124 hasn't been canned. Lotus is just way behind in their motorsport schedule due to the multiple announcement made before and after the new management took over! Originally the Type 124 was supposed to run in VLN this year. But instead of that an Evora Cup showcar was paraded around at various event in Europe and North America! The choice of the category seem to indicate a will to compete in Le Mans.

source: endurance-info.com

Edited August 1, 2010 by NedaSay

[Beaujolais Dom]

Fantastic news! Will be great to see Lotus Cars itself back in motorsport alonngside the return of the name to F1. I for one really hope that Stephane Ratel can get GT racing back to its former glamour days. F1 as a spectacle is great and is indeed the pinnacle of motorsport, but being able to watch cars that are pretty much identical in silhouette to the showroom versions is great, particularly in true endurance events, racing through the night.