Lotus does Brits proud after long wait

Lotus Evora handles like a dream, says Top Gear magazine.

The Lotus Evora has picked up a host of motoring awards in 2009, the most recent being last week's gong from Britain's Top Gear magazine.

The monthly chose the Evora as the best sports car of the past 12 months. Earlier, Car magazine named it the best performance car of the year; Autocar called it Britain's best driver's car; EVO named it car of the year; and Europe's aluminium industry gave the Evora's aluminium chassis the overall excellence award.

Conor McNicholas, editor of Top Gear magazine, said: "It's pretty, quintessentially British, fast and handles like a dream.

"Evora takes Lotus to a new place in terms of quality but, more importantly, delivers a sports car rush that puts other marques to shame."

The 2+2 Evora has just been launched in Australia, priced from A$139,000 ($177,000), and is expected to be available in New Zealand early next year.

Power comes from a modified version of Toyota's 3.5-litre V6 VVTi engine developing 205kW and driving the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. Lotus claims fuel economy of 9.5 litres/100km (30mpg), and CO2 emissions of 205g/km.

The Evora is the first new model from Lotus for more than 13 years and the first of a handful of new designs due under a five-year business plan that began in October 2006.

A supercharged Evora is expected next, followed by a two-seater version in 2011. Heading the list later the same year will be a two-seater supercar.

Lotus CEO Mike Kimberley says the Evora is the best car to come from Lotus so far.