The Evora is the first product of a five-year plan started in 2006 to expand the Lotus line-up beyond its current track-specialised offerings, with the aim of making Evora somewhat of a more practical road car that would appeal to the mainstream. As such it is a larger car than recent Elise models and its derivatives (Exige, Europa S, etc.), with an unladen weight of 1,383 kg, with the automatic version weighing in at 1,442 kg. It is currently the only Lotus model with a 2+2 configuration, although it has been announced that it will also be offered in a two-seater configuration, referred to as the "Plus Zero" option. The interior is larger to allow taller persons to fit, such as the then Lotus CEO Mike Kimberley and two 6'5" tall people. The cooled boot behind the engine is large enough to fit a set of golf clubs, although Lotus Design Head Russell Carr denies that this was intentional. Lotus intends the Evora to compete with different market sectors including the Porsche 991.
At the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, Lotus revealed the Evora Sport 410, a slightly enhanced version of the 400. The car's 3.5-litre Toyota-derived V6 puts out an extra 10 HP, for a total of 410 hp. The torque is also up, now at 310 lb⋅ft. The design stays the same, as it is only a variant of the Evora 400. The weight falls drastically, and is now at 1,325 kg. The performance figures become faster, thanks to higher horsepower and lower weight. 0–60 mph is now at 3.9 seconds, and top speed is now at 190 mph.
