Ciprian Florea wrote:Founded in 1952, Lotus Cars was originally situated in old stables behind the Railway Hotel in Hornsey, North London. The company moved to a purpose-built factory at Cheshunt in 1959 and in 1966 it began developing and building its cars at a modern facility in Hethel, Norfolk. In 2016, the British firm celebrates 50 years since moving to Hethel and it has created a special-edition Lotus Evora to mark the event. It goes by the name Evora 400 Hethel Edition and will be sold in limited numbers.
Offered in exclusive exterior colors and with a number of bespoke features, this limited-edition Evora won’t be the only vehicle celebrating Lotus’ move to the Hethel facility.
"The Evora 400 is the latest in a long line of world-beating sports and racing cars to have all been hand built in Hethel over the last 50 years. We are immensely proud to be part of the community and it is entirely fitting that this limited edition be dedicated to our home. We’re looking forward to celebrating our connections to Norfolk throughout 2016, and more Lotus Hethel Anniversary news will be announced soon," said Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Group Lotus.
There’s no word whether the Hethel Edition will cross the pond to the United States, but until Lotus reveals more information, let’s have a closer look at the brand’s latest sports car based on the quick and light Evora 400.
What Makes The Lotus Evora 400 Hethel Edition Special
Design-wise, the Hethel Edition is essentially identical to the standard Evora 400. There are no aerodynamic enhancements and no custom body panels. However, the sports car is equipped with a set of special wheels and a graphics package, which give it a distinctive look. The multi-spoke, forged aluminum wheels are finished in silver and come with contrasting brake calipers, while the sides feature a pair of white stripes. The latter are part of Lotus’ new Exclusive customization program and can be had in other colors as well. Speaking of which, the Hethel Edition is limited to only three exterior paints, but all are part of the company’s heritage palette. Options include the iconic Essex Blue, first seen on the original Lotus Esprit, Motorsport Black, and the famous Racing Green.
Inside, the Hethel Edition comes with either black or red leather and Alcantara trim. The selection depends on the color of the exterior, but the preliminary photos show that the red cabin is actually a two-tone combo with almost every element that’s not wrapped in leather or Alcantara being black. The interior package also includes leather stitching, a red 12-o’clock stripe on the steering wheel, and a special plaque on the dashboard.
Under the hood, the Hethel Edition is as standard as they get, featuring the same supercharged, 3.5-liter V-6 as the regular Evora 400. Output sits at 400 horsepower and 302 pound-feet of torque, enabling the sports car to hit 60 mph from a standing start in 4.2 seconds with the manual transmission and four seconds flat with the automatic gearbox. Although it doesn’t benefit from the extra ten horses and 70-kg (154-pound) reduction available with the Evora Sport 410, the Hethel Edition is still impressively quick. Its top speed is rated at 186 mph, higher than what you get from its main competitors, the Porsche 718 Cayman and the Alfa Romeo 4C.
Pricing for the limited-edition Hethel 400 is not yet available, but it’s safe to assume that it will cost more than the standard Evora 400, which retails from £72,000 in the United Kingdom.
