Project Eagle has finally been unveiled today at the 2008 British Motor Show as the Evora, and Lotus is beaming over its little eaglet. The Evora will be the most grown up and accessible Lotus in the British manufacturer's lineup. To illustrate, the automaker claims it will fit two American males in the front seats (did they just call us fat?). It's a mid-engine, 2+2 coupe (a convertible is planned) with 3.5L V6 sourced from Toyota but elevated by Lotus above its humble origins to produce 276 horsepower. The car weighs just 2,976 lbs., which might be a lot for a Lotus but is well below the average weight of most cars. The interior is unlike any you've seen from this automaker, which is to say that occupying one won't be like staying in a hostel compared to a four-star hotel. You've got leather all around, a nav system, and Lotus promises ingress and egress have been vastly improved over its other models.
The Evora will be built on a new assembly line at the company's assembly plant in Hethel, England at the rate of 2,000 annually, but has been designed to meet safety and emissions requirements around the world. That many cars for so many markets means the Evora will be exclusive, although we don't expect Lotus to leave money on the table if there's big demand for its new, softer, more accessible sports car. Other vehicles will also eventually be built on the Evora's new aluminum chassis, which is called the Versatile Vehicle Architecture (VVA) and was first seen on the Lotus APX Concept. It can be stretched, widened and carry a vehicle weighing over 4,000 lbs. One new Lotus is enough for now, though, as we try to wrap our heads around a Hethel-based car with creature comforts.
The Evora will be built on a new assembly line at the company's assembly plant in Hethel, England at the rate of 2,000 annually, but has been designed to meet safety and emissions requirements around the world. That many cars for so many markets means the Evora will be exclusive, although we don't expect Lotus to leave money on the table if there's big demand for its new, softer, more accessible sports car. Other vehicles will also eventually be built on the Evora's new aluminum chassis, which is called the Versatile Vehicle Architecture (VVA) and was first seen on the Lotus APX Concept. It can be stretched, widened and carry a vehicle weighing over 4,000 lbs. One new Lotus is enough for now, though, as we try to wrap our heads around a Hethel-based car with creature comforts.
GM design chief Ed Welburn and Chevy General Manager Ed Peper just gave the media our first up close and in person look at the new 2010 Chevy Camaro coupe. The reveal was done in the mechanical prep shop that GM design uses for the final prep on all its concept cars. Peper announced that Job 1 for the new Camaro will be coming on Feb. 16 of next year, and although no official pricing is available yet it will be priced aggressively says GM brass. That aggression goes right along with the new looks and powertrain choices for this new coupe, as well. Chevrolet will offer the Camaro in 3 trim levels, the V6-powered LS and LT and the V8-powered SS. The V6 is a direct injected 300-hp 3.6L unit while the 422-hp V8 displaces 6.2L. Both engines will be available with either manual or automatic transmissions, all with 6 speeds. An RS package will be available as an add-on to to the LT and SS models. GM designers have stayed remarkably faithful to the concept design, although they have made some tweaks mainly to the roofline. The car really looks handsome in person with its short front overhang and big wheels. They're wheeling the car outside so we're in pursuit to get more pictures in the sunlight and we'll have our own video the reveal up soon, as well. Stay tuned and check out the gallery of live shots we assembled so far below or visit this post for all the official specs and images.
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