After what appeared to be a brief brush with death, the Lotus Evora will get a much-needed refresh for the 2016 model year.
The 2016 Evora will debut at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show next spring, marking the first time the car has been substantially changed since it was launched in 2010.
Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales told Autocar that the 2016 Evora will have 15 percent more power than the current model, and an equal percentage of weight loss.
The current Evora is already pretty light on its feet at 3,170 pounds, and its 3.5-liter Toyota-sourced V6 produces 276 horsepower in standard form and 345 hp in the supercharged Evora S model.
That V6 will likely remain, along with the car’s basic aluminum structure. Lotus pitches the Evora as a 2+2 model with small rear seats, an impressive feat for a mid-engined car that puts its engine in the same neighborhood as the passenger compartment.
Styling probably won’t change dramatically either, although it could get some updates to freshen the look.
Crucially, the Evora is also expected to get some safety updates that will allow it to be sold in the U.S. again. The 2014 model was sold here under an exemption that has since expired.
That lead to reports that the Evora would simply go away, but Lotus instead decided to skip the 2015 model year to develop the regulation-compliant 2016 model. It says it has enough 2014 models left over in the meantime.
Lotus also sells track-only versions of the Elise and Exige, but the company would have effectively disappeared from the U.S. without a road-legal car to sell.
Hopefully the updated Evora will be able to fill that role until more products come through the pipeline.
