Paris motor show 2010: Lotus Evora S

Lotus has revealed two new Evora variants ahead of their official debuts at this month’s Paris motor show: a supercharged S and an automatic.

The supercharger in the S ups power from the standard car’s 3.5-litre Toyota-sourced V6 engine from 276bhp to 345bhp, while torque is also increased from 258lb ft to 295lb ft.

See the official pics of the Lotus Evora S and IPS

Lotus CEO Dany Bahar said the suspension had been tuned to cope with the extra power, while control and response have also been improved. These chassis changes should also filter down to the standard Evora, said Bahar.

A Sport Pack will be standard; this allows the driver to control throttle response using the Sport button. The Sport button also raises the instantaneous rev limit and changes the dynamic stability control settings to offer a more sporting drive.

One of the other major changes to the Evora S is the addition of a large centre-mounted active exhaust. The exhaust note can be altered using the Sport button, which opens a by-pass valve within the exhaust. Along with the exhaust, the biggest visual change is the addition of a larger new diffuser to boost the Evora’s aerodynamic efficiency and larger cross-drilled disc brakes to boost stopping power and improved cooling.

See the spy pics of the Lotus Evora S at the Nürburgring

All these changes to the Evora S cut the car’s 0-60mph time over the standard car from 4.9sec to 4.6sec, while maximum speed is increased by 10mph to 172mph.

The automatic Evora IPS (Intelligent Performance Shift) gets a six-speed automatic ’box with a Lotus-developed transmission control. The auto’ uses the V6 engine in the standard state of tune, although its 0-60mph time drifts to 5.3sec and maximum speed drops to 155mph.

Drivers will be able to select between auto’ and manual modes; the latter is controlled using steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. The IPS also features a Sport mode to improve response and cut shift times.

Read more on Lotus's plans for the Paris motor show

Bahar said the Evora IPS would “broaden the appeal of the Evora”, particularly in the Middle East, Asia and the US.

Sales will start soon after the Paris show. Prices have yet to be confirmed, but expect to pay around £60,000 for the S and a small premium over the base car’s list price of £50,000 for the IPS.

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