LOTUS EVORA GT430

LOTUS EVORA GT430 

WHEN REST HAVE FAILED

Text and Photos: Reinis Babrovskis

What makes a car classify a sports car? Is it the performace, is it the driving experience, or the looks maybe? When one would be asked to list a true sportscar's manufacturer, I do believe the answer for many would be the "prancing horse" or the "raging bull"; however,  I believe if there was one automotive manufacturer that truly deserves the sport car manufactuer title, it would be no other than Lotus. Lotus never released an SUV to appeal to the footballer's wives, or a 2+4+2 seat family edition or a “sensible road” model; they stuck to their ideology – lightweight, balanced sports car that focuses on one thing and one thing only - driving experience. GT430 was no different, but it certainly was more special!

#LOTUSCARS

Lotus Engineering Ltd. was founded in 1952 by engineers Colin Chapman and Colin Dare Lotus in Hornsey, North London in UK. Mr. Chapman built it's first car in his garage in 1948 and established Lotus Cars as we know it today. He became an automotive manufacturing legend building F1 Championship winning race cars as well as road cars. However his success in engineering never transpired into successful business. It seems the great British automotive manufacturer Lotus is fighting a never-ending and losing battle. For the last few decades Lotus has always either been in bankruptcy process or not far away from it. It has been sold to more people and companies than I can remember; nonetheless, it is one of the best sports cars on the planet, you got to wonder how does that work? 

We live in a society where a cup holder made from the bone of a T-Rex or an Iphone 15 support is valued more than an outstanding suspension or brakes, where a car buyer chases optional extras and figures rather than true driving experience, brand names are more important than the quality of the engineering. Let’s be honest a car company that goes against that all and produces one of the most uncomfortable, hardest to get in and out and most impractical cars on the planet will struggle to sell. On the other hand though a small percentage of car enthusiasts still can see past all the bullshit and see Lotus as one of the all-time greatest.

#FORMULAFORSUCCESS

The recipe for the Lotus success is actually very humble and basic. When the legend himself, Mr. Chapman started the company his vision of a successful race car was very straightforward – lightweight car equals fast car. Fast means good! This successful race car formula transpired into their road vehicles and has remained unchanged for decades, resulting in a car that every petrol head desires to own. 

Not many automotive manufacturers have the luxury of owning a race circuit at the back of their factory; however, Lotus actually does. This enables the manufacturer to save time and huge costs on vehicle testing. The race circuit tests are a crucial part of vehicle development as this enables them to make the necessarily adjustments to the components. Lotus test circuit is probably one of the most challenging ones in the World explainbing why these lightweight beasts are so damn amazing.

#LOTUSGT430

Since taking over the control of Lotus in 2014 Jean-Marc Gales managed to continuously improve and grow their flagship model Evora; he didn’t stop until finally the Evora ventured into the supercar field with their GT430 model in 2017. At a heavy price tag of £112,500 this was the most expensive Lotus to date (now outdone by the Evija hypercar of course).

 

Lotus initially planned a limited production run of 60 Evora GT430 cars. Then all of a sudden orders flooded the company and it was extended to further 60, then further 60 and then North America wanted 60... This is a true testament to how amazing the Lotus cars really are.

 

Oh, did I also mention it was the fastest, best and ultimate Lotus to date? The car produces so much downforce (250kg at 190mph) that in fact provides more aero than the legendary Lotus’s Type 72 F1 car.

The car development was led by the chief engineer of Lotus Gav Kershaw who coincidentally races in the GT4 series, so unsurprisingly the Lotus Evora GT430 received race car suspension all round making this car as close to a road going GT4 class car as possible.

The Lotus GT430 in all its glory is the ultimate 2 seater sports car and could only be tamed by the most experienced drivers, as no ordinary man would be capable of pushing this car to its limits, it is that good. You’d get scared well before the car would start to give in. The only rival to this maginificent car in my books is  the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. 

#EXTERIOR

GT430 underwent serious transformation compared to its previous models. There were no parts left overlooked when overhauling the GT430; it lost a mind blowing total of 106kg weight, which for a car that weighed 1364kg to begin with is phenomenal. Those kilos were shed thanks to the all- new titanium exhaust sytem, carbon body panels and interior bits, as well as polycarbonate in place of the rear glass. 

  

Carbon everywhere... The front and rear redesigned bumpers were now made entirely from carbon fibre with all all-new ducts and cajoles guiding the cold air and producing extra downforce. Even details like the location of a front number plate were not overlooked by the Lotus designers, and by moving it away the air was able to flow over the bumper better. The Evora GT430 also received  a carbon fibre roof panel, lower A panels, rear diffuser, rear wing, front splitter and the beautiful polycarbonate rear window cover.

 

Unlike the rounded Lotus Elise the design of Evora is very sharp with agressive look and striking lines. It was no more this cute small car, but rather an evil bad-ass sports car, there to impress. Front headlights were now Bi-Xenon with LED daylight running lights, it also featured powerfold heated door mirrors and extras like rear parking sensors.

The Evora GT430 is an aerodynamic engineering masterpiece that not only performs majestically but also looks spectacular. And whilst the GT430 Sport version may produce a bit more top speed without the enormous rear carbon spoiler, for me I think it is a must as it completes the GT look. One of the most iconic design features of the GT430 is the aero ducts behind the rear wheels reducing the air pressure but also showcasing the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s.

#INTERIOR 

If you have ever sat in the Lotus Elise, Vauxhall VX220, Caterham or for that matter any single seater race car you'll know exactly how much luxury and comfort you get in a sports car. My expectations for the Lotus GT430 interior were not high, that is until I got in it. WOW! My word that was a surprise. The interior of the GT430 is nothing short of perfect.

The GT4 inspired carbon trimmed racing seats finished in Alcantara and leather look absolutely unbelievable. They weigh just 6kg each and hug you like nanny at a Christmas morning. The racing harnesses prevent you from sliding around and are a great addition for anybody taking this to a track (I am too fat to slide around in them anyway). They may not be the comfiest seats around, but then again the suspension of GT430 would make even the comfiest DFS sofa still feel like filled with rocks.

The interior is covered in beautiful Alcantara and red stitching and contrasts the instrumental panel and centre console. The steering wheel is trimmed in black Alcantara and HVAC panel in matt black.

The gear knob, same as the face level vents and blanking plate surround as well as pedals and foot rest are made from of a lightweight aluminium. A uniquie Evora GT430 plate welcoms the driver upon opening the doors. Most of the interior panels have been trimnmed and treated to carbon finish for further weight saving. The GT430 offers a lot of optionals extras from factory - from extra noise insulation to Apple play support, cup holders, subwoofers, entertainment systems etc. If comfort and gadgets are your thing you certainly can now get them. It is a functioning, surprisingly spacious and stunning interior. Lotus really have done a magnificent job with the limited space they had.

#ENGINEANDGEARBOX

Lotus has never had the privilege of offering expensive or fancy engines in their models, and their flagship model Evora wasn’t any different. The same engine (Toyota’s 2GR-FE petrol naturally aspirated petrol V6) was used across the whole Evora model range; this engine would have typically been found under the bonnet of more tamed vehicles like the Toyota Rav-4 or Camry, not supercars like this. Who’d have known that such an unusual engine would find its way one day into one of the best sports cars on the planet; it just shows - combined with the right chassis any engine is capable of miracles. Lotus had outdone themselves, yet again. 

The Evora GT430 is powered by an all–aluminium 3.5 litre naturally aspirated petrol water cooled V6 engine and coupled to an Edelbrock supercharger. With some sort of witchcraft the engineers at the Lotus have managed to further increase the power and torque of this engine boosting it now to a total of, you guessed it 430 brake horse-power and 440 Nm of torque. In other words the GT430 offers 345hp per tonne. It takes just 3.7 seconds to reach the 60mph from a standstill and it will go all the way to 190mph; remove the enormous spoiler and it will break the 200mph mark. Madness.

The V6 is linked to a 6-speed manual transmission via a lightweight, single mass, low inertia flywheel and it is coupled to a Lotus precision shift aluminium mechanism. Lotus were so adamant any true motoring enthusiast would want a manual that automatic 6-speed gearbox was an optional extra only that once would be waiting for a while. Why on earth would anybody want that is beyond me. The gear changes are not as smooth as one would expect though and require a bit of patience to master them, but once you get the hand of it the level of satisfaction of manual changes are worth it. The wheel spin is controlled with the help of Torsen Type Limited Slip Differential and it really works magic – the car never seems to break traction, and whilst wheelspin and slides are possible, the LSD does everything in its power to keep you under control and within traction at all times.

Whilst the 2GR-FE may have never been the engine choice for sports car, my word it can perform and sing. The engine just pulls without a lag in any gear and seems most happy above the 4500rpm range. The Evora 430 screams on the backroads like a raging F1 car thanks to the super lightweight Titanium exhaust. The primary function of this custom exhaust system was to save weight, but my lord it looks and sounds superb too. 

#WHEELS/BRAKES/SUSPENSION

When only the best will do! There were no compromises made with the Evora’s suspension - custom Ohlins shock absorbers and Eibach springs were assigned to the GT430. Compared to the Sport 410 model the Evora GT430’s spring rates have been further increased to 47% at the front and 20% at the rear whilst also shedding 10kg in weight. The suspension offers two manually adjustable modes: road and track; neither of them really seems road-friendly though; however, who cares when the g-forces will kill you before your spine does. 

When it comes to the stopping this beast: the GT430 comes equipped with enormous all-new AP Racing brakes measuring 370mm at the front and 350mm at the rear featuring four-pot brake callipers. The acceleration of this animal is breath taking; however, the stopping power is equally impressive with no signs of brake fade even after hard session on the local race circuit. 

The GT430 is equipped with a set of forged, skinny aluminium wheels (19” at the front and 20” at the rear) that are wrapped in the finest Michelin Pilot Sports Cup 2. Lotus opted for the widest rubber physically possible to fit under the arches (295/30 at the rear) to keep the Evora GT430 glued to the road under any conditions. The fat tires can be spied through the new pressure-relieving cutouts in the rear bumper.

#HANDLINGANDPERFORMANCE

I couldn’t stress enough how advanced and outstanding a standard Evora model would be, yet the GT430 excelled it to another level. GT430 as you may have guessed it by now is pretty much a road legal hard-core race car where track is its natural habitat. The handling of the GT430 is nothing short of spectacular. 

Each corner is seen as a challenge in a GT430 and it is capable of nailing every single apex every time. It is truly mind-blowing how much grip this car provides without worrying about the tail giving into an oversteer. The car is light, agile with a precision of single seater race car. It is hard to find another sports car that is so dedicated to handling and experience rather than sales figures. If you really are after a life changing car experience this (or the Porsche 911 GT3) is the car for you. 

#RESUME

In a world of Instagram models, Call of Duty soldiers, influencers, pretend and wannabe sportscars, luxurious family sport saloons, sporty SUVs and other weird atrocities Lotus Evora GT430 is a hope that there are still genuine things out there: a company that stands true to their values, a sports car that stands up to its name. Please petrolgods, may it last forever!

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