The first Lotus Evora 400 sports cars destined for customers and dealers rolled off the assembly line and will soon arrive at dealerships across the UK and Europe. North American markets and China will get the Evora 400 as a 2017 model year in early 2016.

The occasion was marked by a small celebration with members of the engineering and manufacturing team at Lotus and CEO Jean-Marc Gales at Hethel, Norfolk. “In September and October, Lotus dealers throughout the UK and mainland Europe will be receiving their demonstrator and customers cars, so now is the opportunity for drivers to get behind the wheel and experience the Evora 400 for themselves,” Jean-Marc Gales said.

Lotus says over two thirds of the Evora 400 is new, including the supercharged and charge-cooled mid-mounted 3.5-liter V6 engine which produces 400hp and 410Nm (302lb-ft) of torque – that’s 45hp and 10Nm more than the previous Evora S.

Tipping the scales at 1,395kg (3,075lbs), the Evora 400 is 42kg (92.6lbs) lighter than the previous Lotus Evora S and significantly faster. It sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.2 seconds, reaches a maximum speed of 186 mph (300 km/h) and laps the Lotus test track at Hethel 7 seconds faster than the previous Evora S in a time of 1 minute 31 seconds.

The Lotus Evora 400’s standard features include 370mm composite two piece brake discs from AP Racing, a limited slip differential, automatic air-conditioning and an infotainment system including satellite navigation.

Optional extras include automatic transmission, cruise control, Alcantara or Leather trim upgrades and metallic paint. Lotus also offers a “Black Pack” option which gives it a distinctive look thanks to black painted exterior panels.

The Lotus Evora 400 is priced from £72,000 in the UK, €96,000 in Germany and $89,900 in the US.

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