Lotus Evora

The story

Lotus had always excelled at leaving things out, so a refined, practical 2+2 was an awkward assignment. Project Eagle went from clean sheet to show stand in about 27 months and kept the company's essentials intact: a bonded-aluminum tub, double wishbones at every corner and hydraulic power steering at a time when the industry was abandoning it. The engine came from Toyota, a 3.5-liter V6 better known for moving Camrys, which Lotus retuned thoroughly. The original naturally aspirated car made 276 hp and weighed about 1,350 kg (2,976 lb).

When Lotus nearly collapsed around it after its lavish expansion plans of 2010 fell apart, the Evora carried the brand through while being sharpened: a supercharged S, the 400 that reopened the American market, the lighter Sport 410, the brutal GT430 and finally the US-market GT. Only 6,117 were built, and buyers mostly walked past it toward Porsche showrooms. Those who drove one came away talking about steering that seems to transmit the texture of every surface, a ride that smothers bad pavement and a chassis that signals its limits well before reaching them. The Emira that replaced it is more polished. Plenty of enthusiasts still prefer the Evora.