Remember the time cigarette brands used to be some of the biggest players in terms of Formula 1 sponsorship? It’s such a pity the king motorsport quit smoking, but still, that era’s legacy is still alive in the hearts and minds of F1 fans. Lotus remembers cigarette sponsorship too, and as a tribute to days long gone past, a limited number of Evora Sport 410s were painted black and gold.
The limited-run model’s nomenclature includes GP Edition, a nod to Lotus Team’s pioneering of tobacco sponsorship. The livery that we F1-loving peeps most often associate with Team Lotus, however, is the black-and-gold theme of John Player Special cigarettes. Though the Evora Sport 410 GP Edition is a little low on gold compared to Emerson Fittipaldi’s 72D and Ayrton Senna’s 97T, the lightweight sports car clearly harks back to those amazing cars.
Developed by the craftsmen and women of the Lotus Exclusive department, this particular breed of the Evora is limited to five vehicles. Yup, just five. Why? Well, that’s because Lotus Formula 1 cars wearing the iconic livery won five Drivers’ and Constructors’ championships between 1972 and 1986. As a lil’ refresher, 1987 saw the British outfit embrace Camel as its title sponsor. Thus black and gold were replaced with yellow and blue.
Care to guess how much this bad boy costs in the United States? $110-frigging-thousand. It’s a huge lot of money considering the engine is sourced from a Toyota sedan, but then again, it’s pretty good value considering the regular Evora Sport 410 is $104,200.
132 pounds lighter than the Evora 400 and capable of producing more than 300 pounds of aerodynamic downforce at top speed, Lotus’ limited-run sportster is a very focused drivers' delight. “It is without equal, being both refined and intuitive, and again shows that we are making our best ever cars,” said Jean-Marc Gales, the chief exec of Group Lotus plc.
Developed by the craftsmen and women of the Lotus Exclusive department, this particular breed of the Evora is limited to five vehicles. Yup, just five. Why? Well, that’s because Lotus Formula 1 cars wearing the iconic livery won five Drivers’ and Constructors’ championships between 1972 and 1986. As a lil’ refresher, 1987 saw the British outfit embrace Camel as its title sponsor. Thus black and gold were replaced with yellow and blue.
Care to guess how much this bad boy costs in the United States? $110-frigging-thousand. It’s a huge lot of money considering the engine is sourced from a Toyota sedan, but then again, it’s pretty good value considering the regular Evora Sport 410 is $104,200.
132 pounds lighter than the Evora 400 and capable of producing more than 300 pounds of aerodynamic downforce at top speed, Lotus’ limited-run sportster is a very focused drivers' delight. “It is without equal, being both refined and intuitive, and again shows that we are making our best ever cars,” said Jean-Marc Gales, the chief exec of Group Lotus plc.