Latest news with #LotusEvija
Auto Car
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- Auto Car
This ELECTRIC car just ripped up Autocar's road test record book - it leaves the McLaren F1 for dust!
The Lotus Evija hypercar - at the time of its announcement, the most powerful road-legal car to enter series production - has set a series of new searing performance benchmarks as part of its full Autocar Road Test. First shown to the world in 2019, with deliveries to customers beginning in 2024, the Evija has swept all before it among yardsticks for acceleration particular to higher speed ranges. It is now the quickest car recorded in Autocar's annals of road test performance figures, which themselves date back more than a century, when measured from standing to 150mph; and to 200mph; and over both a standing quarter-mile and kilometre. Moreover, the margin of its dominance in at least three of those four measurements is monumentally large. 'The Evija's acceleration feels fast, but less exceptionally so through both 60- and 100mph,' said Autocar Road Test Editor Matt Saunders. 'But the extraordinary potency of its four electric motors, combined with the car's improving capacity to put that power down as downforce builds on its body, makes it downright staggering to experience beyond 100mph.' 'From 100- to 150mph, it's almost three seconds faster than any other hypercar we've ever figured; from 150- to 200-, more like five seconds. It can accelerate from 150- to 180mph in the same time (2.7sec) that it takes a BMW M4 CS to get from 60- to 90-.' The Evija becomes only the third road-legal production car that Autocar has tested all the way to 200mph; which it cleared leaving plenty of room for braking within a measured mile. 'We habitually figure cars over a standing kilometre as part of our road test benchmarking, in order that we've always got some safety margin' Saunders continued. 'It's rare, but not unknown, for road-legal cars to be doing more than 180mph at that point. But the Evija went past the kilometre marker at fully 217.4mph, already straining against its electronic speed limiter.' Autocar's landmark ten-page road test of the £2mil, 2013bhp Evija is in the 30th July print issue of Autocar, on newsagents' shelves today, which is also available in digital form here.
Auto Car
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- Auto Car
Autocar's fastest-accelerating Road Test cars
The Autocar Road Test first appeared in print in April 1928. Since then, thousands of cars have been given the treatment. Our testing methods have developed over time, but our results with accompanying empirical testing, have remained rigorous and fiercely independent. The £2million, 2013bhp Lotus Evija hypercar has smashed several records, cutting our established 0-200mph benchmark by a massive 40 per cent. Its superiority is not as broad as you might think, though. As monumental as the Lotus is, it doesn't actually take the crown of our 0-60mph test or 0-100mph test. Intrigued? Keep scrolling to discover the fastest accelerating cars to ever hit our timing gear. Autocar's landmark ten-page road test of the £2mil, 2013bhp Evija is in the 30th July print issue of Autocar, on newsagents' shelves today, which is also available in digital form here. 0-60mph 1. Tesla Model S Plaid (2023) - 2.4sec =2. Ferrari SF90 Stradale (2021) - 2.5sec =2. Porsche 911 Turbo S (2022) - 2.5sec =2. Lamborghini Revuelto (2024) - 2.5sec =5. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport (2011) - 2.6sec =5. Porsche 918 Spyder (2014) - 2.6sec =5. Porsche Taycan Turbo S (2024) - 2.6sec 0-100mph 1. Tesla Model S Plaid (2023) - 4.6sec =2. Ferrari SF90 Stradale (2021) - 4.8sec =2. Lamborghini Revuelto (2024) - 4.8sec =2. Lotus Evija (2025) - 4.8sec 5. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport (2011) - 5.0sec 0-150mph 1. Lotus Evija (2025) - 7.7sec 2. Tesla Model S Plaid (2023) - 9.4sec 3. Lamborghini Revuelto (2024) - 10.0sec 4. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport (2011) - 10.2sec 5. Ferrari SF90 Stradale (2021) - 10.4sec
Auto Car
21 hours ago
- Automotive
- Auto Car
Maserati 'cancelled' the electric MC20 - but don't write it off for good...
The electric version of the Maserati MC20 supercar could still see the light of day if the market picks up, says Maserati, after it cancelled the model earlier this year, citing insufficient demand. Promising huge power and similar dynamics to those of the V6 car, the MC20 Folgore would have been the first electric supercar on sale – the circa-2000bhp Rimac Nevera, Pininfarina Battista and Lotus Evija meriting full-bore hypercar status. Its potentially seminal status was ultimately its downfall, though, with nothing comparable on sale against which it could be benchmarked. Maserati wasn't confident it would attract a sufficient number of buyers away from V6 and V8-engined alternatives to recoup the substantial development costs. Maserati CEO Santo Ficili stands by the decision and told Autocar: 'I don't think it's the right time to take this kind of supercar in the electrification direction.' But he added that the MC20 Folgore project was on pause, rather than cancelled, and the car could yet make production as the MCPura Folgore. 'Let's say we will see,' he said when asked if the firm's supercar could yet go electric. 'The project is [advanced], but we decided to wait to understand what is going to happen.' There are no immediate plans to begin development again. Ficili said: 'We have this fantastic [V6] engine that is to the satisfaction of our customers. We hold a different kind of power. This is our engine at this time.' He added that he did not have the 'crystal ball' to see when there will be a market for an electric supercar, and that it was crucial 'to have the customer ready to buy a car like this' before investing further. In the meantime, Ficili went as far as to suggest Maserati could launch a new ICE-powered, manual-shifting super-GT flagship, in partnership with Alfa Romeo. This would be likely to use the 3.0-litre twin-turbo Nettuno V6 that powers the MC20 and Granturismo. The firm's technical boss Davide Danesin Maserati engineering boss Davide Danesin said "there are still customers looking for pure mechanical cars,' because they have a 'bad feeling' about having a battery on board a supercar, due to the heightened complexity and extra weight it brings.
Top Gear
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Power up: flat out on track in the 2,011bhp Lotus Evija
Big Reads Time to get behind the wheel of the electrifying Lotus Evija on track. Buckle up... Skip 1 photos in the image carousel and continue reading A beautiful day in Wales and a Lotus. What could be simpler? Perfect tarmac, jaw dropping scenery and a pure, lightweight, throwback sports car. Apply a few cliches about adding lightness, the genius of Colin Chapman and a liberal sprinkling of 'ride handling balance' fairy dust and you have the formula that's been on the rinse and repeat cycle in car magazines since the 1960s. Did I mention steering feel yet? Don't worry. It's coming. But first, let's throw out everything we know of how this tale goes. Today is truly a new day. The Lotus in question isn't a sports car. The Evija is truly hyper. Fiendishly complex, hysterically powerful, mind meltingly expensive and (sadly for Lotus), likely to be as exclusive as ground unicorn horn. Advertisement - Page continues below The price of £2m plus taxes is a rather fundamental limiting factor, of course, but that's nothing compared to the bleak market conditions. In 2019, when the Evija was first revealed, the world was hurtling towards EV domination and the unprecedented performance potential created dazzling new possibilities. Photography: Jonny Fleetwood You might like In 2025 things aren't so optimistic. In fact, while the mainstream is quickly retreating to hybrid, the hypercar customer has resoundingly opted out of the great electric revolution. Just ask Pininfarina or Rimac. So, right now and despite a Herculean effort by Lotus to bring the Evija to fruition, the 'maximum of 130 cars' promise seems as overinflated as its total power output. Yet even if the Evija's stated sales target is DOA, it remains a fascinating car and seeing two parked side by side in a pit garage at Anglesey – the roadtrip comes later – is a very special moment. These are the most powerful production cars Top Gear has ever tested so the clear skies are a godsend, and later the unbroken sunshine will beautifully render every detail, duct and aero device. Why two? Well, with a 93kWh battery feeding four electric motors the range is, um, compromised. Lotus claims 195 miles but on a racetrack you can cut that in half, then maybe in half again. So having a spare seems prudent. Sensible, even. Advertisement - Page continues below Skip 18 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Speaking of sensible, the Evija has a total power output of 2,011bhp. Remember the Lotus Carlton, the super saloon that prompted questions in parliament due to its irresponsible power output? Well, each one of the Lotus Evija's wheels has 125bhp more than the Carlton's total output. It can accelerate from 0–186mph in under nine seconds and hits 217mph. Zero to 60mph? Lotus simply says 'less than three seconds', but even one exploratory launch on Anglesey's straight delivers an easy GPS verified two seconds. The performance is otherworldly and a huge departure from the usual Lotus ways. Yet, rolling out of the pitlane there's a very real feeling of two worlds colliding here. The full carbon fibre structure is extremely stiff, the interior wonderfully minimalist with lovely materials and the tiny yoke-like steering wheel feels delicious. These high end hypercar calling cards in combination with the manic whirr of the electric motors and instant, ear flattening performance suggest the Evija shouldn't have a shred of Lotusness about it. Yet it does. Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Much of it bubbles up through the steering. Lotus elected to stick with hydraulic power steering to ensure clarity of feedback and it feels like an inspired decision. The Evija might have alien performance but initially the sensations it provides are reassuringly familiar. There's no heavy regen, either. God knows the battery could do with all the help it can get in terms of range, but I appreciate that lifting the throttle doesn't artificially induce heavy negative g. In fact, programming in a tiny bit of regen wouldn't be a bad idea as the Evija seems to freewheel when not under load. Perhaps most satisfying is that the Evija feels light and lithe. As every Lotus should. With its exotic structure and a real focus on weightsaving, the Evija has been kept to 1,884kg. Heavy compared to, say, an Aston Martin Valkyrie, but literally hundreds of kilograms lighter than other EVs of this nature. With electronically adjustable Multimatic dampers and a heave damper to handle the huge downforce generated, body control is measured and, again, has an organic feel. As I gently increase the pace the Evija stays composed but breathes with the surface and has just enough movement on its suspension to impart information and breed ever more confidence. The soundtrack increases in intensity, too. There's no fakery here. The motors almost shriek under full power and while the noise isn't spine tingling, the frenzied, runaway sense of it is perfectly in keeping with the performance, which borders on the surreal. Such is the assault on the senses that even the lack of a gearbox to control doesn't seem a mortal fault. The Evija might not quite conform to all my usual mental markers, but it's a deeply moving experience. A mix of high definition tactility and quantum performance. The Evija is brutal yet oddly balletic at times, wild yet determinedly controlled Yet, there are compromises. The sheer scale of performance on offer has led Lotus to a necessarily slightly conservative balance. On track we're concentrating on Sport and Track modes (Valet, Range, City and Tour will be addressed later), but even fully wound up the Evija's traction and stability control remains active at all times. This measure seems wise when you see the telltale light on the dash flickering at 130mph in a straight line and feel the ever present torque steer as the Pirellis are stressed right to the limit. However, you'd think the watchful eye of the electronics might allow Lotus to really exploit the power of true torque vectoring. As each wheel can be controlled independently there's a whole new world of possibility... but the Evija is neutral almost to a fault. In Sport mode there's a hint of understeer first and sometimes a tiny sliver of oversteer under power on corner exit but it's almost imperceptible. Switch to Track mode and the Evija's stability is incredible but there's almost nothing by way of adjustability. Point, shoot, hope your neck muscles can take the beating. Repeat. It's outrageous but the thrill is physical rather than an experience that conquers your heart and mind. 28 minutes 4 seconds It's funny, the only time the Evija feels slightly unruly is under full power in a straight line – where the front tyres can feel very sensitive to surface changes and cambers – and under heavy braking. There's just not quite the stability you expect and because Lotus didn't go for a 'skateboard' construction (instead building up the batteries where you'd find a V8 or V12 in a mid-engined supercar) the weight just behind your shoulders moves and shakes in ways that can feel pretty unnerving. Oh, and even six piston carbon ceramic brakes can't handle 2,011bhp and 1,884kg for too long before the pedal starts to creep closer to the floor. You might have noticed that I've avoided describing the raw performance up until now. Mostly because, well, it's hard to put into words. Relentless? Yep, but that doesn't quite do it justice. Sickening? Weirdly not. Perhaps the driving position and excellent body control help here, but the Evija is far less vomit inducing than a Tesla Plaid, for example. Extreme? Absolutely. The Evija makes something like a McLaren 750S feel very ordinary indeed. Unforgettable? Perhaps that sums it up best. Not just the acceleration but the whole car. The Evija is brutal yet oddly balletic at times, wild yet determinedly controlled – a vast leap for Lotus but still clinging to the old ways where it can. It turns out there's nothing simple about a sunny day in Wales and this Lotus. But I won't forget it in a hurry.
Top Gear
08-05-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
New issue out now: Top Gear's Electric Awards 2025
Need to know which brand spanking new EVs to buy in the coming year? Step right this way The latest issue of Top Gear magazine is out right now, and it's time for our annual Electric Awards. Yep, we've sifted through a whole heap of the latest EVs to confirm which ones are actually worth your attention… and quite possibly your hard-earned cash. Of course, you'll need to be fairly well-heeled to buy our best EV hypercar – the £2m plus tax Lotus Evija. Still, with 2,011bhp on tap it can claim to be the most powerful production car in history, so there's your conversation starter. To fully put the Evija to the test, we sent Jethro Bovingdon to Anglesey to see how it'd stack up on track, before Jason Barlow recreated an old Lotus test driver jaunt from the factory down to the south of France. This is consumer testing at its finest.
