Run to the Sun — Lotus Evora

NWAPA

Imagine driving a very cool new car for a distance between 9 to 25 miles, getting out and then into another very cool car for another 9 to 25 mile leg and then repeating the same routine through 23 cars in a two day period.

NWAPA

Welcome to the 2010 NWAPA (Northwest Automotive Press Association) Run to the Sun held recently in western Washington.? After 23 cars and more than 450 miles of smiles, here are our quick impressions of the Lotus Evora.

The Lotus name is legendary for outstanding performance and handling but you seldom see one on the road.? That?s changing slowly with Lotus introducing a few new models like the Evora, which is by far the most civilized Lotus ever built.? A little less of a road going racecar, and a little more of daily driver, the Evora 2+2 is still small, but there an image of a backseat, or at least a great place to toss things.?? The secret to the mid-engine Evora is that it is lightweight.? It doesn?t require four or five hundred horsepower to go fast, in fact, the Evora engine is a 276-hp Toyota V-6.? Naturally, the magicians at Lotus have played with the engine management system, so it accelerates to 60 mph in under five seconds and tops out at about 160 mph.? But what makes the Evora a Lotus is the outstanding handling.? The Evora has a base price of $74,675 and the ?Run? car was loaded with several ?Packs?, a backup camera, special wheels and paint, which added $11,580 to the bottom line.

See the other 22 ?Run to the Sun? Cars here.

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