This week sees Ragley Hall in Warwickshire open its gates once more for the CLA Game Fair. The three day event organised by the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) runs from the 23rd to the 25th July 2010 and this year has the added bonus of featuring Lotus in the line up of exhibitors allowing visitors to the event the chance to get up close to Lotus’ latest offering.
Alongside the Evoras on display at the Lotus stand wannabe race drivers will have the chance to pit their racing skills against the fast and furious in a bid to rule supreme on the leader board by “virtually” racing the 3.5ltr V6 vehicle on Playstation’s Gran Turismo 5 Prologue.
The Game Fair is the latest destination on Lotus’ tour of key cities and events throughout Europe, the idea behind the interactive experience is quite simple: to allow people to ‘virtually’ experience the new Lotus Evora before testing their driving skills for real by booking an exclusive test drive or track experience*.
Commenting on the activity Andreas Prillmann, CCO of Lotus, said: “You can read about cars in magazines and on the internet, you can watch them in adverts and films but nothing quite compares with seeing and feeling the real thing. Through the roadshow we’re bringing these unique cars to the people so they can judge for themselves. Let the cars do the talking for once. Lotus has recently gone through a period of great change and progression and we eagerly await the opportunity to share the latest developments later on this year. Doing a miniature tour of key European locations gives us the chance to warm up the audience and may give them a sneak preview of things to come!”
For many the highlight of the Evora Experience will be the chance to get a really good look at the new Lotus. For the uninitiated, the handcrafted Evora represents the first all-new Lotus since the iconic Elise roadster made its debut in 1995 and enters the sports car market as the world’s only production mid-engined 2+2. The mid-engined layout gives enhanced agility and the Lotus engineered suspension ensures impressive ride and handling. Powered by a Lotus-tuned 3.5-litre V6 engine producing 280PS/ 206 kW / 276 hp @ 6400 rpm, and weighing 1382 kg, the Evora delivers an exhilarating experience true to the Lotus DNA characteristics.
With the zero to 60 mph sprint taking just 4.9 seconds a top speed of 162 mph (261 km/h) and an Official European Combined Cycle fuel economy of 33.2 mpg (8.5 litres / 100 km) and emissions of 199 g/km CO2 the Evora stays true to the Lotus ethos of performance through light weight.
