When it comes to sports cars, the British can lay claim to have made some fine examples over the years, and Lotus most certainly is behind a number of those.
Even though Colin Chapman is long gone, his philosophy of “adding lightness” is still very much alive at Hethel. The Evora might not be as minimalistic as the Elise, but when compared to its rivals it certainly is lithe, and with 400 HP from the supercharged V6 in the middle, very fast indeed.
On the other side of the pond, the motto “no replacement for displacement” still reigns supreme. The Corvette Stingray is the best ‘Vette ever, and in Grand Sport trim, which features some of the chassis tweaks of the mighty Z06, it’s a very capable package. The Grand Sport is also something of a bargain compared to the Evora 400, as it comes at $65k versus the British coupe’s $90k asking price. Plus, it boasts 60 HP more and an abundance of torque from that naturally aspirated V8 up front.
Even though they come from opposite sides of the spectrum, both the Corvette and the Evora target the same customer: the enthusiast driver who puts handling and performance at the top of his priorities’ list. So which one makes a more convincing argument, the Brit or the American?