Lotus reveals its fastest road car yet

The Lotus Evora GT430 Sport has been revealed as the fastest road-going model from the British firm yet.

Boasting 316kW and 450Nm from its supercharged 3.5-litre Toyota-sourced V6, the Sport claims a nought to 100km/h time of 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 315km/h in automatic form.

That acceleration time alone is on par with the Mercedes-AMG GT R.

Key to the Sport’s turn of speed is the availability of an automatic transmission which enables a higher top speed thanks to favourable gearing over the manual-only GT430 on which it is based. Incredible light-weighting brings its kerb weight down to 1248kg, a 10kg reduction on the more aerodynamic, track-honed GT430.

Ohlins dampers, ventilated disc brakes, upgraded four-piston brake calipers and a Torsen limited-slip differential are included, as is an adjustable traction control function.

The reduced amount of aero means the car’s downforce is lessened at maximum speed; so whereas the GT430 produces 250kg of downforce at full noise, the Sport makes 100kg of downforce.

As with most high performance models, the GT430 Sport offers an array of options including the six-speed automatic (the manual offers a lower top speed), wheel upgrades and the fitment of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. Sparco buckets, air-conditioning and a cupholder can also be found in the extensive options list.

Lotus stakeholders in Australia say local pricing and availability of the Sport is yet to be confirmed. Unlike the GT430, which was limited to 60 vehicles globally, the Sport version will be unlimited in production.