After the Elise launched in 1996 Lotus lay for a long time in a strange stasis, just that model and the arthritic Esprit that linked directly back to the early 70s being on offer. The Elise showed that Lotus still had the old magic, with its sublime steering and lightweight ethos - a real sports car with entirely accessible performance.
The Exige came along in the early 2000s, but didn't really count as a proper new model, given that it was merely an Elise with a proper roof. There was no increase in practicality or usability over the standard Elise with that model, if anything it was intended as an even more intense and raw experience.
The Evora - Lotus's freshest offering - is the British manufacturer's vision of a comfortable, spacious sports car. It is by no means comfortable like a family saloon or as practical as one, but it's the next step up for Elise owners who want something a bit larger. Not just that, but Lotus hopes to pinch drivers of rival cars, like the Porsche Cayman.
Fewer than 5% of the Evora's parts are shared with its sibling, so Lotus is keen to emphasise that it genuinely is a new car, even if it does share something of the current family face. It is a 2+2 - although few adults will want to use the cramped rear seats - and offers a much more luxurious cabin than the spartan affair you'll find in the Elise. Comfort is more apparent in this car as well - where the Elise is often used as just a Sunday car for long jaunts over winding B-roads, the Evora is a more full-time proposition, something you could cover long distances in. Lotus has had to step up its reliability and interior quality, though, with the Evora feeling more grown-up and less of a professionally-assembled kit car.
The Toyota engine certainly helps matters - the 3.5-litre V6 covers 0-60mph in 4.9 seconds and goes on to a top speed of 162mph. Having said that, we do feel that the car could do with a little more oomph mid-range. This engine does need revving to get the best out of it.
Lotus has done very well to build a desirable, more luxurious car that still retains the Elise's deft handling - the exclusivity of the Evora's limited production makes ownership all the more appealing too.