Auto & Bike Blog: Lotus Evora GT410: Not Coming To America. But We Want It!

Friday, 31 January 2020

Lotus Evora GT410: Not Coming To America. But We Want It!

Lotus Evora GT410 billed as a more affordable and practical daily driver.
Standard features include heated seats, satellite navigation, and Apple CarPlay.
The new GT410 will compliment the GT410 Sport but won’t be available in the USA.

Lotus, maker of all things light and wonderful, has just unveiled the new Evora GT410. Ah Lotus. See, I always said if they could just get some financial stability, they could do great things. And here we are with what is very definitely a great thing: the new Lotus Evora GT410. The Hethel outfit, finally going strong after all these years, has introduced the GT410 to sells alongside the Evora GT410 Sport.

What Is The Lotus GT410?

This new Evora, according to Lotus, has improved usability, more comfort, and a whole slew of features that are now standard versus being options before. Lotus aimed to make the Evora GT410 a more usable “everyday” car, a laudable goal for fools like me who look at cars like this as daily drivers.

The GT410 comes equipped with Sparco sport seats and air conditioning. There’s also a backup camera to aid with rearward visibility (always a bugaboo with mid-engine cars). There’s also a premium infotainment system with DAB digital radio, satellite navigation, and Apple CarPlay. Cruise control, heated seats, and rear parking sensors are also part of the standard equipment list.

Increased cabin sound insulation reduces road noise and improves overall refinement as well as improving the listening experience if you’re one of those car stereophiles. Other thoughtful touches include arm rests, storage bins, and revised paint choices including historic shades from Lotus’ past.

Difference Between The GT410 & GT410 Sport

The 2020 Evora GT410 includes a body-colored roof, side sills, hatch, front access panel, and mirrors. Compared with the GT410 Sport, this version has revised damper rates for a more compliant ride in the real world. Tires are all-weather Michelin Pilot Sport 4S for better year-round use. The brakes feature red AP Racing calipers and there are silver or gloss-black V-spoke cast alloy wheels; 19-inch at the front and 20-inch at the back.

Related: This book tells the story of the Lotus 72 and how it dominated Formula 1.

If this all sounds a bit too cushy for you, Lotus has also tweaked the Evora GT410 Sport for 2020. It is the most driver-focused and lightweight choice already, but the upgrades include Sparco sport seats, air conditioning, and a premium infotainment system with DAB digital radio, navigation, and Apple CarPlay.

Lotus Evora GT410 interior layout. Photo: Group Lotus.

How Much Is The Lotus GT410?

The GT410 costs £3,000 less than the GT410 Sport, or around $4,000 in American money. It’ll cost you around £82,900 total – or around $110,000 – which Lotus deems an “exceptional value” for money. Yes, that is a lot of money. Yes, that’s about what a new-ish 911 costs (and about a third of what a Ferrari does), but much to Stuttgart’s chagrin, you know the GT410 is going to out-handle 99 percent of the cars on the road.

So, everybody in the Evora family gets a little bit more for 2020. And even if a low six-figure car cannot be considered “cheap,” it can be considered a good value and livable in everyday situations. It’s just that those of us in the USA won’t be able to drive it, let alone live with it. Lotus is not making the GT410 available for the U.S. market.

Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.