Introduced as the Type 122, this Lotus nameplate debuted at the 2008 British International Motor Show and reached customers for the 2009 model year. It marked an important step for the company: an all-new mid-engined sports car positioned above the Elise and Exige, aimed at combining everyday usability with the handling balance Lotus was known for. As a result, it became one of the brand’s most significant modern road cars and the first all-new Lotus launched since the Elise in 1995.
The car’s early life began with the original Evora, followed by the supercharged Evora S, which broadened the range and gave the model a more performance-focused identity. Lotus continued to develop the platform through the 2010s with successive updates and special derivatives, including the Evora 400 family and later, more track-oriented versions such as the Sport 410 and GT430. These revisions kept the model competitive without abandoning the core layout that defined it: a lightweight, rear-wheel-drive, mid-engined Lotus coupe with occasional 2+2 practicality available in some markets.
In Lotus history, the Evora is especially notable as the company’s bridge between the classic lightweight sports cars and the modern era of more refined grand-touring performance. It also carried Lotus through an important transition period for the brand, remaining in production until Lotus confirmed that Evora production would end during 2021. That gave the nameplate a continuous production run from the 2009 model year through the 2021 model year, after which it was replaced by a new generation of Lotus sports cars.