Every so often a carcomes along that genuinely whets your appetite for driving – and the new Lotus Evora is just such a vehicle.

It’s the first all-new Lotus since the Elise of 1995 and joins the existing line-up of Elise, Exige, Europa and 2-Eleven as the only mid-engined 2+2 currently on the market.

Like the rest of the range, the Evora adheres to the traditional Lotus principle of delivering high performance through light weight.

There’s more than a touch of the supercar about the car’s looks, but with prices starting at under £50,000, the Evora is a lot more affordable.

Indeed, despite the recession, there is already a three-month waiting list for the new Lotus flagship. The Evora is made at Lotus’ factory at Hethel in Norfolk.

There’s only one robot on the site and the cars are put together the old-fashioned way – by hand. Up to 40 Evoras a week can be turned out.

The car sits on a larger chassis than the other Lotus cars, which is why there’s more room inside the cabin.

The aluminium chassis, incidentally, are put together at Lotus Lightweight Structures down the road in Worcester.

The Evora may be a foot longer than the Elise but it doesn’t look big. Its slinky design combined with its unusual wrap-around windows are designed to make you focus on the cockpit rather than the length of the car.

Nor is the cabin a let down – not always the case with Lotuses inthe past. Provided you specify a premium pack you will be greeted by a sumptuous leather interior, with quality metal panelling.

There’s no fake trim on offer here. According to Lotus, if it looks like aluminium, then that’s what it is. A similarly straightforward approach has been taken with the dashboard – for the most part.

The satellite navigation system looks good but is not as intuitive to use as some rival systems.

The audio control buttons are small and difficult to read. There’s plenty of headroom for even the tallest drivers and a lot more elbow room than many Lotus drivers will be used to.

It’s also a far easier propositionto get in and out of the car, comparedwith other Lotus models.

You sit low but don’t need to be a contortionist to manouevre yourself into position. The seats are sporty, figure-hugging and verycomfortable.

The pedals are off-setto the left but not to a vast degree.

Visibility is badly restricted to therear, which explains the size of wing mirrors. Because of this, Lotus really ought to include rear parking sensors as standard insteadof making them optional.

The back seats are strictly ‘plustwo’ affairs suitable only for young children or the most waiflike of adults – and even then only for short journeys.

Though the engine is rear mounted there is still room for a compact boot at the back.

Power comes from a Toyota 3.5 litre petrol engine that’s more commonly found propelling SUVs in the US market.

After Lotus engineer shave got hold of it the unit develops 276bhp, which may not sound a lot but is plenty for a vehicle weighing only 1,382kg.

The engine perhaps lacks thesnarl of other six pots but can stillthrill as it goes through its paces.

The Evora will hit 60mph in aroundfive seconds, which is plenty quick enough for UK roads. But it’s the car’s handling which impresses most.

The Evora is deft and agile through bends, even on wet roads. Weight distribution is biased 58/42to the rear but it does not feel tail happyon regular roads.

The gearbox occasionally needs a hefty shove to accomplish a shift but the steering is nothing short ofsuperb – light, fast and accurate, but with no trace of ‘nervousness’.

Lotus’ engineering director Roger Becker had wanted to fit an electrically-assisted system to reduce weight but couldn’t find a suitable one.

So he stuck with a hydraulic unit instead and it’s great. Also impressive are the qualityof ride and refinement. Lotus engineering know-how, allied to top quality suspension components (springs from Eibach, dampers from Bilstein etc) ensures the car is far from being an uncompromising bone-shaker on the road.

The test route took in some fairly poor quality rural roads and the Evora coped very well. Imperfections in road surface are certainly heard but will not threaten your fillings.

Fuel economy is good for this type of car. The combined cycle consumption figure is 32.5mpg but a figure of 25-30mpg is more realistic.

Though this figure is more than respectable for a three and a half  litre sports car, do not expect general running costs to be low.

The Evora is group 20 to insureand needs fettling every 9,000miles.While the aluminium/plastic constructionshould protect Evora occupants in the event of an accident, repairs are not likely tocome cheap.

The only ‘issue’ I experienced was an engine management problem,which manifested itself by the rev limiter cutting in – sometimes from under 4,000rpm.

Not nicewhen you are mid-bend. The fault has since been rectified by Lotus engineers so should not be an issue for customers. Other than that, the Evora stacks up as an unusual and very desirable car.

It looks dramatic, handles superbly and is simply a delight todrive on the road. Yes, there will be strong competition from the likes of the powerful Nissan GT-R and the more solid-feeling Porsche Cayman S.

Both are excellent cars – but do they have the character of the British-built Lotus?

By Peter Carroll

FACT FILE

Model: Evora 2+2

Price: From £49,875

Engine: 3,456cc, six cylinders, petrol

Power: 276bhp

Transmission: Six speed manual, rear wheel drive

Performance: 0-62mph in 5.1seconds

Top speed: 155mph

Economy: 32.5mpg on combined cycle

CO2 emissions: 205g/km

Length: 4,342mm

Kerb weight: 1,382kg

Insurance group: 20

Servicing: 9,000 miles

Warranty: Three years/ 60,000 miles