Lotus Confirms 400 HP Supercharged Evora Convertible

We told you about the 2011 Lotus Evora Convertible back in January, but now the company has confirmed production and added details. Luckily, they're dropping the automatic roof to save weight.

Like the hardtop Lotus Evora, which goes on sale in May, the convertible will initially be sold with a 3.5-liter Toyota V6 producing 276 HP. That's enough for 0-60 in 5 seconds and a 160 MPH top speed, but since the Lotus Evora weighs a ton and a half, we'd want more power. That's coming with the aid of a supercharger, taking power up to 400 HP and dropping the 0-60 time by at least a second.

Despite previous rumors, Auto Express is now reporting that the drop top Evora will use a fixed-panel fabric roof just like the Lotus Elise. Anyone who's driven an Elise will know this is an awkward setup, but it should save considerable weight over an electrically folding top. No word on whether or not the rear seats will disappear with the hardtop, but given that they're options on the coupe, we don't expect to see them on the convertible. [via Auto Express]

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