Lotus Evora - Chassis
Production Low Volume Versatile Vehicle
Architecture
The Evora's chassis is a low investment cost evolution of the Versatile Vehicle
Architecture (VVA) from the Lotus APX concept vehicle previously showcased
at the Geneva Motorshow, and allows for the development of a range of
vehicles up to a gross vehicle weight of 1,900 kg. This architecture has been
designed to be more applicable to mid-volume applications by utilising our low
capital investment manufacturing processes. The Evora structure progresses
the Lotus 'bonded and riveted' technology used in the Elise family of vehicles
with new and unique extrusions and folded panels, whilst providing production
build modularity and lower cost repairs.
The low volume VVA chassis has been designed for scalability so that it can
be extended in width, length and height. The strength and stiffness of the low
volume VVA chassis can be modified cost effectively by varying the wall
thickness of the extrusions, without altering the exterior dimensions. The ability
to lengthen or shorten extrusions with the option to tailor the chassis stiffness,
vastly increases the number of vehicles that can be developed from this
vehicle architecture. Front and mid engine installations have been considered.
The Lotus Evora employs a composite roof as a stressed structural member to
give an exceptional vehicle stiffness of 26,600 Nm per degree. This impressive
stiffness is also thanks in part to the seatbelt anchorage frame, and partly
because the high-tech composite body panels are stressed items. However,
despite this high stiffness, the complete chassis or tub and front and rear
modules weight just 206 kg, helping to keep the weight of the whole car to just
1382 kg.
To deliver this high performance structure, bonded and riveted high grade
aluminium extrusions and simple and elegant folded sheet elements are used
in the lower structure, building upon award winning Lotus research projects in
this field. Lotus pioneered the technology of bonded aluminium extrusions for
use in road vehicles and has successfully developed high performance cars
for other car companies around the world using these techniques.
The central tub is attached to an extruded aluminium subframe at the front and
a lightweight welded steel subframe at the rear. These subframe modules also
offer advantages in terms of convenience and low cost of repair, and during
manufacturing can be brought to the production line fully assembled, ready to
be attached thereby improving the overall efficiency of space and time of
assembly.
The high technology Lotus Evora chassis is manufactured at the new Lotus
Lightweight Structures Limited (LLS) facility in Worcester, UK. LLS employs
over 100 skilled engineers, technicians and sales staff and will manufacture all
the Lotus aluminium structures, including those for the Elise, Exige, 2–Eleven
and Europa and aluminium components for Lotus' extensive global client base.
With the Elise and its derivatives, the no-compromise character of the car
makes getting in and out across a wide sill and through a comparatively
narrow door/window aperture part of the charm of ownership. For the Evora
and its remit for the serious daily driver, and to attract newcomers to the Lotus
brand, greater convenience and practicality of ingress and egress is provided.
As a consequence the sill is now lower and slimmer (80 mm wide compared
with 100 mm in the Elise), and the whole door aperture taller. The doors open
wider than on the Elise and its siblings, while the height of the front seat is
raised by 65 mm.
Lotus Evora: 205 g/km CO2
32.5 mpg (8.7 litres / 100 km) - Combined Cycle
22.8 mpg (12.4 litres / 100 km) - Urban Cycle
43.5 mpg (6.5 litres / 100 km) - Extra Urban Cycle
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