Lotus builds 100,000th car

Hazel Chapman, the widow of Lotus founder Colin Chapman, was on hand to approve the milestone car, an Evora GT410 Sport, which will be up for grabs in an online competition in the UK.

“Seventy years ago, I never dreamt that there would have been a 100,000th Lotus. I’m immensely proud of the company and Colin’s legacy,” Hazel Chapman said. “Today, Lotus still builds such fantastic sports cars and I’m touched to be able to see the 100,000th car.”

More than just Colin Chapman’s partner when he built his first competition car – the Mark I - in 1948, Hazel was also the first investor in the company, loaning Colin £50 to establish Lotus Engineering. Hazel also lent a hand building the Mark I, rode in the passenger seat at the Mark I’s first competitive outing, and later, would contribute to the design and layout of the company’s current factory at Hethel.

Debuting this year, the Evora GT410 Sport is a dialled-down version of the Evora GT430 and features a supercharged 3.5-litre V6 engine producing 305kW and 569Nm. Combined with a six-speed manual transmission (or optional six-speed auto), advanced aerodynamics and dry weight of just 1,256kg, the compact two-seater can do 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds with the auto transmission.

Produced in collaboration with the Jim Clark Trust, the 100,000th Lotus – an Evora GT410 Sport - features unique touches. The red colour scheme with a silver roof and wheels is inspired by a Lotus Elan with the same colour scheme that was owned by Jim Clark in the 1960s, while tartan seat trim in the milestone car also is a more specific tribute to the two-time Formula 1 Drivers’ World Champion. To help complete a new museum devoted to Clark, the milestone Evora GT410 Sport is being offered as the grand prize in a competition currently underway through the Jim Clark Trust in the UK.