Lotus Evora GTC ready to race

Lotus released the details of its Evora GTC race car on Friday, which just found its first customer in McMahon Raceworks with Condor Motorsport. The team will enter the car in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.

The engine and the transmission of the GT4 Enduro version are carried over. The 4.0-liter V6 makes 450 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque.

Like any upgraded Lotus, performance was increased by adding lightness. Carbon-fiber doors, roof and engine cover were replaced with fiberglass panels, and Plexiglass replaces the windows, trimming the car to a svelte 2,502 pounds.

Lotus has been testing a new traction-control system and Bosch antilock brakes in England, which has been particularly wet recently. Lotus says it has a comparison test in the works but has already proved that the GTC is faster than the older iteration.

The wheels and tires are wider, providing more grip. The GTC sports 18-inch-by-10-inch wheels in front and 18-inch-by-12-inch wheels in the back. To accommodate the new shoes, flared wheel arches are attached.

McMahon and Condor have been testing the car this week, getting familiar with it at Lotus headquarters in Hethel, England. The Evora GTC is also eligible for the MSA Endurance Series and Grand-Am GTC (undergoing homologation), the British GT Championship, the VdeV Series, Dutch Supercar and Creventic endurance races such as the Dubai 24 Hours and the 12 Hours of Bathurst.

By Jake Lingeman