Lotus Evora does special duty for Italian Carabinieri

In a tip of the hat to Britain, the Italian Arma dei Carabinieri, a division of the army charged with civilian police duties, accepted two new Lotus Evora S models for special duty. The headquarters of the Carabinieri in Rome hosted a ceremony culminating in the Evora twins being turned over by Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar.

“Everyone knows that Italy has more than its fair share of high-profile sports-car manufacturers, so it’s a real honor for a relatively small British brand to be in this position,” Bahar said. “The feedback from the driver training on the Evora S at our test track was very positive.”

Both police Evora models are equipped with enhanced vehicle automation, including voice-recognition software. Additionally, a special refrigerated compartment is installed behind the front seats for transport of vital organs or blood in case of an emergency.

The Italian army sent some members to Norfolk, England, to train in the cars.

“Our special Lotus Evoras combine the very best of our technology with excellent British engineering from Lotus,” said Carabinieri spokesman Colonel Marco Minicucci. “We carefully selected some of our team to attend a driver-training session at the new test track, where they learned all about the very special characteristics and incredible potential of the cars.”

The Lotus Evora S has a supercharged V6 under the hood, producing 345 hp and capable of a 0-to-60-mph time of 4.6 seconds.

By Jake Lingeman