Benchmarks: Lotus Evora 400 meets Lotus 38 at Indy Motor Speedway

[Suarez™]

Despite years of negligible U.S. sales, the Lotus name still resonates with car fans. Trace the residual fondness back, and one seminal moment jumps out: Scotsman Jim Clark winning the 1965 Indianapolis 500 in a Lotus 38, marking the speedway’s first mid-engined victory.

Channeling your inner Clark has been tough recently, though: Lotus hadn’t imported to the States since 2014 because its Evora S no longer met federal crash standards. Now it’s back with the fully federalized Evora 400. Not just safer in a crash thanks to side airbags, the 400 promises to be a better driver, too. To see if it lives up to that promise, we’re taking the Evora 400 from Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Indianapolis, where we’ll watch Indy winner and Clark fan Dario Franchitti drive Clark’s Lotus 38. Road trips don’t end better.

The 400’s revised specs represent a sizable jump over the Evora S. A new Edelbrock supercharger—the S was always supercharged—and intercooler boost the Toyota-sourced 3.5-liter V6 55 hp to 400 hp. There’s a limited-slip differential, a suspension upgrade and bigger brakes. The 400 is 92 pounds lighter, thanks to forged wheels, new seats, lighter doors and Colin Chapman’s ghost throwing away things that didn’t do anything.

It’s surprisingly civilized on-road. The sills are narrower and lower for easier access, supple suspension smothers most flaws in the road and you feel fresh after hours driving.

The transformation from the S is obvious. Where shifting gears once felt like fighting a wooden spoon from a crammed dishwasher, the 400’s linkage is slick with mechanical precision. The engine no longer gasps breathlessly toward the redline and plays a snake-charmer’s tune to neck hairs.