The all-new Lotus Evija hyper-car recently made its debut in the Middle East as part of a series of media and VIP events.

Phil Popham (CEO of Lotus Cars) (www.lotuscars.com) and Russell Carr (director of Lotus Design) unveiled the all-electric two-seater at the Lotus Dubai retail outlet.

Mr Popham said: “It’s fantastic to be back in the UAE, and even better to be here as the Evija hyper-car makes its regional debut.

"The Middle East is well-known for its passion for performance models, and this is an important market as we grow the Lotus brand significantly with new products.

"We believe the Evija will really appeal to Gulf state customers, and we’re developing the car with them — and particularly the local climate — in mind. Real-world testing of prototype vehicles is now underway to ensure
optimum performance in every market.”

A ‘technical tour de force’, the Evija shows the innovative thinking and ingenuity that has always been part of the Lotus DNA. With a target output of 2,000 PS (1,972bhp), it is the world’s most powerful series production road car.

It has been designed and engineered in the UK, and it will be produced at Hethel (UK) — the home of Lotus since 1966 — starting next year.

It features an ultra-lightweight carbon fibre monocoque; and at 1,680kg, it will be the world’s lightest production EV hyper-car.

Regarding performance, the target is 0-62mph (0-100kph) in under 3sec, a top speed of over 200mph and a pure electric driving range target of 250 miles. Production will be limited to a maximum of 130 cars.

The Evija’s arrival in the Gulf states was the latest leg of a world tour that began after the car was unveiled in London on 16 July. The tour has already included Monterey Car Week in the USA, and Japan Lotus Day.