What is it?
Very yellow, and powerful too. Indeed, thanks to some fettling of the 3.5-litre V6 and its supercharger the GTE delivers 444hp - or a less visually appealing 438bhp. That's enough to make it the most powerful Lotus road car ever, and thanks to some further lightening and chassis enhancements it should be the fastest, too.
Why's it here?
To prove there's some real life left in the Evora yet. The GTE was supposed to be limited to just 25 examples, but with every one selling to buyers in China within hours of it being announced the Hethel firm is upping production. Think of it as something of a stop-gap between now and the arrival of the Esprit, which we're promised is on the way.
Show stopper or floor filler?
Any Lotus you can actually drive is worth a look, and the GTE is exactly that. The Frankfurt show stand was devoid of the mass of concept models that dominated Lotus headlines of late. The GTE seems credible enough, and if it retains the Evora S's incredible ability to smother bumpy roads, yet handle even more power it'll be a seriously formidable supercar. Perhaps not in yellow, though.
Frankfurt Motor Show
Kyle Fortune - 13 Sep 2011