2020 Lotus Evora GTLotus Lotus has taken its flagship light sportscar, the Evora 410, and added more of everything that makes a sports car great to create the Evora GT more lightness, more downforce, and more power.To reduce weight, the rear bumper, front fenders, rear wheel arch vents, Sparco bucket seats, and side sills are carbon fibre, and if you want it even lighter, you can spec the door sills, rear diffuser, and rear trunk hatch in carbon fibre as well.With all that extra weight taken off, Lotus added a new front splitter and rear diffuser, giving the Evora GT an extra 141 pounds of downforce to keep it stuck to the ground. The side of the car is also sculpted to reduce drag, and front wheel arch louvres and carbon fibre ducts behind the rear wheels vent away high-pressure air. Power comes from a Toyota-sourced V6, and although that doesnt sound that interesting at first, 416 horsepower from 3.5 supercharged litres should change your mind thats an extra six horsepower over the Evora 410. The engine sits behind the driver and is paired to a six-speed manual, letting the Lotus hop from zero to 96 km/h in 3.8 seconds a tenth of a second quicker than the available automatic. As for torque, 317 lb.-ft. is available on manual cars, while the automatic gets 332. Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires are wrapped around 19-inch forged wheels, and lightweight two-piece disc brakes bring it all to a halt.As Lotus gears up to release the Evija and trigger the beginning of the end of its gasoline-powered sports cars, the Evora GT surely be remembered as one of the greats. Well be sad to see it go, but well love to watch it leave.Canadian pricing has not been announced, but in the U.S., the Evora GT will start at
Origin: Lotus updates 2020 Evora GT with a laundry list of performance goodies
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Ferrari one-off models have five-year waiting list
The growing trend for one-off Ferraris is in response to clients’ increasing demands for extreme personalisation, says Ferrari commercial and marketing boss Enrico Galliera. Such is demand, Galliera says unique models “have the longest waiting list of all our product lines” at four to five years. “The client has not only a unique car but a unique experience working with the designer in the process. It’s the pinnacle of Ferrari,” he commented. The Italian supercar maker has recently revealed two one-offs, the P80/C and SP3JC. Unique Ferrari models are not available to anyone, explains Galliera: “It is offered to top clients only. We receive requests from clients, and it won’t be considered unless they are in a pool of our top 250 clients or so.” Despite growing demand, Ferrari will only produce two to three one-offs a year, to ensure the access to such models remains exclusive and because production capacity won’t allow more. The P80/C, based on the 488 GT3 race car, has the longest development time of any Ferrari one-off made to date. Galliera said a typical one-off takes 18 to 24 months to complete, but this took between two and a half and three years. “This car was never going to be a road-legal car, so there were no limitations on what we could do,” he explained. A number of top-end car makers, including McLaren, Rolls-Royce and Bentley, have shown interest in producing unique models in recent years, no doubt largely motivated by strong profit margins and brand
Origin: Ferrari one-off models have five-year waiting list
Eglinton Avenue East tops CAA’s worst roads list
Traffic moves past closed lanes at the corner of Eglinton Avenue and Dufferin Street in Toronto.Darren Calabrese Motorists detest Eglinton Ave. East. It has been voted the most horrible road in a city rife with complaints about bumps, holes and congestion, according to the Canadian Automobile Association’s (CAA) list of worst streets for 2019. Toronto’s Eglinton Ave. E. is currently undergoing one of the largest transit expansions in North America (construction of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT), which has significantly impacted road conditions during construction, says a CAA release. Taking the second spot was Riverdale Dr., in Washago – north of Orillia – and third place went to Dufferin St., also in Toronto. In 2018, the title of worst road went to Eglinton Ave. W., and one can again point to the building of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT; that construction is expected to continue until 2021. “While the condition of Eglinton Ave. is of concern to the public, many of the challenges for all road users will hopefully be resolved with the completion of the Eglinton Crosstown project,” CAA’s Raymond Chan said in a release. “The gridlock and congestion that many motorists are currently experiencing should ease as construction winds down, repairs to the road are made and as more people choose new transit options.” Chan added some roads have fallen off the CAA’s annual list. Those campaign success stories are because governments are prioritizing infrastructure through multi-year capital investments, Chan said. CAA will continue to advocate for longer-term dedicated infrastructure funding to help municipalities prepare, plan and budget and execute on repairs backlogs and capital projects. About three-quarters of the votes for this year’s list of worst roads came from drivers; 12 per cent were from cyclists, and another 12 per cent of votes came from pedestrians. Potholes and congestion were the top
Origin: Eglinton Avenue East tops CAA’s worst roads list
Canadian gov’t outlines EV incentive details, list of 27 eligible models and trims
Charging an electric carGetty The Canadian federal government April 17 released details regarding the incentives it plans to roll out to buyers of zero-emissions vehicles across the country. The incentives, worth either $2,500 and $5,000 depending on the vehicle’s range, will be drawn from a pool of $300 million over three years, Transport Canada said in a release, and apply to a list of new vehicles purchased or leased on or after May 1, 2019. The release also listed new zero-emissions vehicle sales targets for the country of 10 percent of new light-duty vehicle sales by 2025; 30 percent by 2030; and 100 percent by 2040. To be eligible for incentives, a vehicle must have a base-model manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of less than $45,000 for passenger vehicles with six or fewer seats, and less than $55,000 for vehicles with seven or more seats, the ministry explained. For eligible vehicles with six or fewer seats, higher-priced versions (trims) are eligible as long as the final manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $55,000 or less, and for vehicles with seven or more seats, trims with a price up to $60,000 will qualify. Vehicles can still qualify even if delivery, freight and other fees, such as vehicle colour and add-on accessories push the sale price above those limits. That added window makes eligible many more vehicles than critics first assumed when the $45,000-MSRP threshold was first announced. The rebate will be $5,000 for battery electric, hydrogen fuel cell, or longer range plug-in hybrid vehicles with a range of 50 km or better per single charge; and $2,500 for shorter-range plug-in hybrid vehicles with a range under that distance. The list of eligible vehicles currently includes some 27 models and trims, including the Audi A3 e-tron; Chevrolet Bolt and Volt; Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrid; Ford Fusion Energi and Focus Electric; Honda Clarity plug-in hybrid; Hyundai Ioniq, Kona and Sonata EVs and hybrids; Kia Niro, Optima and Soul EVs and hybrids; Mini Cooper Countryman plug-in hybrid; Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV; Nissan Leaf Plus; Toyota Prius Prime; VW e-Golf; and smart fortwo. “We are working with Canadians across the country to support practical and affordable solutions to fight climate change, Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, was quoted. The transportation sector is key to Canada’s economy—but it also accounts for a quarter of our emissions. Making sure Canadians have access to options to get where they need to go in a cleaner, cheaper, faster way will protect our environment and grow our economy.” The new federal program will also fund continued expansion of electric vehicle charging stations. The incentive program was rolled out as part of Budget 2019, and is still subject to Parliamentary
Origin: Canadian gov’t outlines EV incentive details, list of 27 eligible models and trims
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