We’re sure it will be fast and capable but how involving a drive will it be?
“Lotus has always been about ‘input equals output’, so if you do something you get a response, and that’s what we’re balancing. It’s all about the detail so, for example, we’re validating the progressive response from the pedals. We know there’s an enormous amount of torque but drivers will only want it when they ask for it with their right foot. And we are assessing steering-wheel angle versus vehicle response at different speeds to ensure the car feels nimble at 30mph as well as 200mph.”
Have current Lotus models had an influence in how the Evija is to drive?
“It’s about bringing in experience from other vehicles – what we know from driving Exige and Evora, and the Lotus GT race cars – and making sure that core Lotus DNA is at its absolute best in the Evija.”
Sounds like you’re having fun…
“It’s really exciting for me. I love this part of developing any Lotus because it’s proving the mechanical design and the physics are right, and then working with our engineers to enhance the experience and give the car a true Lotus character. It’s the step-by-step stuff we do with every Lotus – Evija is no different.”
You have worked at Lotus a long time, how significant a moment is this for you?
“It’s another chapter in my 30 plus years at this company. Yes, I’ve got a big smile on my face because it’s the latest tech, it’s a Lotus and we’re at the forefront again. The car is really driveable and I very much feel at home in it.”