GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: Evora 400 is fastest Lotus ever

Ever thought the Lotus Evora could do with a bit more bite? Lotus did, and now its most powerful production car ever wears the Evora badge -- and it's confirmed for Australia in early 2016.

The Evora was originally developed by the UK sports car company to offer rusted-on Lotus buyers a four-seater car, and it's a less extreme version of the Elise and Exige as a result.

But not any more. The Lotus Evora 400 takes the once mild-mannered coupe and flips it on its head, delivering a mad supercharged 298kW mid-engined midget that will be the most powerful Lotus road car ever.

It blitzes the 0-100km/h dash in just 4.2 seconds on its way to a 300km/h top speed – genuine supercar numbers – which also makes it the fastest production Lotus in the company's history.

Also thanks to a lower overall weight 1415kg – down 22kg – and improved aerodynamics, the car is now six seconds faster around the company's Hethel test track than the regular Evora, says Lotus.

Although the lower weight helps, the Evora 400 gets its newfound speed principally from its muscled-up engine -- a tweaked version of the Toyota-sourced 3.5-litre V6 that features a more potent supercharger than that fitted to the Exige S.

The new supercharger – which increases volumetric capacity – and a more efficient intercooler and engine control unit results in a power hike from 257 to 298kW at 7000rpm.

Torque also rises, from 400 to 410Nm, which Lotus says is delivered linearly between 3500 and 6500rpm.

This should translate to effortless thrust and explosive acceleration from almost any road speed when revs rise in the rear-drive, mid-engined sports car.

Tweaks to the chassis – chiefly damper and spring settings – and the addition of a limited-slip differential (in manual models) are designed to improve handling and traction.

Bigger anchors are also part of the package too: 370mm front and 350mm rear rotors are 20 and 18mm larger in diameter respectively, while bigger alloy rims – 19-inch front, 20-inch rear – are shod with 235/35 front and 285/30 rear Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres.

Available with manual or automatic gearboxes, the hardcore Lotus features more aggressive bodywork including a lightweight composite diffuser and new rear wing, plus a flat underbody.

Jean-Marc Gales, CEO for Group Lotus, said the new Evora 400 is the epitome of the brand's philosophy and "delivers supercar looks allied to supercar performance".

He also noted that the Evora isn't about to replaced any time soon.

"Looking to the future, the Lotus Evora 400 will remain core to our product line-up for many years to come, with more exciting derivatives planned within the next few years," he said.

"The Evora 400 is the fastest road-going Lotus that we have ever produced, possessing performance that can only be matched by cars costing significantly more."

So just how much will the new British bruiser cost? Lotus isn't saying for now, insisting only that pricing for the bonkers Evora will be revealed when the car arrives in Australia and New Zealand early next year.