Evija X Prototype Tested On ‘Ring: Ultimate Expression Updated

Can this car legally drive?

A Lotus representative recently got in touch with Motor1.com with the following official statement: “The Evija X is a completely new technology concept from Lotus. It is based on the Evija road car and represents the ultimate expression of Evija. In the last weeks, it has been tested on a variety of racetracks in different countries.”

“It has been a very successful journey thus far, with the Lotus engineering team achieving all of their goals and gaining valuable insight into the complexities of driving around the Nürburgring Nordschleife. The team has gone above and beyond, pushing the limits of the Evija and its most powerful electric powertrain to the max.”

Lotus is alluding to the Evija as being the world’s strongest production automobile. While we are rather sceptical regarding this postulation – not due to the absence of power – yet because it has yet to be made accessible to purchasers, there is no denying that with its electric quad-motor system and over 2000 hp, it is definitely one of the mightiest machines out there. It appears that a more extreme variation is currently being created.

Glimpses captured by our astute paparazzi show what appears to be the newest version of the Evija – complete with an awe-inspiring aerodynamic kit. Multiple tags showing the ‘Evija X’ emblem can be seen adoring the windscreen and we heard from sources that Lotus chose to reserve the entire Nurburgring circuit yesterday so they could push the prototype to its max. From the sky above, a chopper was hovering around, most likely to record the test drive.

Evidently, this car is not intended for street-use; there are no headlamps, and the automobile appears to be sitting just a few milimeters above the pavement. In addition, it has no side view mirrors, and the cabin contains a full roll cage. There are peculiar cutouts in the front fenders where components of the front wheel suspension can be visibly noted. Lastly, it has an enormous spoiler at the back and Pirelli P Zero tires.

Thus, what exactly is Lotus doing with this experimental vehicle? The most evident answer would be that the brand owned by Geely-Autos is perhaps attempting to meet a new record on the legendarily infamous track. This is only merely conjecture at the present, since Lotus still hasn’t expressed anything but what we can extrapolate from the unoccupied whole track is that they wish to have utterly ideal conditions for an expedited round at that circuit. Further, a representative from Lotus insinuated that there may be a Nurburgring record set in October of 2019.

Recently, Tesla recaptured the crown of quickest production electric automobile on the track, taking back the accolade from the Porsche Taycan with a Model S Plaid that is furnished with the Track Package. Undeterred by this, Porsche are simultaneously focusing their energy on creating an even more potent three-engine Taycan Turbo GT.

Rumors suggest that a track-focused iteration of the outstanding Evija X prototype may be in development. This would likely be a limited edition, and not road legal, offering designed solely for use on tracks. Reports state that this could easily be a race version of an electric sportscar awaiting construction in the future.

As a reminder, the Evija has an electric powertrain featuring four electric motors sealing an impressive peak output of 2,011 horsepower (1,500 kilowatts) and 1,257 lb-ft (1,704 newton meters). With this formidable energy, it can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph (100 kph) in less than three seconds and reach a maximum speed that is electronically limited to 217 mph (350 kph).

Source: Automedia