Lotus reportedly has something interesting up its corporate sleeves for an upcoming sports car project. Although nothing official has been announced, some media outlets are predicting that Lotus will offer a hybrid drivetrain on its next vehicle. The words of Lotus’ head man Mike Kimberley support this notion when he says that the automaker wants to offer “guilt-free, high performance motoring.” Like the recently released Evora, the upcoming sports car, which could be an Esprit revival, will likely use a Toyota-sourced V6 engine. In that case, it wouldn’t be a stretch to consider that Lotus would also get Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive technology as well.

Considering the fact that Lotus is already hard at work on fuel-saving technology, if this rumor turns out to be true, it would fit right into the British company’s new green image. Remember too that Lotus supplies much of the Tesla Roadster’s underpinnings, so the marque surely has gained some EV knowledge along the way.

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When we first laid eyes on the new Lotus Evora in silver colour (see here), we can’t say that we were won over by the 2+2 coupe’s styling. And even though we still aren’t totally convinced, we must admit that this new image of the Evora in an aqua-blue colour made us have second thoughts about the coupe’s appearance.

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As we first informed you a couple of days ago, Lotus’ Project Eagle sportscar will bear the name Evora. Unveiled to the public for the first time at the British Motor Show in London, the Evora is a 2+2 coupe fitted with a mid-mounted Toyota sourced 3.5L V6 engine optimized to deliver 280 PS. While Lotus hasn’t announced official performance figures, the Brits support that the rear-wheel drive coupe which weighs in at 1,350 kg or 2,976 lbs will be able to sprint from 0 to 60mph (96 km/h) in under 5.0 sec and achieve a top speed of 160 mph or 257 km/h. Maybe even more importantly, the Evora not only features the most inviting interior you’ve ever seen in a Lotus but in the company’s own words, the cabin “will accommodate two 99th percentile (6ft 5in tall) American males in the front seats.” Is there some particular reason that Lotus decided to use American males as an example for the Evora’s spaciousness?

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