Lotus calls time on the Europa as the Evora takes its place

The Lotus Evora has received such rave reviews since its unveiling that the British car maker has decided to cease production of its sister vehicle, the Lotus Europa. The Europa, with a lightweight structure that combines aluminium alloy and fibreglass, powered by a 2.0L turbo engine producing 200hp at 5,400rpm, was launched in 2006 at the Geneva Motor Show. Three variants were available, including the S and SE, the latter of which got a boost in output to 220hp and an equal amount of torque in early 2008. But some now believe that the Europa was just a stopgap used by Lotus to fill the need for a larger car, until the more compliant Evora debuted at the British International Motor Show in the summer of 2008. According to Autoblog.com, Lotus has announced that production has ceased immediately, and retailers will take no more orders for the model.