There are days when it's especially good to get paid to write about cars, and last Friday at Laguna Seca was one of them. Lotus brought several groups of journalists out to test the new 2011 Evora S alongside the standard Evora, putting us up in decent hotels and giving us access to some of the best roads between San Jose and the track.

Hot off the back of unleashing its Evora GTC racer, Lotus Racing engineers have been honing the Evora to meet the requirements of North America’s legendary sports car series, the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. Later in the 2012 season the Evora will race under the Rolex Series’ GT rules as GX rules begin in 2013. With the Evora GX, the driving experience is even more pure, and the beefy body kit is even more aggressive.

In true Lotus fashion the finely tuned suspension delivers a responsive ride and sublimely agile handling, whilst the supercharged 3.5 V6 engine with race-derived technologies delivers stunning performance. Reaching 100 kph from standing in a neck-snapping 4 seconds (0 - 60 mph in 3.8 seconds) and 0-160 kph (0-100 mph) in 8.5 seconds this little roadster packs a punch both on and off the track. The top speed for the Exige S Roadster is 233 kph (145 mph) and it produces just 236 g of CO2 per km.

The Lotus Evora 414E Hybrid has been developed as technology demonstrator from Lotus Engineering, produces 414 PS (305 kW) of power, promises breathtaking performance from a highly efficient propulsion system. The concept showcases new developments in plug-in range- extended electric propulsion and new electronic technologies to enhance driver involvement.

30 years after World Rally Championship victory in the Talbot Sunbeam Lotus it’s time to welcome Lotus back to rally with the brother of the newly launched Exige S – the Exige R-GT

1080kg Lightweight Exige Chassis + 350 PS 3.5l V6 Supercharged Evora S Engine = The all NEW Exige S Raw performance, agility, unparalleled ride and handling and mind blowing drive experience, these attributes are what people have come to expect from Lotus. And we don’t like to disappoint. After months of media speculation Group Lotus is proud to announce the latest addition to the family: the extraordinary new Exige S, the ultimate lightweight high performance sportscar.

With power upgraded to 257 bhp, an exclusive Matte Black paint finish providing a stealthy presence, black Alacantara sport seats and a high level of standard equipment, the Exige Matte Black Final Edition makes a striking statement. Only 25 examples of this Exige will be built, each with their own numbered plate, which should help make these cars instantly collectible.