Leftlane spies managed to capture some excellent spy photos of the upcoming 2012 Lotus Evora S as it exited the Nürburgring race track just weeks ahead of its scheduled debut.

Lotus ultimately decided to cut to the chase and reveal the car ahead of the Paris Motor Show, but now we have some updated and detailed figures.

We knew several new details about the Evora S, including the fact that power will be boosted from its current 276 horsepower to a much more suiting 346 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. Now we know for sure that this is thanks to the addition of a supercharger to the 3.5-liter V6.

Thanks to this arguably needed power boost, the Evora S can scoot from a dead stop to 60 miles per hour in just 4.6 seconds, fixing the only perceived "problem" previously plaguing the Evora. The Evora S tops out at 172 miles per hour, up from the 162 of the base Evora.

In addition to boosting the horsepower, Lotus has also made several other performance upgrades, including a stiffer more race-minded suspension tune, as well as the addition of cross-drilled rotors for reduced brake fade.

"The Evora S is a natural progression for us but more than that, it’s a taste of what people can come to expect from the next generation of Lotus cars. It retains core Lotus values such as performance through lightweight but it also gives more than that. It’s the perfect combination of top performance, style and comfort. Form doesn’t sacrifice function in the case of the Evora S," said Andreas Prillmann, Lotus chief commercial officer.

As for cosmetic changes, the most drastic comes in the form of an all-new rear splitter which is significantly larger and more channeled than the found on the standard Evora. Looking closely at the splitter it is also clear that the Evora S will swap dual exhaust tips for a single, large chrome exhaust tip.

The Evora S also comes with a sport pack as standard, centered around a ‘sport’ button which allows the driver to control throttle response and activate the exhaust by-pass valve. The sport button also raises the instantaneous rev limit and changes the dynamic stability control settings resulting in a total experience change. This feature was also available on the standard Evora, but likely resulted in a less rewarding experience than a supercharged Evora S should provide.

Updates arrives for the Evora one year after the model's introduction
The Evora S variant could prove to be an exciting prospect, given Leftlane's experience of the standard Evora was a very positive one - with the only thing keeping the Evora from being a serious contender coming from its relatively meager power. Now that we have confirmed the Evora S will gain some serious extra horsepower, we expect the Evora S to make for a very complete package as both as a GT and a track car.

Lotus reveals Evora IPS
As if a supercharged Evora wasn't enough good news, the British automaker will also be offering a new transmission option, dubbed the IPS, or Intelligent Precision Shift. This is centered around a six-speed automatic gearbox that also features Lotus-developed transmission control.

This transmission features the ability to drive as a standard automatic, or to reach behind the steering wheel to utilize paddle shifters for added control. There is also a 'sport' mode for the IPS-equipped Evora, which increased shifting firmness.

The IPS is only available on the standard IPS - and is not available on the newly introduced Evora S model.

Lotus hopes that the addition of the Evora S and Evora IPS will help to broaden appeal to its range-topping model, particularly in the U.S. where horsepower and automatics are king.

Autocar What is it?

The Evora S is the car that Lotus believes is good enough to be priced above the Porsche Cayman, and only slightly beneath the basic 911 Carrera. Hence it costs £58,995 in 2+2 trim and goes on sale at the end of November.

In the simplest terms it’s a more powerful, faster version of the already excellent base Evora, the extra go arriving courtesy of a supercharged version of that car’s Toyota-sourced 3.5-litre V6. But in reality it is, according to Lotus, “the car we always wanted to build.” In other words the version of the Evora we’ve all been waiting for.

The headline news concerns the more powerful supercharged engine, of course, which now develops a rousing 345bhp at 7000rpm and 295lb ft at 4000rpm – enough muscle to send the 1437kg Evora S to 60mph in a claimed 4.6sec and to 172mph. But there have been improvements made throughout the rest of the car to further improve its dynamic behaviour – and, of course, to justify its £10k premium.

The most significant of these concerns the six-speed manual transmission. This remains as before internally but now features an improved shift mechanism, a lower inertia clutch, new shift cables and a redesigned pedal box to reduce pedal effort. The suspension and steering have also been preened in line with the increased performance, though not, Lotus insists, at the expense of the base car’s exquisite ride quality.

See pics of the Lotus Evora S in action

What’s it like?

In a word, brilliant. As suggested, it still rides beautifully, gliding across pockmarked surfaces as if it’s been touched by some Higher Being. It wouldn’t be a Lotus were this not so. But what you really notice, of course, is what happens when you put your foot down – because that’s when the Evora S reveals its true self. The handling and steering seem to crystallise and become even sharper, even more responsive as a result of the extra torque that’s available. After a day at the wheel of this car you realise that the Porsche Cayman is no longer quite so supreme.

In short, the supercharged Evora is one of those cars that, for whatever reason, manages to over-deliver on the sum of its parts on the road. It feels so much more than an Evora with an extra 70bhp.

Not only does it go way harder than before but it sounds, feels and IS hugely more invigorating to drive. The extra engine noise alone makes it seem like a completely different animal on the road. There are rasps and fizzes from the supercharger at low to middling revs that mingle perfectly with the deeper bass sound of the exhaust. As a combination it makes for a truly rousing soundtrack, one that provides just the right accompaniment to the increased performance. Which, by the way, is considerable.

Lotus may claim a 0-60mph time of 4.6sec and 172mph flat out, but between 4000-6000rpm it feels even faster than those numbers suggest. And, thank the lord, the gearchange – though still not squeaky clean above 6000rpm – is approximately 15,000 times better than before. It glides through the gate with a much more precise, mechanical feel, one that actually adds rather than detracts from the car’s appeal.

Even the interior has been much improved, not on the design front but, more significantly, in terms of the way it’s built. A few months ago Lotus poached some key people from Porsche’s quality control department, by all accounts, and already they are making a difference. A fairly big difference if the test car is a typical example.

Should I buy one?

Can’t see why not if you’re in the market for a £60k mid-engined sports car and are only interested in driving the very best. Even amid the bubbling excitement of what’s to come at Lotus, the Evora S is a stand out car right now, a stroke of rare genius.

And if you’re wondering then the answer’s yes; I’d have one over a Cayman any day.
Steve Sutcliffe

This is the new Lotus Evora S, and with the help of a supercharger, its 3.5-litre V6 has been boosted from the standard Evora’s 276bhp and 252lb ft, to 345bhp and 295lb ft.

Enough, Lotus hopes, to shake off criticism that the Evora just isn’t quick enough; it’s that car’s only real fault, so has the extra power turned the new Evora S into the perfect performance car? Read on for CAR’s first drive of the new 2010 Lotus Evora S.

I thought the Lotus Evora was brilliant, so what’s been improved on the new Lotus Evora S?
That Toyota-sourced, 3.5-litre V6 has been fitted with a supercharger, which changes the character of the car. Power arrives higher up the rev range, while torque swells lower on the tacho. A glance at the torque curve reveals loads more mid-range grunt, the top speed climbs 10 notches to 172mph, but there are downsides too: the kerbweight goes up by 67kg; the fuel consumption figure drops from 33.2 to 28.3mpg; and the CO2 output is bumped up from 199 to 235g/km. Price? Up from £48,550 to £57,550, an increase of £9k.

But the Sports Ratio gearbox, which 90% of Evora customers already plump for, accounts for £1550 of that cost. And the Evora S also comes as standard with the Evora’s £1000 Sport Pack, which adds a Sport button – letting you sharpen the throttle response, raise the rev limit from 6800 to 7200rpm, and dial back the electronic angels – plus that big, black diffuser, cross-drilled and vented brakes, an uprated engine oil cooling system, and a switchable sports exhaust.

Take these extra goodies into account and the power increase only costs £6450, or just under £94 per bhp – not bad when Porsche will charge you nearly £375 per extra pony if you opt for the Carrera S’s Powerkit.

What else is new on the 2011 Lotus Evora range?
The new Evora S isn’t just a supercharger upgrade with a few extra options slapped on. The S – along with every other Lotus sold in Europe from the start of 2011 – now comes with DPM (Dynamic Performance Management), a suite of electronic aids developed with Bosch, including ABS, EBD, traction control, ESP and an electronic differential lock (there’s no proper locking mechanical rear diff), but you’ll be pleased to hear the last three items can all be deactivated.

Lotus has also increased the stiffness of the suspension bushes (in all locations at the back, but in only two places at the front, to be precise), thickened the rear anti-roll bar by a scant 0.5mm, revised the dampers (but not the springs), tweaked the rear suspension geometry, and fitted new front wishbones to increase the castor angle. The result, Lotus claims, is less roll, better stability, the same excellent ride quality, and, as if it wasn’t good enough already, improved steering feel.

Right, so what’s the new Lotus Evora S like to drive?
Bloody brilliant. The steering is as sublime as ever, wonderfully weighted, direct, and brimming with feel. The suspension is still supple, too, soaking up the awful roads that Lotus specifically includes in its test route. And now there’s loads of extra grunt: there’s enough torque that you can leave the S in third or fourth gear on almost any stretch of road and be lazy, or really work the engine hard and feel just how fast this new car really is.

You might not think the figures are headline grabbing, but the Evora S is light, so not only is its performance amplified, but it’s wonderfully quick to change direction too. Plus the supercharger adds some extra aural whooshes of delight and the V6 howls a deeper tune.

Our test car was also fitted with the £2550 Tech Pack – which includes an upgraded stereo, a 7in touch screen sat-nav (still too fiddly and confusing; come on Lotus), USB and MP3 connectivity, cruise control and rear parking sensors – and the £1750 Premium Pack, that adds heated seats and covers the interior in leather, making it feel like a rather lovely place to be.

The small rear seats are still useless, and work best when they double as a second boot, but you only have to make one or two compromises to live with an Evora day-to-day, rather than the multitude of changes you must make if you want to have an Elise.

Verdict
Superb. Extra power and torque answers our major gripe with the regular Evora, the gearshift much improved too, and steering and suspension still sublime.

It's a stark reminder of what Lotus does so right today. Let's hope the ambitious plans for tomorrow don't ruin this delightful sort of simple Lotus.