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Lotus has just revealed the Evora GTE at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Powered by a 3.5 litre supercharged V6 producing 444PS (330kW) it’s the most powerful road going Lotus ever made.

It weighs 1276kg and while performance numbers haven’t been announced yet, it clearly won’t be slow. But will it be quick enough to match the likes of the Ferrari 458 and McLaren MP4-12C that it no doubt wants to mix with?

The Evora GTE was originally conceived as a limited edition for the Asian market the car will now go into full series production. You get the feeling Dany Bahar, Group Lotus CEO, wasn’t going to miss out on the chance to cash in.

“The response to this model in China has been so incredible, within days we had sold out with 114 orders. In response we decided that the only logical step from a business perspective was to increase production and widen our reach,” he said.

“What is unique about this car, is not just that it’s a serious race car – it’s a serious car. People get so excited when they see and especially hear it for the first time. It’s a very special car and will appeal to a very special type of driver – and they won’t be disappointed!”

UPDATE 15 September: Below is a brief comment on local availability on a few cars in the Lotus range, including the Evora GTE.

“The Evora S IPS, Elise SPS and the revised Elise S will arrive in Australia in the middle of 2012,” said Edward Rowe, Public Relations Manager for Lotus in Australia. “As the newly appointed Australian importer of Lotus, Ateco is very keen that the Lotus Evora GTE and Exige S should join the Australian range, but there are a number of homologation issues that need to be resolved before a date is able to set for an Australian launch of these two exciting new models. We are working with Lotus to ensure that this work is done as quickly as possible.”

Lotus has arrived at Frankfurt with a new Exige S. They’re not quite making the same splash they did in Paris last year, but check the raw performance numbers: 1080kg and 350PS (260kW). Nice!

The power is provided by the same supercharged 3.5 litre V6 found in the Evora S; placed right behind your ears it’s sure to sound as fast as it goes.

You’ll be at the 100km/h speed limit in around 3.8 seconds and the old ton (100mph) will take you just 7.9 seconds. Maximum torque of 400Nm is achieved at 4500rpm on the way to a 7000rpm redline. Perhaps a little peaky for a supercharged engine, but sure to be quick enough all the same.

Mind, with a tiny 40 litre fuel tank quick sprints are about all you’ll be able to achieve in this car. Forget long haul highway blasts.

Dany Bahar, Group Lotus CEO, also reckons you’ll need to be on your toes to handle this “mind blowing drive experience”.

“Anyone who has ever driven an Exige will tell you that it’s not for the faint-hearted,” he said. ” The new Exige S skips a few rungs on the ladder to give the driver the ultimate Lotus experience. Quite simply you can’t get more Lotus than the Exige S.”