For decades, Lotus models have been defined by the iconic mantra of the company founder Colin Chapman: "simplify, then add lightness". Gradually, though, Lotus cars have been piling on the pounds, culminating in a world where we now have an Evora 400 that's almost as heavy as the most portly Esprit edition. In a bid to reverse that trend it bit, Lotus has now unveiled a new array of lightweight optional extras that, as of today, can be specified by any prospective buyer who walks into a Lotus dealership.

A lot of these new optional extras are, in essence, the lighter components that came as standard on the slightly racier Evora Sport 410. The hand-cut carbon aero kit, titanium exhaust setup and lithium-ion battery that come on all Evora 410s can now be fitted to a regular Evora 400, and shave 55lbs of mass off the car in the process. With the extra weight that's yanked out by removing the rear seats and air-conditioning (which we wouldn't recommend prospective owners who reside in the warmer states, for obvious reasons), it's possible to buy a Lotus Evora 400 that only tips the scales at a mere 2,983lbs. Though those who want a cup holder will have to put up with a weight increase of one-half-of-a-pound.

All of the bulk removing bits do come at a sizeable dent in the price. With a starting MSRP of £89,900, the Evora 400 wasn't cheap to begin with, and adding the $10,000 Carbon Pack, the $8,000 titanium exhaust and the $1,690 lithium-ion battery (Lotus won't charge you to delete the rear seats and air-con from the spec list, thankfully) bumps the Evora 400 firmly into Porsche 911 Carrera S pricing territory. Not to mention, fitting all the lightweight options to an Evora 400 isn't worth it at all when you realise the Evora Sport 410 (the yellow one in the pictures below) is only $5,000 or so more expensive than the Evora 400. So, a CarBuzz consumer top tip: if you're after a lightweight Evora 400, you're better off buying the Evora Sport 410.