The rear-drive, mid-engine 2011 Lotus Evora is a new larger model with an option for two small back seats. PHOTO COURTESY OF RICHARD PRINCE

You have to look a long ways to find the limits of the Lotus Evora.

That's true of any Lotus, but to be able to say it for this new and larger model is a tribute to its English engineering. This car is a masterpiece of suspension engineering, and its steering and brakes aren't bad, either.

Lotus Cars USA was in San Diego recently for the North America media introduction of the Evora. Only about 24 auto writers were invited, and Iwas among those that went a day of driving briskly.

With a 276-horsepower, Toyota V-6 wedged sideways behind the 2 (plus) 2 cabin, the 2010 Evora expands the line to three models. Pricing starts at about $74,000 and can range into the low to mid- $80,000s with performance, comfort and convenience options. The new car is large enough to add a back seat, which by English parameters will seat a 5-foot female or a pair of child seats. There also is a little trunk space just behind the engine. (2011 model-year cars will go on sale in the fall with no major changes and one new option for a paddle-shift automatic transmission.)

Evora is a precision tool, and good tools are always more rewardingwhen tackling a job, like carving blacktop. About half of the car's price pays for itself with an emotional, beating heart after the first athletic run.

The drive experience feels something like a miniature Ferrari 360, but not as harsh. On the interstate, the cabin is remarkably well-soundproofed and the ride quality is compliant when I expected it could be choppy. Thirteen-inch-plus vented disc brakes are oversized but not overly sensitive.

Compared to the smaller Lotus Elise and Exige models, Evora is a grand tourer, with spacious frontseat area. The cabin is large enough now to facilitate almost easy entry and exit.

The front seat area should accommodate 6 feet 1 inch occupants, and possibly taller. But the driver foot well is narrow, and the leg position out along the floor is offset to the right to engage the pedals.And there is no room for a foot rest or driver's dead pedal. The left foot must be held poised above the clutch pedal or tucked beneath, and that felt too restrictive to me.

The compromise came in giving the car more steering reach, so the wheels cut farther into the chassis. That's good for a track car, but not so comfortable for a daily driver.

For now, only a six-speed transmission is offered. Brake and accelerator pedals are ideal for heel-toe shifting. The rear-drive, mid-engine configuration is well-balanced, but the Bilstein shock absorbers are key to road adhesion. There is no sensation of weight transfer as the car slices through corners.

Traction controls and the electronic stability program can be switched off entirely, but most drivers won't get close to activating either system, say the engineers.

Evora was engineered and designed together in what Lotus calls a holistic experience. There are no contrived bulges or bends. The body wraps around a three-piece subframe. Two sections are of extruded aluminum, the rear section is steel to handle heat and stress.

And because the three-piece layout is fairly simple to modify for width, length and strength, it can be used to add other models, such as a higher-powered Esprit and, possibly, a convertible Evora. Its backseat space would easily fit a folded top, a company rep said.

Since about the 1950s, all Lotus street cars have had names beginning with E. Among them, Eleven, Elan, Europa and Eclat. Evora is a made-up name: E for Evolutionary. VO for vogue, as in stylish.And RA for aura or presence.

Pretty much what you see is what you getwith Evora. If it looks quick, it is. If it looks like rear visibility is challenged, it is.