Watch The 1972bhp Lotus Evija X Chase A Nürburgring Record

Last summer, some pictures emerged of a mysterious version of the electric Lotus Evija hypercar running around the Nürburgring; one with bare carbon bodywork and some hugely aggressive aero, including a towering rear wing.

Now, almost a year since it was first spotted, Lotus has officially revealed the car. It’s called the Evija X, and it’s been built with the sole purpose of going as fast as possible around tracks.

While Lotus is yet to mention any tech specs, Autocar has reported some details. According to the publication, the powertrain is unchanged from the road car – with four motors making a grand total of 1972bhp, it really didn’t need a whole lot more.

The core carbon tub is the same as the production version too, but attention has been lavished on the bodywork. It wears a vast front splitter and an even larger, DRS-equipped rear wing. The carbon-fibre body has been left largely bare, with extraneous things like headlights thrown away, and the tyres are competition-spec Pirelli slicks. The suspension is all new, as are the carbon-carbon brakes.

The changes have already paid off: the Evija X has managed to be the third fastest thing ever to lap the Nordschleife, with a time of 6:24.047. Only the Volkswagen ID.R Pikes Peak special and the no-limits Porsche 919 Evo are ahead, although the Porsche is still over a full minute faster.

The Lotus’s lap, though, was set on a damp day in October. Lotus has teased a return in more favourable conditions, likely hoping to shave some more seconds off that time.

The roadgoing Evija has finally started to arrive with customers after its unveiling in the summer of 2019. Just 130 road cars will be built, while it seems the Evija X will remain a one-off, built purely for Lotus to go for lap record bragging rights. We’ll be watching closely to see where else Lotus decides to take it.