The speed and handling attributes of the Lotus Evora have helped the vehicle collect a prestigious award in the sports car category, it has been revealed.

Beating off the challenge of all competition, the Evora has been crowned the top sports car of the past 12 months at the annual Top Gear Awards, which are now in their tenth year.

The decision was made by both Top Gear magazine and its 24 international websites, which include those in the UK, US and Australia.

Conor McNicholas, editor of BBC Top Gear magazine, said: "It's pretty, quintessentially British, fast and handles like a dream.

"Evora takes Lotus to a new place in terms of quality but more importantly delivers a sports car rush that puts other marques to shame."

A 3.5-litre engine helps the car reach a top speed of 162 miles per hour, while the still to 60 miles-per-hour sprint can be achieved in 4.9 seconds.

Meanwhile, the Lotus Evora also features a flat-bottomed steering wheel and a forged aluminium wishbone suspension.

The accolade is not the first the Evora has won this year, having already been crowned the car of the year by Evo magazine and Britain's best driver's car by Autocar magazine.

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Posted by Lucy Jones