The Lotus Evya was an unlikely candidate to enter the world of ultra-high-performance electric vehicles. Lotus is well known for its compact, lightweight, and superbly poised sports cars. But the upcoming Evya, with a maximum output of 2,000 hp and a top speed of 200 mph, will likely rival Porsche, Ferrari, and Aston Martin in the ultimate electric-assisted performance battle.

Priced at over 2 million pounds ($2.3 million in the US), it will be one of the rarest cars in existence. Lotus has decided to produce only 130 cars, after the Lotus "type" number of 130. Therefore, Lotus will work closely with customers to personalize their ride.

The machine is powered by an in-house developed electric drive system consisting of four electric motors (two on each axle) and a 70 kWh lithium-ion battery.

This battery pack is centrally located in the rear of the passenger compartment and, like some Ferrari models, its cover is visible through the glass rear screen. According to the manufacturer, this position offers excellent packaging and stability, as well as ease of servicing and maintenance.

Here is everything else we know about the Lotus Evya.

Because it is a limited production hypercar, Lotus refrains from announcing official pricing and trim configurations.

Nevertheless, Lotus is touting a figure in excess of 2 million pounds, or $2.3 million if purchased in the US. However, the Eviya will not be available for public road use in the U.S., and will only be sold as a track-only car. Currently, a production quota has been secured with a deposit of 250,000 pounds/$350,000.

Evya's production was delayed due to the global pandemic, but the first customers are expected to receive their vehicles by the end of 2021. However, it is not yet entirely clear when the final production model will be ready, as recent media test drives were conducted on a prototype machine that omitted much of the interior fit and finish.

The hefty price tag means that things like specifications and trim levels are up to the customer, but an advanced infotainment system with a high-def screen is standard. This is needed to display feeds from a camera installed in the traditional wing mirror position. An additional camera is mounted on the roof and provides a focused view of the road ahead.

The Lotus Evya's striking exterior design is largely due to the vast number of aerodynamic advancements used to improve battery cooling, increase downforce, and aid in high-speed cornering capability.

Russell Carr, design director of Lotus Cars, says of his design: "In the early design stages, I spent many hours studying images of geological forms, including rocks carved by nature over centuries. I spent hours in the initial design phase researching images of geological forms, including rocks carved by nature over the centuries.

Undoubtedly the most visually striking feature is the rear, with two massive "Venturi" tunnels that direct airflow into the body shell. These are framed by red LEDs, forming a striking rear light signature.

Lotus fans will also notice clever references to classic cars, such as the three-section biplane front splitter. The design is said to pay homage to the iconic Type 72 Formula 1 car with its square front central section and two side wings.

The interior is inspired by the Lotus prototype racing cars of the late 50s and early 60s. Entrance to the bare, almost industrial looking cabin is provided by two theatrical dihedral doors. Once inside, these doors can be closed with a roof-mounted button.

The steering wheel is also non-traditional. A central toggle switch allows the driver to switch between the various driving modes: Range, City, Tour, Sport, and Track. In front of the steering wheel is a state-of-the-art digital display that provides the driver with key information such as mode, battery charge, and remaining range.

Lotus has set a goal of 2,000 horsepower, making the Evya the most powerful production car ever. Torque output will reach 1,700 Nm (1254 lb-ft), and a custom-built torque vectoring system will curb all power.

The industry-standard 0-62 mph sprint will be achieved in less than 3 seconds, and it will take less than 9 seconds to reach 186 mph. Top speed reaches 200 mph (186 km/h), but Lotus is currently understating this figure.

At an equally impressive 1,680 kg (just over 3,700 lbs), the total weight is the lightest of any hyper EV on sale. However, this figure is expected to decrease significantly during hard driving, such as multiple laps on a circuit.

The car can be quickly recharged from a 350 kW outlet, and it takes 18 minutes to recharge the huge battery pack. However, such fast charging stations are few and far between, with only a few available in the UK and US at the time of this writing.

Rivals in the pure EV hypercar market are few and far between, with only a handful of names able to compete in terms of performance and pure theater.

Relatively newcomer Rimac (familiar to us from the Porsche Taikan's battery pack technology) will launch the C_Two in 2018, its four electric motors producing a combined 1,914 hp and 2,300 Nm of torque. Equipped with lasers, sensors, and a LIDAR system for advanced autonomous driving, it is heavier than the Lotus. [The Italian Pininfarina Batista also deserves attention, a stunning machine with a 120 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that produces about 1,900 bhp of maximum power and 2,300 Nm of torque. Expect eye-popping performance and an equally painful price tag of about 2 million pounds per car.