The Lotus Evora, now available through Hertz. Image: Lotus Cars

It’s no secret that Europe has some of the best roads on the planet, and a business trip across the pond often requires you to rent a car to get from place to place. I’ve had good luck and bad luck with my own European car rental experiences, and usually wind up getting stuck with a station wagon. Sure, they’re comfortable, but a quick run up the Stelvio Pass in a BMW 525 Estate isn’t quite as much fun as the same drive in an Audi S4 or a BMW M3. You can’t rent those cars (at least not easily), and the Europeans are probably wise to stick us under-trained American drivers in station wagons and subcompacts, just to keep us from dying on their roads.

Hertz is looking out for us enthusiast drivers, however, and you’ll soon be able to rent a Lotus Evora from select Hertz offices in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK as part of their “Adrenaline Range” program. There isn’t a lot of detail on requirements yet, but all drivers need to be age 30 or older, with two credit cards in their name. I tried to find pricing, but without any luck, and I can guarantee an Evora won’t come cheap (or with unlimited mileage).

Still, I can’t think of a better car for a tour through Southern Germany, Austria and Northern Italy. The Evora will seat four (two comfortably), and there isn’t a lot of room for luggage. That’s offset by the Evora’s light weight, sublime handling and Toyota-sourced V-6 good for 276 horsepower and 258 ft-lb of torque, which is good enough to get the car from zero to sixty in under five seconds. Pack light, bring a camera and make a list of 10 or 12 roads that you absolutely must drive, and the Evora could be your ticket to the vacation of a lifetime.

Source: Lotus