Although Lotus is mostly known these days for its pint-sized rockets like the Elise and Exige, the company is also going full steam ahead with its 2+2 Evora mid-engined sports car.

The Evora in its standard form weighs 2,976 pounds, is powered by a 3.5-liter Toyota V6 which produces 276 hp, and can scoot to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. When it comes to fuel economy, the vehicle the Evora is actually more than respectable with EPA ratings of 24 mpg city and 31 mpg highway.

However, Lotus is looking to “green” its latest sports car even further through the use of a hybrid powertrain. According to Autocar, Lotus is looking to the UK's Technology Strategy Board for funding to produce two prototype Evora 414E Hybrid vehicles. If the company doesn't receive additional funding, it will only be able to produce one prototype for testing purposes.

It is unknown, however, if the company intends to use these vehicles as a basis for future production models, or simply as a testbed for its Lotus Range Extender Engine.

The Evora 414E Hybrid get power from two electric motors (one attached to each rear wheel) providing a total of 407 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. Lithium-ion batteries fuel the electric motors for 35 miles, and like the Chevrolet Volt, the aforementioned 47 hp Lotus Range Extender gasoline engine kicks in to provides a total driving range of roughly 300 miles after the batteries are depleted.

The Evora 414E Hybrid is said to hit 60 mph in less than 4 seconds, which would make it about a second faster than its more conventional sibling. However, even if the hybrid version is produced, it will cost far more than the $73,500 base price of the standard model.