Six months ago, Matthew Melling in Twickenham, UK became the proud possessor of the all-new Lotus Evora. Experiencing the same joy and excitement is the Austin-area resident, Bruce Rice. He is now the proud owner of the first new mid-engined sports coupe in North America. The red Evora was delivered earlier this week at John Eagle European’s Lotus dealership in Austin, Texas.

The Austin dealership, which is ranked the number one Lotus dealership in Texas and number three in the whole of North America, seemed pretty thrilled as it announced that there would be a party hosted at the dealership to celebrate the delivery of the first Evora.

“Delivering the first Evora in North America was an exciting moment for John Eagle European and the Lotus brand,” dealer principal Sonny Morgan. “The multiple award-winning Evora is one of the most advanced new sports cars available in the world, and the very first customer car is on the road today right here in Austin.”

The Lotus Evora is the first Lotus since the Elise debuted in 1995 and is the only mid-engine 2+2-seater sports car in the market. Powered by the 3.5 liter V6 engine that develops 276 hp and 252 lb-ft of torque and a top speed of 162 mph, the Evora is priced from $73,500.