AutoShortNews » Lotus

Lotus presenting Evora GTE concept

Admin — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:21:10 +0000

No, it’s not about to unveil six new concepts at once like it did at the Paris Motor Show last year, but it does have a couple of tricks up its proverbial sleeve. First up is the Evora GTE road car concept we’ve been anticipating since last month, which looks poised to take a page out of the less Lotus Exige Matte Black Final Editionweight, more power playbook employed on such favorites as the Ferrari 430 Scuderia and Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera. The concept starts with the Evora GTE race car and retunes it for the road, with 420 horsepower on tap, a competition-spec sequential gearbox and center-locking forged aluminum wheels.

Lotus to turbocharge new Esprit into UK’s fastest supercar?

Admin — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 18:09:51 +0000

Fast. Lightweight. Eminently enticing. There are a lot of things you could call a Lotus, but perhaps “ambitious” would be the most suitable. The company’s been snapping up former Ferrari personnel en masse, unveiled five new concepts at the same time last year, and plans on returning to producing its own engines to bring them to market.

Now it seems that Lotus has its eye on a rather boastful prize indeed: that of the fastest supercar built in the UK. That’s quite the goal when you consider it’ll be up against the likes of the McLaren MP4-12C and Aston Martin One-77. To get there, Lotus reportedly plans on turbocharging its new V8 up to 612 horsepower, and stripping out the new Esprit to pump up the power-to-weight ratio from both ends in Superleggera fashion.

As it stands, the naturally-aspirated V8 is anticipated to produce 562 horsepower from its 4.8 liters of displacement. Lopping off a couple of cylinders or chopping the block in half could also give Lotus six- and four-cylinder versions of the modular engine for use in a variety of cars. But while the engine may be raced initially (for example in a new LMP2 car) and shoehorned into the other products Lotus plans to bring to market, its first road-going application is expected to be in the new Esprit.

[Source: AutoExpress, Car]

Lotus CEO talks smack about Ferrari 458, McLaren MP4-12C

Admin — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 15:25:17 +0000

Lotus CEO Dany Bahar told a recent press conference audience that its upcoming flagship will offer a more “authentic” driving experience than the targeted Ferrari 458 Italia and McLaren MP4-12C. Those are fighting words, directed at very lofty rivals. Furthermore, according to Bahar, any injection of KERS-style (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) technology in the new Esprit will be to add to the driving experience, not detract from it.

In other engine-related news, the in-house V8 is rumored to be both lighter and smaller than the reportedly dropped Toyota 5.0-liter (currently found under the hood of the Lexus IS-F). The new eight should debut with a power rating of about 570 horsepower. That’s potent, and it’s necessary to be a genuine contender in this segment. As a reminder, when the last Esprit ended production in early 2004 its twin-turbo 3.5-liter V8 was rated at “only” 350 horsepower.

[Source: Autocar]

Lotus city car confirmed for 2013

Admin — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 06:48:41 +0000

Lotus unveiled a flurry of new concept models earlier this year at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. Five brand-new concepts took center stage, but there was a sixth vehicle unveiled that got far less press – the Lotus City Car. According to CAR Magazine, Lotus head Dany Bahar says that the City Car will arrive in production form for an October 2013 launch date.

[Source: CAR Magazine]

Official: Lotus Renault GP rolls up its sleeves

Admin — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 15:59:40 +0000

After a brief exchange in the press, negotiations between the two Lotus parties went behind closed doors. Then reports surfaced that Group Lotus (the automaker) was considering buying Renault out of its stake in its own F1 team, reports that have now been confirmed by official announcement. Renault (the French automaker) has sold its stake in its F1 team to its investment partner Genii Capital, which has in turn sold part to Group Lotus. Retaining Renault engines, the team is therefor being rebranded Lotus Renault GP, and has released the image above showing what their car could look like under the new livery next season.

[Source: Renault]

2014 Lotus Elite hybrid goes topless [Video]

Admin — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 16:07:56 +0000

Lotus made quite a splash at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. The automaker grabbed the spotlight by showing off five new concept vehicles. One of the proposed cars is the Lotus Elite, a 2+2 grand tourer powered by a 611-horsepower, supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine borrowed from the Lexus IS-F. One surprising detail for this Lotus is its weight. The Elite tips the scales at 3,600 pounds, which is a mammoth sum for anything carrying the company badge. The reason for much of that extra weight may lie in the roof, as the Elite is fitted with a retractable folding hard-top.

Lotus Elite shows the way forward with slick new GT

Admin — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 14:05:16 +0000

As brilliant as its chassis dynamics are, Lotus has been in need of a design revolution for some time now. And now you’re looking at it. These are the first images and details released on the much anticipated new Lotus Elite, set to be unveiled in a little over a week from now at the rapidly approaching Paris Motor Show.

[Source: Lotus]

Lotus Esprit to use LFA V10, V8 in lesser spec

Admin — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 07:23:43 +0000

Now this is a rumor. According to the crafty crew at Inside Line, Lotus is set to release details on its planned resurrection of the long-dead Esprit at this year’s Paris Motor Show. Even better? There’s some indication that the top-of-the-line model may pack the same heavenly V10 found in the current Lexus LFA. Oh yes, we’re excited. Inside Line spoke with someone at Lexus who’s cozy with the deal who hinted that the 552-horsepower 10-pot would find its way into the car in order to help it better compete with the likes of Ferrari. That’s right, kids; Lotus is movin’ on up.

[Source: Inside Line]

Lotus Evora Hybrid waiting on UK government funds

Admin — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:43:22 +0000

How many prototypes Lotus builds of the Evora 414E will depend on whether it gets money from the British government’s Technology Strategy Board. The TSB funds and supports forays into a broad range of initiatives, including working with Peugeot on fuel cells and Ford on electric vehicles. Lotus, in partnership with three other companies, created the 47-horsepower range-extending engine in the Evora 414E as part of a winning project for the TSB’s Limo-Green initiative.

[Source: Autocar]

Lotus to target Europe’s best, evolve from lightweight to luxury

Admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:58:30 +0000

Yesterday Lotus did something rather… odd. The Malasian-owned British sports car maker sent the entire automotive world a high-res picture of Stonehenge and announced it represented the, “Dawn of a new era.” We initially interpreted this to mean that the new Lotus Esprit would show up in Paris. We still think we’re right about that part, but Lotus might have been letting a little bit more cat out of bag than they intended.

Source: [AutoBlog]