Lotus Blog
London 2008: Lotus unveils the EvoraFiled under: Coupes, Lotus, Misc. Auto Shows 
Click above for high-res gallery of the Lotus Evora
Project Eagle has finally been unveiled today at the 2008 British Motor Show as the Evora, and Lotus is beaming over its little eaglet. The Evora will be the most grown up and accessible Lotus in the British manufacturer's lineup. To illustrate, the automaker claims it will fit two American males in the front seats (did they just call us fat?). It's a mid-engine, 2+2 coupe (a convertible is planned) with 3.5L V6 sourced from Toyota but elevated by Lotus above its humble origins to produce 276 horsepower. The car weighs just 2,976 lbs., which might be a lot for a Lotus but is well below the average weight of most cars. The interior is unlike any you've seen from this automaker, which is to say that occupying one won't be like staying in a hostel compared to a four-star hotel. You've got leather all around, a nav system, and Lotus promises ingress and egress have been vastly improved over its other models.
The Evora will be built on a new assembly line at the company's assembly plant in Hethel, England at the rate of 2,000 annually, but has been designed to meet safety and emissions requirements around the world. That many cars for so many markets means the Evora will be exclusive, although we don't expect Lotus to leave money on the table if there's big demand for its new, softer, more accessible sports car. Other vehicles will also eventually be built on the Evora's new aluminum chassis, which is called the Versatile Vehicle Architecture (VVA) and was first seen on the Lotus APX Concept. It can be stretched, widened and carry a vehicle weighing over 4,000 lbs. One new Lotus is enough for now, though, as we try to wrap our heads around a Hethel-based car with creature comforts.
[Source: Lotus]Continue reading London 2008: Lotus unveils the Evora Permalink | Email this | Comments
More images of the the Lotus 'Eagle' releasedFiled under: Coupes, Lotus, Misc. Auto Shows 
Click above for more shots of the Lotus Eagle.
Lotus gave up some initial details about the 2+2(ish) tentatively known as the "Eagle" yesterday, and now Autocar has procured a few more shots of the coupe ahead of its unveiling at the London Motor Show next week.
Just to put the Eagle's dimensions into perspective, its wheelbase is approximately 275mm (about 13 inches) longer than the Elise/Exige, or slightly shorter (80mm) than the Porsche 911. The extra space makes for a more livable cabin for at least two of its occupants and allows Lotus to use the international automotive metric for measuring capacity - it can fit one golf bag in the boot.
As previously reported, a 3.5-liter Toyota-sourced V6 will send 276 hp and 250 lb.-ft. of torque through a Toyota-derived six-speed transmission that's been re-engineered by Lotus with a new clutch and a revised gear set. The Eagle's weight is estimated at just over 3,000 pounds.
According to Autocar, Lotus plans an eight-year life cycle for the Eagle, and a convertible version will be released two to three years after sales begin in May of next year.
[Source: Autocar] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
First Lotus Eagle pic surfaces, along with details on the 2+2Filed under: Coupes, Lotus, Misc. Auto Shows 
Click above for a high-res image of the Lotus "Eagle."
Lotus has released the first image and all the details on its new coupe ahead of its unveiling at the London Motor Show next week. A 3.5-liter Toyota V6 mounted amidships, producing 276 hp and 250 lb.-ft. of torque will power the new 2+2. Performance estimates are sketchy right now, but assuming Lotus holds with tradition and keeps the pounds off, the 0-60 time should be below five seconds, with a top speed approaching 160 mph.
While it's still not clear if the new Lotus will carry an Eagle badge at its debut, it will be packing an extra set of "Isofix" seats behind the front seat passengers that can accommodate children up to nine years old or cast members from the Cirque du Soleil. Thankfully, there will be an option to convert the rear seats into a storage compartment.
Inside the leather-lined cabin, drivers get to enjoy amenities previously thought frivolous on the Elise/Exige, including storage bins, cup holders, blue LED lighting, air conditioning, traction control, tire pressure monitoring and a Alpine stereo with a seven-inch screen, Bluetooth connectivity and iPod connections.
Sales will be limited to around 2000 units per year when the Eagle hits dealers in the spring of 2009, with an approximate sticker of £45,000. A convertible version and a high-performance variant are also planned, and according to sources, the Eagle is considerably faster than the Elise around the Nurburgring and more planted at speed than the Exige.
The Eagle is part of the automaker's effort to broaden its appeal, and that will also include two new models due out in October of 2011.
Make the jump for the press release.Continue reading First Lotus Eagle pic surfaces, along with details on the 2+2 Permalink | Email this | Comments
Lotus goes racing... on iceFiled under: Etc., Lotus 
Click the image above for a high-res view.
For those readers sweltering in the summer heat, we have some winter-inspired news to cool you off. Back in February, Ferrari revealed that its engineering group would team with the Italian Olympic Committee to develop advanced equipment designs for Olympic sports, one such event being the bobsled. Apparently at about the same time, another automaker was also knee-deep in its own bobsled adventure. Group Lotus was commissioned by the Royal Air Force (RAF) to make some repairs on a sled the team intended to use for the 2008 Inter-Services Ice Championships. In general disrepair with significant nose damage and body cracks, the bobsled required complete refurbishment before it would be deemed competition-worthy. The RAF team approached Lotus based on the group's experience working with composite materials. The combination of RAF's aerospace engineering knowledge teamed with Lotus's roadgoing experience was sure to create one mean sleigh.
The 70 hours of engineering time dedicated to the sled's makeover saw it achieve speeds approaching 85 mph, sending the RAF team to third place at the Inter-Services Ice Championships with Sergeant Michelle Coy at the helm and Junior Technician Caroline Gray at the brakes. Although there weren't reports on the number of competitive entries, a podium finish for the new development team sounds respectable to us.
[Source: Gizmag.com] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
It's so much clearer now - Lotus slightly deobfuscates 2+2's nameFiled under: Etc., Euro, Supercars, Lotus, Misc. Auto Shows 
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Lotus E-somethingoranother.
Lotus hasn't done something silly, like just spill the beans on the name of its new 2+2 that's set to debut at the British International Motor Show on July 22nd. The new four-placer's moniker will start with an E, and it will be an all-new name. Naturally, Esprit has been reserved for the new range-topper, so that's out. Ethos has reportedly been registered by Lotus in the United States, though it's reportedly not the front runner among the three contenders rumored to be under consideration. Eagle, the name of a much-spied mule, is probably going nowhere, lest Lotus pick a fight with Chrysler. If this one-legged name dance is any indication, we're going to go with Excruciate.
[Source: Autocar] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Lotus releases Eco Elise ahead of London Motor ShowFiled under: Coupes, Green, Lotus, Misc. Auto Shows UPDATED with more hempalicious photos.
Click either image for a high-res gallery of the Eco Elise.
We've had our fill of limited edition Elises lately, largely because they rarely bring anything new to our favorite track-day toy. However, the Lotus Eco Elise stands apart. Sure, it's got the same drivetrain as the Elise S, uses the same aluminum tub and shares the same shape as its arguably environmentally friendly siblings, but the differences are in the details.
 To begin with, the Eco Elise uses a host of sustainable materials to make up the body and trim, including hemp, "eco wool," sisal and a new high-tech, water-based paint that can be applied by hand, while still maintaining the grade-A finish you'd expect. All of these elements reduce the Eco Elise's footprint throughout its lifecycle, limit the amount of energy used during production and simultaneously slashes 70 pounds from the standard Elise's curb weight.
But Lotus hasn't stopped there. It's fitted a set of flexible solar panels on the hard top to help power the electrical systems, reducing the drain on the engine and improving efficiency. And there's a new green shift light on the instrument panel that assists drivers in maximizing fuel efficiency.
You can read up on all the details of the Eco Elise in the press release after the jump, and expect more information and pictures when it makes its official debut at the London Motor Show later this month.
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LusoMotors LM23: 150hp, Honda CBR-powered track carFiled under: Motorsports, Time Warp, Sports/GTs, Lotus, Special/Limited Editions 
Click above for more shots of the LusoMotors LM23
Track cars powered by motorcycle engines are becoming increasingly popular as the superbike mills, usually mounted amidships, provide tons of power for their small displacement and low weight. Further evidence of this truth is seen in the LusoMotors LM23, a Lotus replica powered by a one-liter Honda CBR1000 engine making about 150 horsepower. Weighing just under 900 pounds, the power-to-weight ratio of this machine would be enough to scare just about any other car you are likely to meet at the track while its light weight would surely allow for plenty of grip in the corners. The high performance of the LM23 is fitting, as the Lotus 23B design on which its based was such a giant killer that it was banned at Le Mans in the early sixties for being too fast for its small displacement.
A quick glance at the chassis shows such track-ready details as inboard-mounted coilovers and a tube frame complete with integrated roll bar. The chassis sits under composite bodywork, just like the original Lotus, though the modern interpretation adds carbon fiber to the traditional fiberglass skin. It looks like we have another Lotus replica set to join the ranks of the numerous Seven variations already sitting in our fantasy garages.
[Source: CarScoop] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Bizarre Lotus Eagle campaign uses weird, faceless peopleFiled under: Sports/GTs, Marketing/Advertising, Lotus 
Lotus has apparently hired Charlie X as its new director of marketing, and the unlucky sods who were ballsy enough to laugh at his ideas in team meetings have apparently been punished accordingly (as seen at the 40:23 mark here), handed black suits and Lotus pendants, and sent to wander amongst the general public and freak people out. It's all part of the Lotus Eagle's "Faceless People" campaign. If you visit the website, you get a timer counting down to the car's London unveiling, when "true character will emerge." Until then, however, it's more faceless nightmare fodder for British tots.
[Source: Lotus via Jalopnik] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Lotus reveals Eagle teaser ahead of British Motor Show debutFiled under: Spy Photos, Sports/GTs, Lotus, Misc. Auto Shows 
Reports indicate that the highly-anticipated Lotus Eagle will be making its debut next month at the British Motor Show. The 2+2 sports car will be the first all-new Lotus in about 13 years, and will reportedly be powered by a Toyota-sourced 3.5-liter V6 lifted out of the Camry family sedan but highly modified for the task by Lotus' own engineering gurus. Output is pegged at 268 hp and 248 lb-ft of torque in naturally-aspirated guise, with a turbocharged version also reportedly in the works.
Along with the latest reports comes this teaser image reportedly released by Lotus ahead of the vehicle's debut, which joins the image of the front suspension module released way back in February and the spy shots that have been trickling in ever since. The teaser shows an unmistakably Lotus front end draped by a sheet which we hope to see lifted on July 22 from the show in London.
[Source: CarScoop] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Auction action: Drive a Lotus, help earthquake victimsFiled under: Auction Action, China, Lotus, Toys 
Last month China's Sichuan province was devastated by a massive earthquake that killed as many as 70,000 people. If you've wanted to donate to help the survivors but were waiting for just the right opportunity, this could be it.
Our friends over at China Car Times are holding several auctions with the proceeds going to the British Red Cross. Three of the auctions require a little travel for us Americans, but just might be worth a special trip. One is a private tour of the London Taxi factory with a chance to drive one of the iconic cars and some special merchandise from the factory. The second is for the chance to be one of the first people to tour MG's Longbridge factory in Birmingham, England, since taken over by Shanghai Automotive. Not only that, but the top bidder will get to drive the new MG TF LE500. The third auction is your chance to try out the latest vehicles from Lotus right there on its test track in Hethel Norwich, England.
Can't leave the country? Line up behind a couple of Autoblog staffers to bid on the 1:18 scale models of the Lifan 520. These are usually only given to VIP visitors to the Lifan factory and are produced in exacting detail. They're gonna look good in my collection.
The final auction should appeal to anyone with an international business hoping to break into the Chinese market. China Car Times will give to the winning bidder one month of advertising on its Web site, which is a great opportunity to see what your business could do over there.
[Source: China Car Times] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
VIDEO: Taking McDreamy up the hill at GoodwoodFiled under: Motorsports, Supercars, Lotus, First Drive, UK, Celebrities 
Last year at the Goodwood Festival of Speed we spied our first Lotus 2-Eleven hypercar in the flesh. Turned out the owner was our friend, Patrick O'Neill, who had graciously agreed to be the lone Lotus representative in the supercar category. Apparently when Patrick lined up in the paddock to take his shot at the hill on day 2, a familiar face appeared at his side. While he wasn't sure exactly who it was, he knew he knew that mug from somewhere. Turned out it was another American named Patrick - Patrick Dempsey. That's right, McDreamy himself. While O'Neill chatted with Dempsey he learned that the actor was quite a Lotus fan as well as a promising racer. Dempsey asked if he could go along for the ride and O'Neill obliged. It took a little while, but O'Neill just sent us a video clip of their encounter.
What you'll see in this video clip is just a snippet of the hour or so that the two Patricks spent together on that morning in West Sussex. As O'Neill describes it, "This was a cool experience...I was very lucky to be able to drive my Lotus 2-Eleven in the Goodwood Festival of Speed last year. Patrick Dempsey. AKA Dr. McDreamy, is a Lotus fan and asked for a ride. I got to spend over an hour with him and he is a great guy and a real racer." Watch the clip closely and you'll notice the Pininfarina P4/5 custom Enzo of James Glickenhaus ahead of them and an Aston Martin behind being driven by former F1 champion Damon Hill behind. Enjoy. Thanks for sharing, Patrick!
[Source: YouTube]Continue reading VIDEO: Taking McDreamy up the hill at Goodwood Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Lotus Clark Type-25 Elise SC Special EditionFiled under: Convertibles, Coupes, Lotus, UK 
Click above for a high-res pic of the Lotus Clark Type-25 Elise SC
Lotus is releasing its first special edition supercharged Elise, the Clark Type 25 Elise SC, to honor legendary F1 driver Jim Clark who died four decades ago at the Hockenheim circuit. The British Racing Green and yellow color combo was inspired by Clark's Type 25 F1 car in which he won the world championship in 1963, and aside from the standard hardtop, black and silver Lotus racing wheels, black leather seats, red trim and wooden shift knob, this is the same Elise SC available abroad. No mechanical changes have been made, so it's still putting out 218 hp and 156 lb.-ft. of torque from its supercharged 1.8-liter mounted amidships. In tribute to Clark's racing number, Lotus is limiting production of the special edition Elise SC to 25 units and will only make the £35,995 coupe available in the UK and Ireland. Hit the jump for Lotus' press release.
[Source: Lotus]Continue reading Lotus Clark Type-25 Elise SC Special Edition Permalink | Email this | Comments
First official shots of Opel Insignia interior releasedFiled under: Sedans/Saloons, Euro, GM, Lotus, Misc. Auto Shows, Opel, Vauxhall, UK 
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Opel / Vauxhall Insignia
The first official look at the Opel Insignia's interior leaves us with the impression that Opel / Vauxhall's new sedan is going to be a nice place in which to log some miles. Put simply, the cockpit is identical to the one first shown in the slick-looking Opel GTC concept that debuted last year. Simple, attractive gauges are joined by amber lighting and a nice blend of plastics, brightwork, and other trim to create a driver-focused cockpit meant to be as usable as it is attractive. One of the little elements that's kind of cool is how the gauge lighting shifts from white to red when the car is put into sport mode. Expect even more info on the Insignia and plenty of closer looks at the cabin when the car debuts in London next month at the British International Motor Show. If you can't make it to London, just exercise a little patience, cross those fingers, and wait. This car will likely come Stateside as the next Saturn Aura at some point in the future. GM's official PR is pasted after the jump.
[Source: GM]Continue reading First official shots of Opel Insignia interior released Permalink | Email this | Comments
Seat Time: Getting intimate with the 2008 Lotus Challenge SeriesFiled under: Motorsports, Lotus 
Click above for a high-res gallery from the Lotus Challenge Series.
Jack Fried is barely audible under the stentorian sound of the supercharged four behind our heads. With two helmets worth of plastic and padding between his strained, soft-spoken voice and my assaulted ears, I'm only able to make out a few words of every other sentence. When we finally line up in the starting grid, Jack shuts off the engine on his Lotus Cup 255 and turns in my direction. "I've sold most of my track cars," he says, "This is all I need."
I hear that.
Photos Copyright (C)2008 Brad Wood / Weblogs, Inc.Continue reading Seat Time: Getting intimate with the 2008 Lotus Challenge Series Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Inside Line pits the Nissan GT-R against The WorldFiled under: Audi, Lotus, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru 
Click either image for a high-res gallery courtesy of Inside Line.
Inside Line has done what all of us have dreamed about at some point in our lives. They've contacted the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and had a 1.8-mile section of twisting mountain road closed off for the explicit purpose of running some of the hottest machinery in the world in the Mother of All Performance Tests.
 What machines could be worthy of such a fantastical feat? Let's start with the Nissan GT-R and follow it up with the Audi R8, Mitsubishi Evolution X MR, Porsche 911, Subaru Impreza WRX STI and Lotus Elise SC. Josh Jacquot's engaging prose is coupled with some stellar photography to make this incredible story come to life. But no serious performance test would be complete without hard numbers, so the crew at Inside Line equipped each vehicle with a Racelogic VBOX to log everything from 0-60 sprints (both from a standing start and a one-foot rollout) to timed laps of both the mountain road assault and a run around the Streets of Willow Springs. Which machine reigns supreme? Click here to find out.
[Source: Inside Line] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Spy Shots: Lotus Esprit nearing completionFiled under: Spy Photos, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Lotus  With its 60th anniversary rolling around the corner, Lotus isn't about to coast down the straightaway. After years of relying on Elise derivatives - including the Exige, 2-Eleven and Europa - the world-renowned gurus of handling are preparing two completely new models: the Eagle - a new 2+2 GT - and the return of the Esprit - the hardcore, Ferrari-battling supercar.
After seeing numerous spy shots of the former, a test mule for the latter has emerged, giving us a glimpse at how the top-of-the-line Lotus is shaping up. The Esprit's design is tipped to be quite different from other Lotus models. But while the platform will be distinct from that of the compact Elise, Lotus' new Variable Vehicle Architecture will be malleable for future applications as well... although, with such a diverse sportscar range zooming over the horizon, we wonder what else Lotus has got in store.
Sources claim power for the new Esprit will come from BMW - not an in-house engine like the previous Esprit, nor a Toyota engine like those found in the current models, and not an Audi engine like that one-off. The 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 from Bavaria is tipped to be tuned to 500hp for the Esprit, which will be ready to take on the Ferrari F430 and Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 when it hits the market at the end of next year.
[Source: EVO] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Spy VIDEO: Lotus Eagle tackles the 'RingFiled under: Spy Photos, Coupes, Videos, Lotus, Misc. Auto Shows 
Click above to view video after the jump
The London Motor Show is coming up quick and that means Lotus engineers are working overtime to get the Eagle ready for its time in the spotlight. A video of Lotus' new 2+2 doing its thing on the 'Ring surfaced today that gives us a very brief glimpse of some of the Eagle's details. The cloaked prototype's Metallic Persian Blue mirrors are peaking through the camo, and it appears that the tail lamps are remarkably close to the units fitted on the Elise/Exige. The more we look at this oft-spied prototype, the more we're imagining an Elise that's been upsized by about 30-percent. The bulging fenders, low front end and ducktail spoiler all lend credence to that assumption, but we somehow doubt that Lotus' designers would be that lazy. Regardless, we'll have to wait another couple of months before we get an eyeful of the Eagle.
Hit the jump to check out the video and get up on all the details on the Lotus Eagle in our previous post.
[Source: Pistonheads]Continue reading Spy VIDEO: Lotus Eagle tackles the 'Ring Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Spyker and Lotus sign cooperative agreementFiled under: Plants/Manufacturing, Supercars, Lotus, Spyker 
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Spyker C8 Aileron.
Lotus and Spyker have worked together on a variety of projects over the past four years, but today, they've announced a new partnership that will further solidify both automaker's technical and design prowess. As its name would imply, the "Parts and Platform Commonality Agreement" involves Lotus supplying both elements to Spyker, helping to build the Dutch supercar producer's new C8 Aileron and possible the D12 Peking-to-Paris SSUV. According to AutoCar, that could mean that future Spyker's could be based of the Lotus Esprit and that Lotus will increase its stake in the development of Spyker's cars.
Hit the jump for the Lotus/Spyker press release.
Continue reading Spyker and Lotus sign cooperative agreement Permalink | Email this | Comments
More details on the Lotus EagleFiled under: Spy Photos, Coupes, Lotus, Misc. Auto Shows  With less than three months separating us from the official debut of the Lotus Eagle at the 2008 London Motor Show, Car has been able to procure a few more details about Lotus' new 2+2. The latest crop of spy shots shows the Eagle still wearing its form-obscuring camo, but viewed in profile, it's looking more Elise-like than before. The fender terminates into a ducktail spoiler, similar to that on the Elise/Exige, and the doors seem to stretch further back then previously thought to aid ingress and egress into the cramped confines of the rear seats. According to Car, the two back seats are only suitable for children nine years old and younger, or "flexible friends desperate for a lift back from the pub."
Motivation is still expected to come from a Toyota-sourced V6, likely the 3,458 cc found in the U.S.-market Camry, pushing out 262 hp and 248 lb.-ft. of torque to either a six-speed manual or some kind of automatic (!) gearbox complete with paddle shifters.
The Colin Chapman philosophy will be well represented with the Eagle, with extensive use of aluminum in the body structure and an incredibly rigid architecture that will be shored up with a carbon fiber roof. Braking duties will be handled by 350 mm cross-drilled rotors in front, mashed by AP-sourced Lotus four-pot calipers.
Production will begin late in 2008 with sales beginning in the spring of next year. Pricing is expected to start at £45,000 in the UK, slotting in nicely between the Elise and forthcoming Esprit replacement, and sales in the U.S. should begin shortly thereafter.
[Source: Car] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Spy Shots: More images of the Lotus Eagle taking flightFiled under: Spy Photos, Sports/GTs, Lotus  Fresh spy shots have surfaced of the upcoming Lotus project Eagle coupe. Lotus released some teaser shots of the front suspension a couple of months ago and we've seen the prototype wearing the over-sized fender camo before. These new shots, however, give us the clearest view yet of the new 2+2 sports car. The Eagle is expected to be derived from the architecture of the Elise/Exige, although it will be longer accommodate a pair of 911-style pseudo-seats between the front seats and rear firewall. The four-pot engines used in the current models are expected to give way to a more highly tuned variant of Toyota's 3.5L V6 as used in the Camry and assorted other vehicles from the Japanese maker. The Eagle should get a proper name and shed the extra bulk at the corners in time for this summer's London Motor Show. Fans of Hethel products should be able to to get one around the end of the year.
[Source: Auto Express] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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