Lotus Cars UK Challenges The Sports Car Segment
5 New exciting cars launched at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. Never before in automotive history has a car company launched 5 all new products at one motor show. A new and dynamic team have been put in the offices of Lotus UK this past 12 months. They make up of select individuals from Ferrari, Aston Martin and even AMG. The new Lotus CEO is Italian national Dany Bahar who with talented designer Donato Coco have brought their Ferrari experience to Lotus. Designer Donato comes with 5 years service in Ferrari having successfully penned the 458 Italia, the 599GTO and the very desirable California drop top. Prior to heading the design department at Ferrari, Mr. Coco held a long tenure at Citroen designing rally, race and production cars. This team shows towards a new beginning for Lotus which we predict will see much success at showroom and motorsports level.
The 5 new cars were unveiled comprising of 3 classic names, the Elan, Espirit and Elise and 2 all new possible segment busters, Eterne and Elite. Engineering head, Mr. Wolf, has promised a faster and edgier Lotus that will be even more driver centric as he brings with him 19 plus years of AMG experience. Mr. Wolf was department head at AMG for the ‘Black Series’ AMG cars and also more recently the SLS AMG. With an International dream management team in place, Lotus looks very much ready to tackle the best Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin and even Lamborghini has to offer.
The Espirit. A smart futuristic looking supercar that looks very much ready to tackle the best Italy and Germany as to offer in this growing segment.
With definite approval from 007, this new Espirit captures the styling and design essence to be a market leader. It will probably use a Lexus LFA drivetrain.
Lotus Espirit Specifications. Layout: 2 seater, mid-engined, rear wheel drive
Engine: V8 supercharged (possible hybrid option) Displacement: 5000cc Max power: 620bhp Max torque: 750Np
Transmission: 7-speed DCT
Top speed: 330km/h
0-100km/h: 3.4seconds
“The Lotus Elan is perfect for both road and track, the Elan not only ticks all the boxes, it creates new ones too.
Once you drive an Elan you won’t look back, it will give you things you didn’t even realise you were missing – that’s the essence of Lotus and the Elan perfectly captures that spirit.” said Dany Bahar, Chief Executive Officer of Group Lotus at its unveiling. Proton’s Datuk Syed Zainal with actor Mickey Rouke after unveiling the Elan.
Lotus Elan Specifications. Layout: 2 seater, mid-engined, rear wheel drive
Engine: V6 supercharged (possible hybrid option) Displacement: 4000cc Max power: 450bhp Max torque: 465Np
Transmission: 7-speed DCT
Top speed: 310km/h
0-100km/h: 3.5seconds
The Elise will be offered in a few variants from a basic non-supercharged version to a 4 second 0-100km/h pure bred sports car. What all versions of the Elise will offer, though, is a more luxurious cabin and easier entry and exit. The interior comes with a pod-like binnacle of instruments, steering wheel with F1-style progressive shift lights and its digital rendering of race circuits for those venturing out the the track. All this is still subject to some changes before making it to the showroom floor.
Most of the exterior design will stay into production especially the nose and tail design which has a ‘family’ look across the new 5 cars.
Lotus Elise Specifications. Layout: 2 seater, mid-engined, rear wheel drive
Engine: Inline 4 cylinder (mild hybrid with city start/stop option) Displacement: 2000cc Max power: 320bhp Max torque: 330Np
Transmission: 6-speed Manual, DCT Optional
Top speed: 270km/h
0-100km/h: 4.3seconds
The Elite is the first of an all-new Lotus sports car range and is aimed at the likes of Porsche, Aston Martin and Ferrari. It is 4600mm long (about 100mm shorter than the Aston Martin DB9), 1900mm wide and 1320mm high – and weighs 1650kg. Bahar said the decision to build the bigger, heavier Elite – which flies in the face of Lotus founder Colin Chapman’s lightweight, minimalist ethos – was difficult. But he pointed out that the front-engined 2+2 Elite will enter a market segment that accounted for around 20 per cent of Lotus production until 1996, when the Elise became the company’s only model.
“In the past, the 2+2 market has been very successful for us, and now the Elite raises the benchmark higher still.”Elite resurrects the famous Lotus badge from the 1970s and, like its predecessor, is a four-seater, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive coupe. But that’s where the similarities end. The new model has a folding hard-top roof and gets its power from a boosted 5-litre V8 from engine partner Toyota. It is understood to be based on the Lexus LS600hL but reworked to rev to 8500rpm. Two tune options will be available, both using a supercharger or turbocharger. The “standard” car will deliver 402kW and a go-faster “R” version around 456kW and 720Nm. Lotus claims that the Elite will be able to sprint from zero to 100km/h in around 3.5 seconds and top out at 315km/h. It will get a twin-clutch semi-automatic gearbox and hybrid drive, featuring electric motors and a front-mounted Formula One-style Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS), which gives an extra 37kW via a “boost” button on the steering wheel. Aluminium and carbon fibre, along with the firm’s variable vehicle architecture chassis – complete with double-wishbone suspension – will feature. Together with hybrid technology, the company claims CO2 exhaust emissions of 215 grams per kilometre. The Elite borrows cues from the original Lotus Seven.
Lotus Elite Specifications. Layout: 2 seater, mid-engined, rear wheel drive
Engine: V8 supercharged (possible hybrid option) Displacement: 5000cc Max power: 620bhp Max torque: 720Np
Transmission: Hybrid Transmission
Top speed: 313km/h
0-100km/h: 3.7seconds
Lotus is changing up to market leaders in the 4 door super sedan segment with the introduction of its Eterne concept, a four-door sedan with an optional hybrid powertrain. This may be a big step in a different direction for Lotus, but it’s nothing new for established market leaders. Aston Martin Rapide, Porsche Panamera and even the latest Mercedes CLS will have to watch and see if this Lotus will challenge them.
Like the new Esprit, the Eterne is powered by a 620-horsepower, 5.0-liter V8 sourced from powertrain supplier Toyota/Lexus. The optional hybrid drivetrain uses a Formula 1-style KERS energy recuperation system, and the Lotus sedan will be available in both rear- and all-wheel drive. Of course, this is still a Lotus, so good performance numbers are an absolute must, and we’re told that the Eterne will run to 60 miles per hour in just 4.0 seconds on its way to a top speed of 315km/h.
Lotus Eterne Specifications. Layout: 2 seater, mid-engined, rear wheel drive (all wheel drive optional)
Engine: V8 supercharged (possible hybrid option) Displacement: 5000cc Max power: 620bhp Max torque: 720Np
Transmission: Hybrid Transmission
Top speed: 315km/h
0-100km/h: 4.0seconds
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