1976 Lotus Eclat on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Lotus bows out of Paris Motor Show

The plan put forth by former Lotus CEO Dany Bahar was to explode the British brand into the high-dollar sports car segment and directly challenge its marquee names. The first explosion came with the surprise introduction of five concepts at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. What has continued to surprise, though, is that the explosions haven't stopped: parent company Proton has had troubles leading to a reworking of its Formula One involvement, its IndyCar effort has had a rough ride, Proton's sale to Malaysian conglomerate DRB Hicom led to a production stoppage, and while the company was reassured that it wouldn't be sold, Bahar was shown the door - along with four of those Paris concepts, as far as we can tell. Yet the company is still making highly regarded cars and going racing.
So it shouldn't be all that surprising that, according to a report in Car and Driver, Lotus won't be attending this year's Paris Motor Show at all. Lotus didn't have much to show off at the Geneva Motor Show or the New York Show as all development was halted for two months, and the new corporate owner and new CEO installed by that owner are still working through the details of its niche English property. We will hope this is nothing more than a step in the reorganization, and look forward to seeing the Hethel firm again in Los Angeles or Detroit.

2020 Lotus Elise Classic Heritage Editions celebrate past race car liveries

For 2020, the Lotus Elise is getting a very limited edition. The Elise Classic Heritage Edition is a version that can be had in one of four liveries that reference past Lotus race cars. While the paint schemes are fitting tributes, the redundancy of having "Classic" and "Heritage" in the same name seem antithetical to Colin Chapman's philosophy of "simplify and add lightness." Name aside, the color schemes look good. Naturally, one of them is the famous black and gold of the John Player Special Lotus race cars. Others are less familiar, but still significant. Two of them highlight cars driven by famous racers. The blue, red and silver combo references the 1980 Lotus Type 81 driven by Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell and Elio de Angelis. The red, white and gold version is for the 1968 Type 49B driven by Graham Hill. As for the blue and white car, it celebrates the first Lotus F1 car to win pole position and the race, the 1960 Type 18. The flashy paint is matched with equally flashy interiors. The upper door panels and other trim pieces are painted in coordinated colors, and the seat centers are finished in matching fabric. The one exception is the blue and white model that gets red seats. While the car is based on the 217-horsepower Elise 220, it gets features that are normally extra-cost on that car, including air conditioning, cruise control, a radio, carpeting and floor mats, two-piece brake rotors and forged wheels. Available as options are a hardtop, lithium-ion battery and titanium exhaust. All of these extra features, plus the colors and exclusivity help make the extra GBP6,350-pound upcharge worthwhile, which makes the car cost GBP46,250, or just over $57,000 at current exchange rates. Speaking of exclusivity, only 100 of these cars will be sold internationally. Lotus notes that the split between the different colors will be dependent on demand, so certain liveries could be rarer than others. Don't expect any of them to be offered in the U.S., though, since the Elise isn't available here at all. Related Video:    

Lotus F1 Team promotes Joylon Palmer for next season

After letting its longtime protege Romain Grosjean go to the Haas F1 team, Lotus has named his successor for next season. Driving for the team as it transitions back to being the Renault factory outfit will be one Jolyon Palmer, the current reigning GP2 champion and possibly one of the best-poised drivers to make it into Formula One. The 24-year-old Brit has been steadily working his way up the formula racing ladder, winning races in Formula Two and GP2 over the past several years before winning the latter title last season. During that victorious campaign he also served as a test driver for Force India, before switching to Lotus this season and getting 10 grand prix practice sessions under his harness. Jolyon's own experience undoubtedly sealed the deal, but his upbringing surely put him in a prime position to make it in single-seater racing. He's the son of former F1 driver Jonathan Palmer, himself a past Formula Two champ before completing half a dozen seasons in Formula One. It's what the elder Palmer's been up to since leaving the grid, however, that's put the son in such a strong position. As head of MotorSport Vision, Jonathan Palmer controls five major racing tracks across the UK – including BrandsHatch, Outlton Park, Snetterton, Cadwell Park and the Bedford Autodrome. He also runs a couple of trackday programs, founded the now-defunct Formula Palmer Audi series and continues to operate the FIA Formula Two Championship, the BRDC Formula 4 Championship, and the British Superbike Championship. All of which gave young Jolyon plenty of room to run as he developed his career. Will that be enough to put the young Palmer in a position to win next season? Only time will tell. But he arrives at a pivotal time for the team, which is expected to transition back from the privately held Lotus operation to Renault's hands, running once again as the factory team – but saddled with an engine package that has been underperforming against the competition. One way or another, it ought to be an interesting time to be in Enstone. Related Video: