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Lotus opens the 2013 Formula One season with the launch of the E21 [w/video]

Lotus has broken the seal on the 2013 Formula One season, launching the E21 car at its factory in Enstone. With the regulations this year quite similar to those of last year, there are no dramatic changes in form compared to the E20. After some teams lobbied to be able to cover the stepped nose with a "vanity panel," Lotus retained the configuration, the team's technical director saying that the panel would add more weight and didn't make sense to put on the car unless it also added performance.
Beyond that, the E21 is said to be an comprehensive advance in its details - the suspension gets a new layout, the Coanda exhaust and the passive double DRS system are evolutions from last year, the front wing is "a continuation of concepts" from 2009.
After securing fourth in the Constructor's Championship last year, this is the chassis that drivers Kimi Räikkönen and Romain Grosjean will use to try and move the team up a place, which would mean beating one of the big three teams over the course of the season. The quietly and impressively consistent Räikkönen managed third in the Driver's Championship, and we're sure he wouldn't mind a move up in the standings, either.

Lotus relocating US headquarters to Michigan

Lotus is planning a renewed push into the North American market. It's got the new Evora 400 coming to America in December, and it's expanding its dealer network as well. And it'll orchestrate it all from its new US headquarters in Ann Arbor, MI. The move will see the main office of Lotus Cars USA leave its current base in Lawrenceville, GA, to move in together with Lotus Engineering in Ann Arbor, putting both operations under one larger roof. The transition is earmarked to be completed by the end of next month. But that's not all. Lotus has also announced that it is expanding its dealer network across North America. The first push will see four new dealerships opening across the United States and Canada, with a pair of new showrooms in California (West Covina and Thermal), another in the car-collector mecca of Scottsdale, AZ, and a new Canadian location in Calgary, Alberta. That'll bring the showroom count up to 47 locations in North America, with more franchises planned for the near future as well. The new and improved Lotus Evora 400 is slated to arrive at US and Canadian dealers starting in December. It packs a number of upgrades over the Evora S, including more power, less weight, new bodywork, and carbon-ceramic brakes. The result is a 0-60 time of 4.1 seconds, a top speed quoted at 186 miles per hour, and Hethel test track lap time clocked at six seconds faster than its predecessor. Pricing starts at $89,900. Related Video: EXPANSION AND CO-LOCATION FOR LOTUS IN THE USA - Co-location of Lotus Cars USA. Inc, to Lotus Engineering. Inc, in Ann Arbor, MI to support growth - First deliveries of New Lotus Evora 400 in USA and Canada in December 2015 - Expansion of the Lotus dealer network The introduction of the Lotus Evora 400, as a 2017 North American Model Year, marks the start of a fresh period in Lotus' presence in this vital market. The previous model Evora already received positive acclaim from media, customers and dealers alike and reaffirmed Lotus as the maker of some of the finest, purest, most lightweight and most efficient sports cars sold today. Jean-Marc Gales, Chief Executive Officer, Group Lotus plc, explains: "The Lotus Evora 400 combines high performance with the legendary Lotus benchmark handling. It is lighter, more efficient and dynamically better than ever.

Lotus Type 130 electric supercar officially named Evija

Only known as the Type 130 to this point, the new Lotus supercar finally has its official name: Evija. Lotus made the announcement at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed, and some fans have the lucky opportunity to get a sneak preview of the all-electric performance vehicle during the event. The Evija, which is pronounced "ev-eye-a," will be the first car Lotus has produced under the ownership of Chinese umbrella company Geely. Evija means "the first in existence" or "the living one," according to Lotus, thought the company did not go into the origins of the word. With cars such as the Rimac C_Two already in existence, the Evija is not the first electric supercar, but Lotus says it is the "first all-electric hypercar" from a British automaker. It's also the first electric Lotus. The Evija is slated for its world debut in London on July 16, 2019, and production is expected to start in 2020. However, Lotus set up a light show experience at Goodwood that involves that car. So, fans won't see the full vehicle, but the experience will tease small yet-to-be-seen details.  Very little information is known about the car yet, save for a nebulous aero image and a couple short video teasers. It will have a push-button gear selector, a light-up rear Lotus badge, an electric charging dock cover, and it appears it will have a tablet style dash setup. And, of course, carbon fiber will be the material of choice inside and out. We'll have full specs, photos, and information shortly. Auto News Green Green Lotus Lotus Evija