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Lotus rolls out new and improved Evora 400

Having canceled its overly ambitious plans, Lotus is going to have to get by on its existing lineup for a while longer. But if this is what "getting by" looks like, count us in. What you see here is the Lotus Evora 400, the latest evolution of Hethel's 2+2 sports car and the fastest, most powerful production model the legendary British automaker has ever offered. Lighter and more potent than previous versions of the Evora, the new 400 packs a revised 3.5-liter supercharged V6 with – you guessed it – 400 horsepower, or 55 more than the Evora S, and backed up by 302 pound-feet of torque. In pursuit of its founder Colin Chapman's enduring ethos of "adding lightness," Lotus has found nearly 50 pounds of excess weight to trim from an already lean machine. While they were at it, the engineers also tweaked the electronics, re-adjusted the suspension, fitted a revised aero kit for increased downforce, bolted in a new limited slip differential, retuned the gearbox and mounted new brakes. The styling has also been revised inside and out, with new doors allowing for easier ingress and egress as well as more interior space. The result of all these improvements – aside from making the Evora look cooler – is a 0-60 time now quoted at 4.1 seconds, a top speed quoted at 186 miles per hour and a lap time of the Lotus test track a full (and very impressive) six seconds faster than its predecessor. Lotus is increasing its workforce by 50 percent in order to increase output at its UK factory from 45 cars per week to 70 in the coming months, and will distribute the new Evora 400 through an expanding dealer network that's set to grow from 168 locations worldwide at present to around 200 by year's end. THE ALL NEW LOTUS EVORA 400 - All new supercar from Lotus - Fastest and most powerful production Lotus ever - Lighter and more efficient than before The new Lotus Evora 400 is the latest pure and focused supercar from Lotus, combining high performance with the legendary Lotus benchmark handling. It is faster and dynamically more capable than the previous Lotus Evora leading to greater agility and a more involving drive. Maximum speed is 186 mph (300 km/h) and acceleration 0-60 mph is just 4.1 seconds (0-100 km/h in 4.2 seconds). This enables the new Lotus Evora 400 to lap the challenging test track at the Lotus Headquarters in Hethel, Norfolk, a scintillating SIX seconds faster than the previous model.

F1 just got a whole lot quieter, and some people are really unhappy about it

The scene is the front straight of the Albert Park Circuit at the Australian Formula One Grand Prix, and what you see on track on either side of the gentleman wearing the orange hat is a Mercedes AMG Petronas being followed by a Lotus. The first major clue, as should be obvious by the nose of the Mercedes, is that this scene was captured last year. The other major clue in the photo is the gentleman in the orange hat: he's wearing earmuffs to silence the noise. We count at least four people wearing them, and that's before the camera pans. Some F1 fans have been pleased with the sound of the new 1.6-liter V6 engines, but it appears that the majority are not; the organizers of the Australian Grand Prix are threatening to sue because of a "lack of sexiness," and F1 impresario Bernie Ecclestone has declared he was "horrified by the lack of [noise]." YouTube user krookzeh has posted a video comparing last year's 2.4-liter V8 cars on the first lap at Albert Park with the new turbo V6 cars on the first lap this year. You can compare the sounds and the number of earmuffs in the short clip below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: ESPN F1 [1], [2], krookzeh via YouTube Motorsports Lotus Racing Vehicles Videos F1 australian grand prix

The time Elon Musk paid $1 million for James Bond submarine car that cost a couple $100

Tesla CEO Elon Musk landed himself in court after insulting a diver who criticized his plan to rescue a Thai soccer trapped in a cave using a purpose-built mini submarine. Which reminded us that Musk's interest in submarines started years ago. The story begins in 1989, when a couple from Long Island put every barn-find hunter to shame by paying $100 for a locked storage unit, and cracking it open to find a 1976 Lotus Esprit buried under a pile of blankets. That's a cool find, the S1 Esprit is sought-after among enthusiasts, but CNBC reported they quickly learned their car was modified to star in the 1977 James Bond film "The Spy Who Loved Me." Ignoring Colin Chapman's "light is right" motto, the producers alchemized the Lotus into a fully functional submarine by welding in the wheel arches and the underbody, and adding winglets for more stability. Four propellers powered by a battery pack housed in the cabin moved the Esprit under water, and the coupe gained front-mounted missile launchers. The modifications reportedly cost $100,000. The couple had never seen a James Bond movie; they likely assumed it was a mad scientist's kit car, or a science fair project gone wrong. The $100 purchase price represents about $207 in 2019 dollars, so the unsuspecting buyers could have easily sold it as a parts car, made a small amount of money on it, and ended up with a free storage unit. However, they became aware of the Esprit's significance in Hollywood history when truckers identified it over CB radio while they were hauling it home. lotus-esprit-submarine-in-action-1 View 3 Photos They weren't collectors, and storing a submarine is terribly impractical, so they commissioned a cosmetic restoration and asked auction house RM Sotheby's to sell it in 2013. An enigmatic buyer paid $997,000 for the non-running movie prop. Musk later revealed himself as its new owner. "I was disappointed to learn that it can't actually transform. What I'm going to do is upgrade it with a Tesla electric powertrain, and try to make it transform for real," he announced. Even billionaire-owned project cars sit for longer than planned, and there's little evidence the Esprit is in swimming condition, let alone capable of morphing into a submarine at the simple push of a button. If it could, we're certain Musk would have hyped it up on Twitter. But while stalled projects normally draw the ire of loved ones as they take up garage space, Musk's turned into a well of inspiration.