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Lotus next F1 team to collapse?

With the big post-season game of musical chairs finally over, the FIA recently released the final entry list for the 2015 Formula One World Championship. And while most of it is exactly as we've reported along the way (with Sebastian Vettel switching to Ferrari and Fernando Alonso moving to McLaren), the list does have a couple of small surprises. Reigning champ Lewis Hamilton, for example, has opted to race under his own Number 44 instead of the Number 1 to which he is entitled, but it's the asterisks that are raising some eyebrows. Both the Caterham and Marussia teams (the latter listed as Manor Grand Prix Racing Ltd, the name of the racing outfit that technically owns the entry slot) are listed as "subject to confirmation," and while Caterham (unlike the liquidating Marussia team) is still fighting to recover in time for next season, its tentative listing comes as no big surprise. What is a surprise, however, is the inclusion of the Lotus F1 Team with the same caveat, prompting speculation that the Enstone-based outfit might not make the grid next year. Those schooled in F1 history will know that the Lotus team of today shares little in common with the British sports car manufacturer and engineering consultancy of the same name, or with the historic F1 team that previously raced under that banner. It started out as Toleman (the team with which Ayrton Senna got his start) before being bought out by Benetton (where Michael Schumacher won his first two World Champion titles). It was then taken over by Renault (where Alonso won his two titles) before Genii Capital took over and fostered a relationship with Lotus that allowed it to use the name. In a final breaking of ties with Renault, the team is switching to Mercedes power for next season. The Enstone team has struggled recently, however. From the title-winning operation it once was, Lotus dropped down to eighth place in the 2014 Championship, failing to land on the podium (let alone win a race) even once this season, suffering a dozen DNFs out of nineteen grands prix. Without factory backing, the team has struggled financially as well, and without an injection of funds, it could drop off the entry list altogether.

Lotus won't launch a 3-Eleven successor until it overhauls its range

Lotus has received an enthusiastic response to limited-edition models like the 3-Eleven. It's open to the idea of making similar cars, but Autoblog learned fans shouldn't expect to see one until it has overhauled its range. "There is room for it, but we have so many things to do that we're already committed to. Getting a new product range out there is the priority," Matt Windle, the firm's engineering boss, told us during an interview. The decision to wait is a wise one, because Lotus has a lot on its plate for a small company. It's putting the final touches on the electric, 2,000-horsepower Evija, it's allegedly working on a new Esprit with hybrid power, and unverified rumors sketch the outline of an SUV pegged in the same segment as the Porsche Macan. On the other hand, the global market's appetite for few-off models is healthy. Bentley had no trouble selling 12 examples of the Bacalar, for example, and even Aston Martin wants a piece of the pie. This trend isn't lost on Lotus; it knows it's in a unique position to capitalize on it. It competes at a lower price point than most other companies making limited-edition cars, and its "light is right" motto is still revered in enthusiast circles. While its car-building division is busier than ever, its engineering arm has the bandwidth to work on special projects. "Lotus Engineering, the consultancy side of the business, is going strong as well. We've been talking about bespoke programs with other companies. That's one way we could deal with that, and it would take it away from the main product development teams. Nothing is confirmed yet, but there are a lot of discussions going on," Windle revealed without giving too much away. Lotus has been there before. It notably helped John Z. DeLorean bring the DMC-12 to the market, and it transformed the Opel Omega into the fastest sedan in the world. Some of our geekier readers will remember the "handling by Lotus" emblems on the Isuzu Impulse. It has worked on several General Motors engines, too, including the EcoTec unit that once powered several Saab, Saturn, Chevrolet, and Pontiac models. The next limited-edition Lotus will have big shoes to fill whenever it arrives. The aforementioned 3-Eleven stood proud as the fastest street-legal Lotus when it made its debut in 2015, and the 430 variant (pictured) launched in 2018 put an even greater focus on performance.

Lotus Exige S tears the roof off

Some things just don't make sense. But then we're not sure they really have to. Imagine Porsche took the Cayman, which is essentially the coupe version of the Boxster, and turned it into a convertible. Wouldn't make much sense, would it? Well that's essentially what Lotus did with the creation of the Exige S Roadster.
The Exige, you see, was already the fixed-roof version of the Elise. So what was the point in turning it back into a roadster? That's what our friends at XCar tried to ascertain in the video below. We could tell you what conclusion they arrived at, but that would spoil all the fun. So we'll just let you enjoy the seven-minute clip and see for yourself. Just remember: it doesn't have to make sense. It just has to be a Lotus.