1977 Lotus Esprit on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2024 Lotus Eletre First Drive Review: And now for something completely different ...

OSLO, Norway — It doesnÂ’t get much more future-forward than the 2024 Lotus Eletre, a ginormous leap into electrification that looks, feels and drives like nothing before it. The EletreÂ’s all-new everything pushes into uncharted territory for Lotus: this is the brandÂ’s first EV and SUV, entering a crowded market that is critical to the future of the 75-year-old British nameplate. No pressure Lotus, weÂ’re here for it. First off, the design. As frivolous as it seems to address the subjectivity of looks, appearance matters with six-figure statement pieces. Despite the EletreÂ’s underpinnings being developed in Sweden and Germany, and the fact that it's built in China by majority stakeholder Geely, the design hails from the spot where the brandÂ’s late, great founder Colin Chapman first set up shop: Hethel, England. The design is triggering for many, from the split front grille and bifurcated headlamps to the height of the midsection and the sweep of the tail. Now that the SUV field is utterly oversaturated, the EletreÂ’s looks are easily relatable to other more familiar vehicles. In person, thereÂ’s far more to the Eletre than the internet comments of “Hey, that just looks like (blank)” would suggest. Yes, certain bits feel derivative, particularly the nebulous headlamp zone. But thereÂ’s also inventiveness in the details, like the vented hood and creased door surfaces that summon a familiar design language as the Emira. Also distinctive is the wagon-like rear overhang and concave tail thatÂ’s accentuated with a long, uninterrupted LED lightstrip, a la Bugatti Chiron. Spec plays a big part in this large crossoverÂ’s looks. The launch color, Kaimu Grey, makes it come across as rather plain and unremarkable, while Galloway Green and the Solar Yellow pictured here taps into the brand heritage in a good way. Outfitted in splashier hues, Eletre stands out as an SUV that looks nimbler and more lithe than its dimensions suggest. At 16.7 feet in length and 7 feet wide (measured with the conventional mirrors weÂ’ll get in the States), Eletre is no skinny Minnie. ItÂ’s 6.8 inches longer than a Cayenne, 5.1 inches lengthier than a Purosangue and 2.5 inches greater than a DBX. ItÂ’s 0.4 inch shorter than an Urus, but is 2 inches wider. Inside, the feeling is spacious, with decent leg, shoulder and head room.

Lotus plans detuned Evora sans supercharger for US market

We may never see a new version of the Elise or Exige in the United States, but the legendary British marque has been steadily rolling out new versions of the Evora 2+2 sports car. According to Automotive News, the automaker based in Hethel is planning a detuned version of the Evora to help it get in line with US emissions regulations. "Over a five-year period in the U.S. we have to show a 3 percent per year reduction in carbon dioxide emissions," Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales told AN. "One option is remove the supercharger." Gales apparently feels that's a better option than downsizing to a 2.0-liter turbo four, which would require more reconfiguration than simply removing the supercharger. The former Peugeot chief cites the example of another British sports car manufacturer in McLaren, which detuned the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 from the 650S to slot into the 570S. In any event, the base Evora wouldn't be the only new version of the model we're expecting to see. The company recently rolled out the revised Evora 400, and revealed the even sharper Evora Sport 410 (pictured above) at the Geneva Motor Show last month. Lotus also has an Evora roadster in the works that's similarly targeted at the North American market. Following the base model, we wouldn't be surprised to see even more variants to follow. Related Video:

Lotus spotted testing more extreme Elise on the Nordschleife

If we had a nickel for every version of the Elise that Lotus has rolled out over the years, we might actually have enough spare change to buy one ourselves. And we're not even talking about the entire separate models (like the Exige and Europa) that Lotus has based on the Elise's platform or the other automakers' cars (like the Tesla Roadster and Hennessey Venom GT) that have used the same. And now Lotus appears to be testing another one.
Spotted lapping the Nürburgring, what we're looking at here appears to be the track-bound Elise S Cup R, but our intrepid paparazzi by the side of the track tell us it's missing the switches for the battery isolator and fire extinguisher. In their place, this Elise is wearing an even bigger rear wing as part of an altogether rather aggressive aero kit - not to mention a rockin' matte red wrap.
All of these telltales make us think Lotus has something extreme in the works, and we could find out what exactly it is as early as the Paris Motor Show in October, so stay tuned and watch this space.