1988 Lotus Esprit Turbo 40th Anniversary Edition - Rare #57 Of 88 Made on 2040-cars

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Lotus Evora 400 Roadster won't save the brand, and that's okay

There may not be a more disappointing brand in the United States than Lotus. It's not because the British brand can't make a good car. In fact, it's quite the opposite. The big problem with Lotus is that it builds highly compelling cars, but can't actually sell them in America because it can't afford to make them meet the complicated set of safety requirements required by US regulators. That makes us sad. Fortunately, there's one upcoming exception. For 2017, Lotus is bringing the Evora 400 to our shores, and a North American version of the Sport 410 has been promised. We welcome them with open arms and a proper pair of Southcombe driving gloves. But that one model line isn't going to be enough to keep Lotus in the minds and hearts of driving enthusiasts from sea to shining sea, nor will it keep the admittedly small number of US dealers happy. As pleased as we are to see reports that a Roadster version of the latest Evora is on the way, more will be needed. Lotus told Autocar that it expects the convertible to account for half of its sales here in the States, and we don't doubt that. But it's still just another version of the same automobile, and 500-700 additional sales is not going to be enough to reestablish Lotus as a legitimate sportscar contender here in America. For that, it's going to need another model line or two, hopefully at an entry-level pricepoint. A range-topping halo car wouldn't hurt, either. On the bright side, the Evora Roadster sounds like a solid step in the right direction. It's apparently just as stiff and lightweight as the coupe – "It's so simple it makes you wonder why it wasn't done six years ago," says Lotus chief Jean-Marc Gales – and that means its 400-horsepower, supercharged V6 engine will still propel it from 0-60 in 4.1 seconds and to a top speed of 186 miles per hour. Plus, the Lotus name is well established and highly respected. We don't think we're smarter than the men and women leading Lotus in the UK. So, we're sure Lotus doesn't expect the Evora Roadster to completely reverse its unfortunate fortunes in the States. The promise of a new Elise in 2020 ought to help in that regard, assuming it will be more attainable than the $90,000 Evora. In the meantime, we can't wait to feel that familiar wind-in-the-hair excitement we're sure the Lotus Evora Roadster will provide.

Lotus will go public via SPAC with $5.4 billion valuation

Lotus Technology, the electric-car maker owned by China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., agreed to merge with a blank-check company in a transaction that values the combined entity at about $5.4 billion. L Catterton Asia Acquisition Corp. will combine with the EV making subsidiary of the British carmaking group that Geely acquired back in 2017, the two said in a statement Tuesday. The special purpose acquisition companyÂ’s sponsor has ties to Bernard Arnault, the worldÂ’s richest man. Lotus Tech has been looking to go public since at least early last year. Management may have been encouraged by another luxury auto brandÂ’s recent listing: Porsche AG pulled off EuropeÂ’s largest initial public offering in a decade when it debuted in Frankfurt in September. A week later, Porsche overtook Volkswagen AG as EuropeÂ’s most valuable automaker. Rather than go the IPO route, Lotus Tech will merge with a SPAC whose sponsor combined with the private equity operations of ArnaultÂ’s luxury-goods powerhouse LVMH in 2016. LVMH is a passive minority investor in L Catterton, according to a spokeswoman. Arnault overtook Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk as the worldÂ’s richest man last month — the first time a European claimed the top spot on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. While Group Lotus is tiny compared to Tesla, Geely has been steering it away from combustion engines and has several all-electric models planned for the coming years. Lotus Tech sees itself as a competitor to the likes of Ferrari and Aston Martin, and will get a jump on the first electric models from those brands. Lotus unveiled its all-electric Eletre sport utility vehicle last year and plans to launch a rival to PorscheÂ’s popular Taycan EV in 2023. Geely and other owners are expected to retain an 89.7% shareholding in Lotus Tech after the SPAC merger. GeelyÂ’s billionaire owner Li Shufu also controls Swedish carmaker Volvo Car AB and owns stakes in GermanyÂ’s Mercedes-Benz Group AG and the UKÂ’s Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings Plc. Deutsche Bank AG advised Lotus Tech on the deal, while Credit Suisse Group AG acted as capital markets adviser to the SPAC. Related video: Featured Gallery Lotus Eletre View 25 Photos Earnings/Financials Green Lotus Electric Luxury Performance

Coca-Cola returning to F1 with Lotus sponsorship [w/videos]

Even before Red Bull Racing became a record-breaking three-time Constructor's Champion in Formula One, it has dominated conversations both as a team and as an energy drink. After seven years of "Red Bull this" and "Red Bull that," Coca-Cola is reportedly ready to jump into the F1 fray with its Sweden-based energy drink Burn.
Rumors had placed Coca-Cola's entry with McLaren F1, but it's actually Lotus that has secured the deal. We have no idea what the sponsorship will look like, but the website for Burn says that "We [intend] to foster that creativity by incorporating art and music in a way that will break the conventions of traditional F1 sponsorship," Lotus F1 team principal Eric Boullier adding "We are excited to partner with burn to build a new and innovative model for sponsorships that will combine experiences, content creation and social media..."
Since most - including this writer - have no idea what Burn is, we've included a couple of Burn commercial spots to help get us up to speed, which you'll find below. The 2012 season hasn't even ended, and we're already looking forward to 2013...