Lotus Esprit : Twin Turbocharged 3.5l V8 Coupe - Final Edition on 2040-cars

Auto blog

A Lotus worthy of the legend | 2017 Lotus Evora 400 First Drive

Lotus is back, both literally and figuratively. After the British brand's two-year absence, the Evora 400 marks its return to the American market. It also shows what's in store as Lotus moves forward after a rough few years. We'll cut straight to the point: The Evora 400 is the best car Lotus has ever made. The heritage of the brand founded by Colin Chapman is centered around the holistic benefits of light weight and simplicity. But historically, light was a synonym for fragile. Heap on the old British build-quality stereotypes like leaking windows and intermittent electrics, and you have the Lotus reputation for brilliant but fickle cars. Owning a Lotus is a badge of honor, the car-culture equivalent of riding a fixed-gear bicycle. And while quality has improved, even modern Lotus models like the Elise, Exige, and previous Evora have a decidedly minimalist approach to comfort. That lack of modern amenities kept sales to a minimum before crash-test standards forced Lotus's hiatus from our shores. And by modern amenities we mean basics like functional air conditioning, a cabin you can climb into without pulling a muscle, and trim pieces that don't fall off from normal use. So when we say the Evora 400 is the best Lotus ever, we mean that in more than one way. It's of a material and build quality befitting the $93,785 starting price, and it retains the almost telepathic connection to the driver while increasing performance on all fronts. The 400 in the name stands for 400 horsepower. Power still comes from a Toyota-sourced 3.5-liter V6, but a new supercharger is now intercooled and delivers about 9 pounds per square inch of boost, up from 5.5 psi. It's a 55-hp jump, with a modest torque increase of 7 pound-feet, to 302. The numerical suffix, though, might suggest this is just a variant, like the Evora S was to the original Evora. Not so. Lotus says over two thirds of the parts are new, including front and rear body panels. The new Evora has a cleaner look, less like an inflated Elise and more like the mid-engine exotic that it is. View 29 Photos But the biggest change to the Evora is the interior. The door sill, perhaps the biggest hindrance to practicality, is now 2.2 inches lower and 1.7 inches narrower. The footwell is also 3.3 inches wider. Getting in and sitting now just feels like it does in most other cars, which, for Lotus, is a revelation. Hey, there's room for a dead pedal to the left of the clutch!

Lotus won't rule out SUV, but first we'll get a new Elise

Not even Lotus can ignore the sales potential of SUVs. Speaking to media yesterday, Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales said "The SUV is an interesting market. We're working on a concept but haven't made a decision yet." Lotus has reorganized lately, and is cash flow neutral on a path to future profitability. Put away your pitchforks. Yes, Lotus is the last automaker we'd expect to make an SUV, but nearly every other carmaker has already given up resistance. And we surmise that even a Lotus SUV would follow the Lotus founder Colin Chapman's famous ethos of "Simplify, and add lightness." At least relatively. Or, as Gales put it, "We stick to our roots, because they are enviable roots." That means the new Elise, coming in 2020 and destined for America, will be a lot like the current model sold in other markets. As we reported last week, Gales confirmed that the next Elise will be slightly wider to accommodate side airbags, but otherwise will have similar dimensions and power-to-weight ratio. The Evora 400 Roadster is also still planned, but won't come stateside for at least two years. "Lotus will not fit electrical steering [systems]. They take away the steering feel." And while the SUV ship may sail, there are still a few heretical ideas left in Hethel. In confirming that the Elise will add assisted steering in the next generation, Gales assured us it would be hydraulic. "Lotus will not fit electrical steering [systems]. They take away the steering feel." Also off the table for Lotus is any kind of hybrid. Speaking to Autoblog, Gales explained that hybrid systems adds weight, complexity, and take up space. The first two items go against the core values at Lotus, and the third creates packaging issues. "Besides, when you have low mass it's easy to be efficient," the CEO said. He added that a pure EV might be something Lotus would consider, but not anytime in the near future. Lotus returns to the US this year with the Evora 400. Stay tuned for our first drive review in a couple of days (spoiler alert: the car is awesome). And beyond the Evora convertible and next Elise, Gales says "You will enjoy many more cars from our company." We can't wait.Related Video: Lotus Convertible Coupe SUV Performance lotus evora 400 jean-marc gales lotus evora 400 roadster

Lotus and Proton might be sold to Peugeot-Citroen after Geely bails

Despite some strong initial interest, Chinese automaker Geely changed its mind about purchasing a controlling stake in Proton, parent company of Lotus Cars. This leaves Groupe PSA, owner of Peugeot, Citroen, and now Opel, as the sole remaining interested party. This is mixed news for Proton, as Geely's hands-off, cash-flush approach may have helped Lotus. On the other hand, it isn't like Groupe PSA is bordering on bankruptcy. According to Malaysian automotive news site Paultan.org, the reasons behind Geely's change of heart are unclear. In fact, it may seem that the indecision about the deal may have been coming more from Proton, not Geely. Reports say that Proton's parent company, Malaysian manufacturer DRB-Hicom, was uneasy about the potential partnership. DRB-Hicom assembles cars for a number of automakers, including Honda, Isuzu, and Suzuki. A deal with Groupe PSA would give the French automaker access to both DRB-Hicom's facilities and an expanded foothold in Southeast Asia. As only one contender remains, look for news of the deal going one way or another in the next few months. Related Video: News Source: Paultan Lotus Citroen Peugeot Geely groupe psa