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Lotus bows out of Paris Motor Show

The plan put forth by former Lotus CEO Dany Bahar was to explode the British brand into the high-dollar sports car segment and directly challenge its marquee names. The first explosion came with the surprise introduction of five concepts at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. What has continued to surprise, though, is that the explosions haven't stopped: parent company Proton has had troubles leading to a reworking of its Formula One involvement, its IndyCar effort has had a rough ride, Proton's sale to Malaysian conglomerate DRB Hicom led to a production stoppage, and while the company was reassured that it wouldn't be sold, Bahar was shown the door - along with four of those Paris concepts, as far as we can tell. Yet the company is still making highly regarded cars and going racing.
So it shouldn't be all that surprising that, according to a report in Car and Driver, Lotus won't be attending this year's Paris Motor Show at all. Lotus didn't have much to show off at the Geneva Motor Show or the New York Show as all development was halted for two months, and the new corporate owner and new CEO installed by that owner are still working through the details of its niche English property. We will hope this is nothing more than a step in the reorganization, and look forward to seeing the Hethel firm again in Los Angeles or Detroit.

Banned Lotus 88 F1 car explained by Colin Chapman's son

Racing teams are always looking for ways to gain speed through creative interpretations of the rule book, but speed-obsessed engineers were a little too clever with the twin-chassis design for the Lotus 88 Formula One car. Colin Chapman's son, Clive, gave Goodwood the racer's fascinating story and why the organizers banned it. Lotus' innovation with the 88 was a novel twin-chassis layout. The outer chassis supported the aerodynamic elements and the body, and the inner one held the driver, engine, and transmission. The separate pieces allowed the car to meet the rules in the pits, but the outer chassis would create a seal with the track at speed to preserve the ground effect downforce. The organizers decided this ingenious solution went contrary to the rules against side skirts, and they banned the 88. However, this Lotus was important for a second reason. The inner chassis was F1's first carbon fiber monocoque. The lightweight material is common in racing and performance cars today, but it was a cutting-edge innovation for 1981. Get the full story from Clive Chapman in this clip. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Lotus Emira GT4 car revealed, ready for the race circuit

It’s time for the Lotus Emira to go racing. YouÂ’re looking at the first photos of the Emira GT4 race car here, which is the competition spec version of the Emira road car we got to see revealed at this yearÂ’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. Lotus didnÂ’t provide a ton of details, but we know the important stuff. Its body is made of composite, and a bunch of changes are made in the name of aerodynamics and downforce. The clean and simple lines of the Emira are interrupted by items like the large front splitter and huge rear wing. By and large, though, the basic Emira design and structure remain the same outside. WeÂ’ll also note that the GT4 is hand-built, whereas Lotus is attempting to bring more automation to the road carÂ’s assembly. The engine used in the GT4 is the tried-and-true Toyota-sourced 3.5-liter V6 (not the new AMG four-cylinder). Per usual, itÂ’s fitted with a supercharger, and Lotus says itÂ’s good for up to 400 horsepower with a 7,200 rpm redline. You get a six-speed xTrac sequential transmission (the only transmission option), and the car is fitted with a limited-slip differential. Braking is handled by race-spec Alcon discs and calipers, and Ohlins coilovers keep the body in check. In all, Lotus says the dry weight is 2,778 pounds. This car was developed with RML Group, a British racing engineering company. “The all-new Emira GT4 is an exciting next step following the hugely successful launch of the Emira road car,” says Richard Selwin, Lotus Race Program manager. “We have worked hard with the team at RML Group to ensure this next-generation of Lotus GT car will deliver race-winning performance.” Those entering racing series will be allowed to buy this Emira GT4 cars for the 2022 racing season. However Lotus says availability will be very limited for the first year. It expects to be able to meet total global demand for 2023 as production of the race car continues. Pricing wasnÂ’t made available initially. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.