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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.

UK car output falls 14% in March, may get worse with no-deal Brexit

LONDON — British car output fell for the 10th month in a row in March, hit by a slowdown in key foreign markets, and the sector stands to suffer a lot more if the country leaves the European Union without a deal, an industry body said on Tuesday. Output tumbled by an annual 14.4 percent to 126,195 cars in March, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said. Exports, which account for nearly four out of every five cars made in Britain, were down by 13.4 percent. The SMMT said analysis it had commissioned predicted output would fall this year to 1.36 million units from 1.52 million in 2018, assuming London can secure a transition deal with the EU. If Britain has to rely instead on World Trade Organization rules for its trade with the bloc, which include import tariffs, output is forecast to fall by around 30 percent to 1.07 million units in 2021, returning to mid-1980s levels, the SMMT said. The forecasts were produced for SMMT by AutoAnalysis, a consultancy. Prime Minister Theresa May has secured a delay to the Brexit deadline until Oct. 31, giving her more time to try to break an impasse in parliament over the terms of Britain's departure from the EU. Foreign minister Jeremy Hunt traveled to Japan earlier this month to try to persuade the Japanese government and Toyota, which has a big presence in Britain, that London was determined to avoid a no-deal Brexit. "Just a few years ago, industry was on track to produce 2 million cars by 2020 — a target now impossible with Britain's reputation as stable and attractive business environment undermined," SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said. "All parties must find a compromise urgently so we can set about repairing the damage and diverting energy and investment to the technological challenges that will define the future of the global industry." (Reporting by William Schomberg, editing by David Milliken)

2022 Lotus Emira packages and colors detailed along with European pricing

Lotus just dropped all the nitty gritty details on the Emira First Edition, and it even provided European pricing. Unfortunately, we’re being told to wait for official U.S. pricing information, but this gives us a general idea of what to expect. WeÂ’ll start this off by letting you know that an Emira First Edition is fully loaded up with options, making it extra expensive. Europeans will be paying ˆ95,995 for the model, and in case youÂ’re in the U.K., your price is GBP75,995. The Euro equivalent is $112,000 at todayÂ’s exchange rates, while the pound sterling equivalent is about $104,000. Without U.S.-specific pricing available yet, itÂ’s impossible to nail down an exact figure. That said, expect it to be around $100,000 or a little more for the Emira First Edition here. Lotus tells us what you get for your First Edition money, too. It specifies that this model is the “V6 First Edition,” because a not-yet-detailed “i4” First Edition is coming late next year to launch the AMG-sourced four-cylinder model. The V6 comes with the six-speed manual transmission standard. It also adds the available 20-inch forged alloy wheels with a diamond-cut two-tone finish and two-piece brake discs with branded calipers. A bunch of optional packages are fitted as standard with the First Edition. You get the Lower Black Pack, which gives you a glossy black paint finish for the front bumper air blades, front splitter, side sills and rear diffuser. The Drivers Pack gives you the choice between the Tour or Sport suspension (Sport is slightly stiffer). Tour comes with Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport tires, and Sport comes with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s. The standard Design Pack adds privacy glass, sports pedals, Lotus-branded floor mats, a black Alcantara headliner and the choice of brake calipers in a few different colors. The Convenience Pack then adds front parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers with aero blades, auto-dimming mirrors and a rear luggage storage set. In Europe, this last pack also adds a reverse camera, but that will be standard equipment in the U.S. by law. You can add even more money to the Emira First EditionÂ’s price by opting for the full Black Pack (an extra GBP1,200 or ˆ1,370). This coats a number of other exterior parts in glossy black paint including the roof, mirrors, Lotus badge and exhaust finisher. Lastly, an automatic transmission is available for GBP1,800 or ˆ2,600, but thatÂ’s one you should skip.