2007 Lotus Exige S Coupe 2-door 1.8l Supercharged & Intercooled, Il 4cyl, 240hp on 2040-cars

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Lotus Emeya concludes winter testing, brings unique treats

Think of the Lotus Emeya as the sedan form of the Eletre SUV, transferring Lotus' newest brand values into a body style closer in spirit to the old Lotus. As the automaker marches toward production later this year, we've got a few more details on what's to come with the English foe of the Taycan competitor. Battery size is said to be 102 kWh; if that's accurate, that would be down slightly on the Eletre SUV's gross 112-kWh battery that provides a usable 109-kWh. Lotus says the sedan's range will be "broadly similar" to the Eletre, which is rated to go up to 373 miles on the WLTP cycle. The sedan, like its brother, is built on an 800-volt system capable of 350-kW fast-charging, and uses two motors to power both axles. A top-shelf Emeya R trim should pack the same power as the Eletre R, 905 horsepower and 726 pound-feet, the Emeya's lower profile and lighter weight taking a coupe of tenths off the Eletre's 2.95-second sprint to 60 miles per hour.  At least two wild specs separate the Emeya from the Eletre: A 55-inch augmented-reality head-up display. Lotus says the projection on the Electre is 29 inches. In addition to being "the largest and most advanced in any Lotus," it offers "a Snow Mode which turns the display blue, helping the driver to see the outline of the road more easily against a white background." Who needs an Apple Vision Pro, eh?  The sedan also fits an active rear spoiler that's four inches broader than the SUV's from front to back, at 11.7 inches compared to 7.7 inches. Adjusting the spoiler's angle on the SUV can produce up to 112.5 kilograms of downforce. The sedan's spoiler rings up a maximum of 215 kg of downforce at speed. The Emeya's top speed is an electronically capped 159 mph, six miles per hour below the SUV's, done to preserve battery health.  Lotus recently concluded a series of winter tests that are part of the company's three-year development testing across 15 countries, working out the Emeya in temps as low as negative 13 Fahrenheit and locking the car in a freezer at -40 F to gauge how its systems performed.  After going on sale in China, the Emeya heads to Europe and then to the U.S., so we shouldn't expect it until sometime next year, joined by the Evija hypercar. Car magazine said it saw a Lotus presentation that mentioned an MSRP of $100,000, almost identical to the base Porsche Taycan's U.S. MSRP.  Related Video:

Lotus shows how drivers will be able to change the Evija's behavior

Lotus published footage of the Evija, its first series-produced electric car, undergoing shakedown testing on its Hethel, England, track. It also detailed the model's different driving modes, and the effect they'll have on the powertrain. Electric technology is heavy, and Lotus is known for making ultra-light cars, so engineers walked a fine line as they developed the Evija. Gavan Kershwa, the brand's director of vehicle attributes, explained his team managed to give the 2,000-horsepower coupe the handling enthusiasts expect from a mid-engined model by placing the lithium-ion battery pack, which is the heaviest part of the car, directly behind the passenger compartment. Matt Windle, the company's research and development boss, told Autoblog composite materials and clever packaging help offset the battery's weight. The part the steering column is mounted to is also used as a ducting for the climate control system, for example. All told, the Evija tips the scale at approximately 3,700 pounds. Enthusiasts will have five driving modes, named Range, City, Tour, Sport and Track, at their fingertips. Range mode caps the car's output at 1,000 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque and makes the Evija rear-wheel drive to maximize driving range. City makes the Evija easier to drive around town, while Tour lets the driver choose between rear- and all-wheel drive while raising the powertrain's output to 1,400 horsepower. Sport puts 1,700 horsepower and 1,254 pound-feet of torque under the driver's right foot, and it tweaks the various stability control systems to improve traction. Finally, Track unleashes the car's full potential while dialing in the highest level of torque vectoring. It also changes the chassis settings, according to the company. Lotus will continue fine-tuning the Evija in the coming months, and production is scheduled to start in 2021. Though it was delayed by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 130 units are planned, and Autoblog can confirm the first year of production is sold out — but there are still build slots available, contrary to what some sources are reporting. Looking ahead, Windle told us the Evija is a trailblazer whose design language and technology will permeate future models.  Related Video: Green Lotus Coupe Electric Performance

The Lotus Evija is the company’s first all-electric hypercar

Internally known as the Type 130, the new Lotus Evija combines several firsts for the British company into one wild shape. First of all, it’s the companyÂ’s first in-house all-electric car – the Lotus chassis provided to the likes of Tesla for the first Roadster doesnÂ’t count. ItÂ’s also the companyÂ’s first hypercar, claiming an astonishing (and provisional) 1,973 horsepower. Perhaps more importantly, itÂ’s the first all-new car from the company since the Evora, and the first to be conceived entirely under the ownership of ChinaÂ’s Geely. Yup, thatÂ’s a lot of firsts. ItÂ’s not the first EV hypercar – itÂ’ll have competition from the likes of Rimac and the upcoming Pininfarina Battista, plus the next-gen Tesla Roadster assuming that does eventually hit the market – but itÂ’s definitely early on the scene. And just look at it – the styling is wild, incorporating some continuing Lotus themes – particularly around the greenhouse – but with an overall direction thatÂ’s much brasher than the companyÂ’s other products. The deep side sculpting resembles is complex and stylized, as are the rounded, narrow quadrangle taillights supported by a massive rear diffuser. The front is arguably the least distinctive and biggest departure for the company. The verticality of the headlamps seems like a blend of the Ferrari F8 Tributo and the old Lamborghini Gallardo, without really aping either. Look closely and it appears to be an evolution of the shape of the EvoraÂ’s lamps, but without that context fresh in your mind itÂ’ll appear more generic supercar than something uniquely Lotus. The bodywork has some neat party tricks. Active aerodynamics allow for an F1-style Drag Reduction System, and thereÂ’s a deployable rear spoiler. There are no fixed side-mirrors; little cameras deploy from the front fenders and another camera embedded in the rear of the roof provides a rear view. ItÂ’s also different. The extruded, bonded aluminum architecture weÂ’re familiar with from the Elise/Exige line and the similar but unique Evora are gone, replaced by a company-first one-piece carbon fiber monocoque tub. Lotus is targeting a curb weight of approximately 3,700 lbs, and the lightweight tub (just 284 lbs) contributes to that.  The battery is housed behind the seats, and feeds power to four individual motors, providing all-wheel drive and infinitely variable torque vectoring.