S V6 Cup Supercharged Solar Yellow 345 Hp Track Race Evora Esprit Elise Sc on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Lotus to produce new crossover in China

Lotus and its parent company recently signed a joint-venture agreement with Chinese automaker Goldstar to build vehicles in China for local consumption, and according to the latest report from Autocar, it'll all come down to a new sport-ute. That's because the market for C-segment compact crossovers in China is huge. So big that it's impossible for Lotus to ignore. Porsche is reportedly selling 30,000 Macans in China alone each year, and is expected to reach 50,000 per annum there in the near future. "Six million SUVs will be sold in China this year, and more than half of those are C-segment models," Lotus chief Jean-Marc Gales told Autocar. "That figure is forecast to rise to eight million in four years. C-segment SUV sales alone will be bigger than the entire German market." Little wonder, then, that Lotus and Proton are keen to dive in. Technical details for the new Lotus crossover are still being worked out, but we'll likely be looking at a steel monocoque chassis clad in composite and aluminum body panels, riding lower than a Macan and weighing a good 400-500 pounds less. Power will likely come (at least initially) from the same 1.8-liter four and 3.5-liter V6 that power Lotus' sports cars, but driving all four wheels. A hybrid system could follow, and the finished product is likely to adopt a nameplate starting with the letter E – in the grand tradition of the Elise, Exige, Evora, Esprit, Europa, Elan, et al. According to Gales, "Our car will drive beautifully. It will be supple and comfortable but the emphasis will be on handling. It will be the lightest and fastest of its class on the track." This would be the first crossover Lotus would design, engineer and actually bring to market, but not, strictly speaking, the first time it has toyed with the idea. There was the APX concept (pictured here) it showcased in 2006 and the T5 that Proton essentially licensed Chinese automaker Youngman to build with Lotus' name on it. But the former was never put into production and the latter wasn't a proper Lotus. The design is currently being worked out before a prototype can be put together so that the joint venture can get the manufacturing license it needs from the Chinese government. So we're likely looking at another year or two before we see something solid. "Let's get the design right, then make a prototype," said Gales. "Let's make it beautiful and very light.

Lotus Exige Sport 350 adds even more lightness

Lotus is constantly looking for more weight to cut out of models like the Elise and Exige, as light as they already are. The company somehow found 112 lbs to carve out of the Exige, and the result is the new Sport 350 you see here. Following the reveal of the Elise Sport and Elise Sport 220, the new Exige Sport 350 weighs just 2,480 pounds. That's 112 pounds less than the existing featherlike Exige S, with its aluminum chassis and composite bodywork. To cut weight where there was so little to be cut, the engineers in Hethel fitted a new louvered tailgate, battery, engine mounts, center console, HVAC piping, and insulation materials. All of those new components are lighter than the ones they replace, fulfilling company founder Colin Chapman's ethos of "adding lightness." The 3.5-liter supercharged V6 carries over with the same output of 345 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. But with less weight to move, the Exige Sport 350 will now reach 60 from a standstill in just 3.7 seconds, topping out at 170 miles per hour. With it, Lotus also retuned the suspension and the six-speed manual gearbox, which now features a deliciously exposed linkage. A six-speed automatic is also available, adding 12 lbs to the curb weight and altering performance only negligibly. Deliveries will begin in February across Europe before reaching markets overseas in March (around the same time that the Exige Sport 350 Roadster will follow). Unfortunately North America isn't one of those markets, since both the Elise and Exige were withdrawn from these shores in 2011. Hope springs eternal, however, that the next generation will reach us sometime after 2020. New Lotus Exige Sport 350 – Light is Right · 51 kg lighter than previous Exige S · 345 hp and in excess of 300 hp/tonne · 0-60 mph in 3.7 Seconds and top speed of 170 mph · Heritage Tartan interior and new colour and trim options As the ultimate incarnation of the world famous Exige, Lotus has revealed the Sport 350, the latest version of the class-leading and award winning sports car, that's lighter and faster than ever before. The new Exige Sport 350 is the next model in the range to mark the reintroduction of the renowned 'Sport' naming designation. It joins the recently announced Lotus Elise Sport and Elise Sport 220 – delivering a lighter and even more performance-focused driving experience.

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.