1971 Lotus 11 Westfield Ultra Rare Super Exiciting on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Lotus Type 132 electric crossover spotted testing in China

Thanks to Carscoops, we know that Weibo Chinese social media user Ductile Iron BX spotted a Lotus Type 132 prototype testing on Chinese roads. This is the vehicle that will inaugurate the English sports car maker's transition to a battery-electric future and its future as a purveyor of crossovers, the once dirty word among the light-and-simple crowd that's just too profitable to ignore. In profile, the long, low roof makes the Type 132 look more like a jacked-up Allroad-style wagon than a traditional crossover. The heavy camo can't hide the jutting tail that holds a deployable spoiler. Those regular-sized wheels look good, but they don't fill the arches that way we've come to expect from speedy SUVs; we won't be surprised if larger rims appear on the debut model, with an option for even larger rims. The treatment of the rear quarter glass, which looks like a vent, is a neat touch. We know black drapery hides other touches like an active lower grille, its hexagonal mesh peppered with panels that twirl open to provide the right combination of powertrain cooling and vehicle aerodynamics, and some kind of sensor unit rising from the roof. Nor can the camouflage hide the sharp lines throughout, from the concave front fascia to the arced rear fenders to the dramatic rear bumper. This could be a good looking start to Lotus' people-hauler era. The Type 132 is expected to debut this spring, riding on the firm's Evolution Architecture for premium vehicles and featuring 800-volt electrics and a battery with a possible 120-kilowatt capacity. Lotus has said the crossover will reach 60 miles per hour in under 3. seconds, an estimate that probably refers to the dual-motor version that might put out as much as 750 horsepower. Even though the Type 132's place in the luxury segment will see it lined up against entries like the Aston Martin DBX and Porsche Cayenne, this being the first super-sporty CUV from this OEM, it will undoubtedly spend the early part of its life thrown into battles with the Tesla Model X. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

China's Geely buying majority stake in Lotus

Geely, the Hong Kong car company that owns Volvo, is acquiring control of British car company Lotus. Geely is purchasing a 51-percent stake in Lotus from struggling Malaysian car company Proton, and a 49.9 percent stake in Proton itself. Etika Automotive will gain the other 49 percent of Lotus. France's PSA Group and Japan's Suzuki had apparently also been interested in acquiring Proton. Geely says it plans to revive both Proton and Lotus. "The agreement lays the foundation for a wider framework for both Geely Holding, Proton and Lotus to explore joint synergies in areas such as research and development, manufacturing and market presence," Geely said in a news release. Those joint synergies will be highlighted by the lightweight chassis technology Lotus is known for, which could help Geely improve fuel efficiency. Geely CFO Daniel Donghui Li said the company aims to "unleash the full potential of Lotus Cars" by expanding and accelerating new products and technologies. Proton was nationally held but was privatized in 2007 to Malaysian conglomerate DRB-Hicom, which is owned by tycoon Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary. It was supposed to be the flagship for Malaysia's economic development.Though it owns two factories, Proton mainly rebadges foreign-made cars and sells them in Malaysia. What it has, what Geely presumably wants, is a distribution network in Southeast Asia to pit Chinese cars against Japanese automotive dominance in the region. Retaining a 50.1-percent stake in Proton is seen as a face-saving move. "Proton will always remain a national car and a source of pride, as Proton will still have a majority hold of 50.1 percent," Malaysian finance official Johari Abdul Ghani said. "Our very own much-loved brand now has a real chance in making a comeback, a huge one I hope." Related Video:

Watch some vintage F1 cars blast up a Japanese mountain road

It's a rare treat to see classic Formula One cars racing anywhere, but watching them on a Japanese mountain road is absolutely sublime. The folks behind Motorhead from Japan took over the toll road's twisting stretch of tarmac to turn this impossible dream into a reality. The unusual opportunity of a closed mountain road would be a waste for only two vehicles, and there were plenty of drivers in amazing machines that wanted to blast up the hill. After the vintage F1 cars got their turn, some drifters in a Nissan GT-R and a Toyota GT86 added some tire smoke to the misty mountain air. A couple more GT-R racecars and some modern sports cars eventually joined them. Before the rain hit, this team had quite a party going on. This video features amazing camera work, but the music unfortunately drowns out the chance to hear these amazing racecars. If watching this leaves you wanting more, Motorhead released a video last year of another group of impressive performance vehicles on the mountain road.