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Lotus responds to rumors of demise, promises 2016 MY Evora

It's not been a great week for Lotus. Seven days ago, the UK-based automaker laid off a quarter of its workforce, terminating "up to 325 jobs." And then, just a few days ago, it was reported that the company would be ending US sales of its well-received Evora due to the expiration of an airbag exemption. The Evora is the only vehicle Lotus sells in the US, meaning its end effectively removes the brand from the market.
That was apparently a bridge too far, though, as the company has issued defiant statement, claiming it'll be back, in both the US and Canada, for model year 2016, with an air-bag compliant Evora.
"I know that this will be welcome news to our thousands of owners and fans in North America, but the reality is that there was never any intention to leave. The North American market is vitally important for us and we intend to expand our dealer network and grow our sales volumes in the future," Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Group Lotus said in a statement. "I would like to thank our fantastic Lotus following for their support over the years and remind them that we are working on many exciting products for the future. We will continue to explore our core values on how to make a sports car better by making it faster, lighter and maintain the pure driving experience."

Lotus Type 133 / Envya spy photos show it in thin camouflage

Lotus's upcoming electric sedan, codenamed Type 133 and potentially named Envya, has been caught in spy photos once again, and this time we get an impressively clear look thanks to thin, branded camouflage. It looks as long and slinky as ever, and design elements from the Lotus Eletre electric SUV are obvious. It also looks as though it's closely related to the Polestar 5 sedan. The nose of the Type 133 is a near note-for-note remake of the Eletre's, but significantly lower and flatter. Frankly, it's a much better execution of the design to these eyes. It has the split headlights and the hexagonal active grille shutters like the SUV, too. Close examination also shows that the upper headlights consist of two scowling lenses on each side, with the upper ones obscured by vinyl camoflage. The low nose rises quickly over a short hood into the long, raked roofline that continues right through to the tail. The Type 133 is absolutely a modern fastback-type sedan, and likely features a hatchback. At the leading edge of the roof, there's a sensor that's presumably for advanced driver aids, and is one of the signs that this car likely is closely related to the Polestar 5, which was previewed with a similar sensor. Around at the back, the Type 133's details are harder to see due to the final taillights not being installed. But it does appear to be getting full-width units, and there are some diffuser-like details in the rear bumper. Besides that aforementioned sensor, the whole car's shape, size and proportions look extremely close to the Polestar 5's and those of the Precept concept that previewed the Polestar. The low nose, long roof, roof sensor, flush door handles, they're all very similar. And with Geely owning both brands, it's not really a surprise. The same electric platform from the Eletre is likely powering the Type 133, and power could range from 595 to 893 horsepower. Battery packs could range from 92- to 120-kWh. With how finished and thinly disguised this prototype is, we think the Type 133 could be revealed sometime this year, possibly going on sale next year.  Related Video:

Lotus unveils new racing bike for British Olympics team

Lotus Engineering, the automotive consultancy and industrial design arm of the British performance car brand, has marked its return to competitive cycling with a sleek and lightweight new track bike that features novel fork, seat stays and handlebars. Developed in concert with Hope Technology, a British bike-components manufacturer, the bike is aimed at helping the Great Britain Cycling Team notch medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. For Lotus, the bike represents a return to cycling after a 25-year absence. It’s also a nod to the Lotus Type 108 bike Chris Boardman rode to a gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and in the 1994 Tour de France, where he won the prologue time trial to take the yellow jersey. Hope/Lotus British Cycling View 10 Photos WeÂ’re not given any details about the bikeÂ’s technology or specs, except that the Hope-designed frame is made of high-modulus composites with fabric woven in the U.K. Lotus was responsible for the unique fork and seat stays, with each characterized by slim polished metal tubing and a wide-flaring hooping design when viewed straight on. The handlebars similarly feature a flattened profile across the crossbar. Not surprisingly, the bike underwent lots of wind-tunnel testing, both with and without riders, plus testing to maximize strength with minimal weight. Lotus also said it worked to improve stiffness and front end feel. Much of the design and development was done after the 2016 Olympics, when the UCI governing body made changes to the rules governing bike development. Lotus and Hope were supported by British engineering firm Renishaw. The bikeÂ’s design must be approved by the UCI and be ridden by the Great Britain Cycling Team during the 2019–2020 Tissot UCI Track Cycling World Cup series by the end of this year in order to qualify to be ridden in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. TheyÂ’ll start riding it this weekend at the Minsk-Arena velodrome in Belarus, and November 8–10 in Glasgow, Scotland. ItÂ’ll also be displayed at the Rouler Classic event in London starting Friday and running through Sunday. Lotus Bicycle lotus engineering