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Lotus bankruptcy case dismissed in UK

Times have not been easy for Lotus lately, so when its name came up on a list of companies scheduled for a liquidation court, it seemed like the end could be near for the fabled British builder of lightweight sports cars. As it turns out, Lotus was on the Companies Court Winding Up list in the UK due to a contractual dispute with a supplier, and the High Court has since dismissed the case.
According to Autocar, Lotus and the supplier actually resolved their issue earlier in the year, but the process couldn't be stopped until seen by a judge. The report says that the case was initiated when Group Lotus failed to pay some of its debts, which is probably a fair indication that Lotus is far from out of the weeds in regards to its financial difficulties.

Lotus Cars, Williams Advanced Engineering announce technical partnership

Sports car company Lotus announced a technology development partnership with Williams Advanced Engineering, more commonly referred to simply as Williams. Lotus says the partnership will be specifically focused on propulsion systems. And this has us very excited. Lotus doesn't need much introduction; it makes ultralight and spectacular handling sports cars. Williams is a bit more obscure, but it works on some of the coolest vehicles in the world. For decades the company has participated in Formula 1, and still has a team competing. It developed a wild 500-horsepower flat-six engine for Singer, and it worked with Jaguar on the C-X75 concept car and made stunt versions for the James Bond movie "Spectre." The company even has electric car experience with four seasons of Formula E and development work on the Aston Martin Rapide E on its prodigious resume. The subtext of these various Williams projects is that we could see almost any kind of powertrain show up in Lotus sports cars in the future. The companies could have some high-revving, high-output internal combustion engines for the near-term, then they could create electric drivetrains for future Lotus cars. Think first-generation Tesla Roadster but developed by a company with racing experience. Perhaps the two could even create some hybrids in between launches of the two powertrain types. Of course we're speculating, but none of this out of the question considering Williams' capabilities. In fact, since the Formula E experience is specifically highlighted in the Lotus announcement, we bet electric Lotus cars are all but guaranteed. We will be watching for developments with great anticipation. Related Video:

Caterham inks US distribution deal with Superformance

Sort of like an automotive big box store, Superformance is rapidly becoming the destination for anyone interested in modern kit cars. Besides the normal spattering of Shelby Cobra replicars, Superformance also offers replicas of the GT40 and Corvette Grand Sport. Now, we can add an altogether different type of DIY car to the company's portfolio - Caterham.
Superformance has just been announced as the new US distributor for Caterham Cars, effectively adding the entire suite of Lotus variants to the company's catalog. While there will be a large variety of models available, according to Caterham the mix will skew toward more powerful offerings. As much as we like the affordable appeal of a Seven 160 or Roadsport, simply having the wildly powerful 620 R or Superlight R500 available in the US is a good thing for enthusiasts.
"In the last two years, Caterham has significantly broadened its reach internationally and signing a new official distributor in the form of Superformance in America is a natural extension of how our brand is expanding, rapidly, across the globe," Caterham Group CEO Graham Macdonald said. Read more in the press release below.