1994 Lotus Esprit S4 Coupe - (musuem Quality Collector Series) on 2040-cars

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Lotus runs the Emira hard - and sideways - on track

Lotus sent Gavin Kershaw – the British automaker's attributes and product integrity director – out on track with an Emira and a camera crew. In between reminding us that manual transmissions are wonderful and getting the Emira increasingly sideways, Kershaw's job was to explain how the last ICE-powered Lotus is still a Lotus. In this extended teaser, Kershaw offers us a look at a fresh new tidbit, that being the car's four driving modes. "Tour" mode will handle everyday driving, programmed for "maximum stability and control." "Sport" does what we all expect "Sport" to do, tightening responses and loosening slip angles. "Race" opens up even more slip angle, and changes the gauge cluster to display racy dials like the performance tachometer. Then there's the wonderfully named "Fully Off," which shuts down every nanny save the ABS. And remember, the Emira will be offered with two suspensions, either standard Tour or stiffer Sport, and will only come with hydraulic steering. Sounds like Lotus has delivered on its quest to make the Emira "for the drivers."  The engine in the V6 First Edition is the same Toyota-sourced supercharged 3.5-liter V6 found in the Evora, producing 400 horsepower and 310 or 317 pound-feet of torque depending on transmission — the automatic gets the greater torque, but why would you do that? This one comes just about fully loaded, graced with the Driver's Pack, Lower Black Pack, Design Pack, and Convenience Pack, plus optional 20-inch wheels with diamond-cut two-tone finish and two-piece brake discs with branded calipers. It won't cost anything to swap the wheels for silver or black versions. The only other big-time options we know about so far are the $1,400 Extended Black Pack, which adds more black accents in places like the roof, mirror caps, and exhaust finishers, and the $2,150 six-speed automatic to replace the six-speed manual.  Next year's base model will run with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder procured from AMG, producing 360 hp and shifting through a dual-clutch transmission.  While you wait, the Emira V6 First Edition configurator is online and ready for flights of fancy. To get in one when they begin arriving Stateside, the V6 First Edition opens up the bidding in early 2022 at $93,900. Late 2022 brings a base four-cylinder Emira that starts at $74,900. Neither of those prices includes destination. Related Video This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences.

Lotus Evora 400 Roadster won't save the brand, and that's okay

There may not be a more disappointing brand in the United States than Lotus. It's not because the British brand can't make a good car. In fact, it's quite the opposite. The big problem with Lotus is that it builds highly compelling cars, but can't actually sell them in America because it can't afford to make them meet the complicated set of safety requirements required by US regulators. That makes us sad. Fortunately, there's one upcoming exception. For 2017, Lotus is bringing the Evora 400 to our shores, and a North American version of the Sport 410 has been promised. We welcome them with open arms and a proper pair of Southcombe driving gloves. But that one model line isn't going to be enough to keep Lotus in the minds and hearts of driving enthusiasts from sea to shining sea, nor will it keep the admittedly small number of US dealers happy. As pleased as we are to see reports that a Roadster version of the latest Evora is on the way, more will be needed. Lotus told Autocar that it expects the convertible to account for half of its sales here in the States, and we don't doubt that. But it's still just another version of the same automobile, and 500-700 additional sales is not going to be enough to reestablish Lotus as a legitimate sportscar contender here in America. For that, it's going to need another model line or two, hopefully at an entry-level pricepoint. A range-topping halo car wouldn't hurt, either. On the bright side, the Evora Roadster sounds like a solid step in the right direction. It's apparently just as stiff and lightweight as the coupe – "It's so simple it makes you wonder why it wasn't done six years ago," says Lotus chief Jean-Marc Gales – and that means its 400-horsepower, supercharged V6 engine will still propel it from 0-60 in 4.1 seconds and to a top speed of 186 miles per hour. Plus, the Lotus name is well established and highly respected. We don't think we're smarter than the men and women leading Lotus in the UK. So, we're sure Lotus doesn't expect the Evora Roadster to completely reverse its unfortunate fortunes in the States. The promise of a new Elise in 2020 ought to help in that regard, assuming it will be more attainable than the $90,000 Evora. In the meantime, we can't wait to feel that familiar wind-in-the-hair excitement we're sure the Lotus Evora Roadster will provide.

Lotus sells loads more cars, earns way more money

Sports-car company Lotus has reason to be excited. It released some facts on its sales and financial performance for the 2016 and 2017 fiscal year, and it has seen some impressive improvements. According to the company, it sold nearly 60 percent more cars in mainland Europe compared with the 2015/2016 fiscal year, and it sold six times as many cars in the U.S. compared with that year. This helped it go from a loss of GBP16.3 million for the previous year in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) to a GBP2 million profit EBITDA. The fact that those numbers are given before all those extra expenses is noteworthy, though, as it means the company isn't truly profitable yet, despite major gains. The company did report numbers that only excluded tax, and those show the company still lost money. But the good news is that it lost much, much less money than the year before. Before taxes for the 2015/2016 fiscal year, the company lost GBP41.2 million, and this year, it only lost GBP11.2 million. The company expects it will be profitable before tax in the coming year. So Lotus isn't perfectly healthy yet, but this, combined with Geely's recent acquisition, shows it's well on its way to becoming fit as a fiddle. We like the cars Lotus makes, so we hope that things keep getting better, and that we'll maybe get more Lotus models in the future, beyond just the Evora road car and 3-Eleven track car. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Lotus Evora 400: First Drive View 29 Photos Image Credit: Lotus Earnings/Financials Lotus Coupe Lightweight Vehicles Performance