2018 Evora 400 on 2040-cars

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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."

Kimi Raikkonen to miss rest of season for back surgery

Formula One drivers keep themselves in peak physical condition, such are the demands placed on them in order to do what they do. But otherworldly as their capabilities may be, they're still human, and that means they get injured or sick just like the rest of us.
Case in point: Kimi Raikkonen and the announcement made today by Lotus that he'll have to sit out the rest of the season in order to undergo back surgery. That means Lotus will have to find a replacement driver for the last two races in Austin and Brazil while Kimi has and recovers from the operation.
Though we wouldn't debate the legitimacy of Kimi's condition or the necessity to rectify it, the timing is sure to raise some eyebrows. Raikkonen has been at the center of a pay dispute with Lotus, and while the situation was reportedly resolved, his decision to undergo what is said to be elective surgery at this point in the season (as opposed to waiting until its end) raises some questions as to his commitment to the team he is leaving and his team's financial commitments to him in turn.

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.