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Watch the Lotus 3-Eleven run down Porsches and destroy the Nurburgring

The Lotus 3-Eleven is the automaker's most powerful production machine to date. Roughly a year ago, Lotus set out to show just how capable the 3-Eleven is by sending the open-top track-focused machine to the Nurburgring. Lotus claims the car set a blistering time of 7:06 around the track. Now in a belated celebration, automaker released two new, short clips of the vehicle sprinting around the Green Hell. There's no questioning just how capable the 3-Eleven is. In both videos, which are shot from the driver's seat, the track car chases down various Porsches at an impressive rate. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. While there's some controversy over how Lotus set the time, the 3-Eleven's claimed Nurburgring pace is quicker than a Nissan GT-R Nismo and is just four seconds slower than a Lamborghini Aventador LP750-4 SV. Earlier this year, Germany's Sport Auto magazine took the 3-Eleven to the Hockenheimring where the track car managed to set a new record, besting the likes of the Porsche 918 Spyder. With a claimed dry weight of just 1,962 pounds, the 3-Eleven focuses emphasizes lightweight structure over massive power. Still, it's Lotus' most powerful production car with a 3.5-liter supercharged V6. In the right hands, the 3-Eleven can sprint to 60 mph in 3.0 seconds and managed to lap the automaker's test track 10 seconds quicker than the Evora 400. Marc Basseng, the racecar driver piloting the 3-Eleven, claimed the 3-Eleven could go even faster around the Nurburgring with less traffic. After watching these new clips, we would have to agree. Related Video:

Volkswagen looking to acquire Proton, Lotus?

Let's say you're an automaker bent on world domination looking to grow your sales. That's going to have you looking at Asian markets, because that's where some of the biggest growth has been, and that's exactly what Volkswagen is doing as it considers making another run at Malaysia's Proton.
Reuters reports that Volkswagen is interested in at least a partial stake, if not a controlling interest in Lotus-parent Proton as a way to continue a production presence in the region without having to build its own factory.
Volkswagen already builds the Passat in a DRB-HICOM facility in Pekan, Malaysia, and plans are in place to build the Jetta and Polo there, as well. With both southeast Asia and its relationship with Proton figuring so importantly in Volkswagen's plans for expansion, buying into Proton can help ensure stability. Volkswagen is being tight-lipped about the whole idea, but CEO Martin Winterkorn did recently say, "it's our clear goal to continue the successful (expansion) course of past years with great dynamics and stability," which sounds an awful lot like deals are on the table to smooth the path to further growth.

Lotus announces four EVs and moves its technology division to China

Lotus took a big leap towards the mainstream with the announcement it's building four new EVs, and only one is a sports car. The others include a sedan and two SUVs. And on top of the new product announcements, the automaker revealed its Lotus Technology division is going to set up headquarters in Wuhan, China. With the Elise out of the picture and its pockets full of cash from Geely – parent company to Volvo, too – Lotus is moving forward with its ambitious expansion plans. It announced it will grow its line-up of models with four electric cars shown in the sketch above: an SUV called Type 132 internally and due out in 2022, a sedan marketed as a four-door coupe known as Type 133 and expected to go on sale in 2023, a second SUV referred to as the Type 134 that will make its debut in 2025, and a sports car currently dubbed Type 135 that we'll allegedly see in 2026. This isn't the first time Lotus has made wild claims about its future, but this time it might actually have the funds to pull it off. We knew that an SUV was in the pipeline, leaked patent images may have revealed its exterior design, but the sedan and the second high-riding model are new additions to the company's product roadmap. Lotus explained its so-called "premium lifestyle" vehicles (read: four-door models) will all ride on a new platform called Lotus Premium that's said to be highly modular. Its wheelbase can vary from about 114 to 122 inches, and it can take battery packs with a capacity of 92 to 120 kilowatt hours. It's also compatible with an 800-volt charging system, and Lotus claims vehicles built on the new architecture will be capable of reaching 60 mph from a stop in less than three seconds. As for the other news, while Lotus ostensibly remains based in Hethel, England, its historic home, the Lotus Technology subsidiary broke ground on a new facility in China in August 2021. Lotus explained it formed the division to develop batteries and energy management systems, electric motors, electric control systems and other EV components. Investing in Wuhan rather than in Hethel will certainly raise more than a few eyebrows. It's a move that brings Lotus closer to its parent company and some of its key investors, such as Nio, while pivoting it away from its historic home and its main markets.