Lotus
Lotus Planning Hard-Core Evora Model With 400-HP
Having just introduced the high-performance Evora S model, Lotus will look to further expand the Evora range, adding a flagship track-inspired version to its lineup. Set to get a new higher-output version of the supercharged 3.5-liter V6 used in the Evora S making as much as 400-hp, the car will also get a stripped-down cockpit….
Lotus Exige Rally Car to Debut at Frankfurt Auto Show
Lotus is planning to build a Exige-based rally car that it will debut later this year at the Frankfurt Auto Show. The decision to enter the pro-rallying ranks is the latest move by the British sports car maker to further expand its motorsports activities that currently stretch from GT car racing at Le Mans to…
Le Mans Winning Mazda 787B To Partake In Goodwood Festival Of Speed Hill Climb
The famous 1991 24-Hours of Le Mans winner, the Mazda 787B will be featured at this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. Ex-Formula 1 driver and Le Mans veteran Mike Wilds and current Mazda works driver Mark Ticehurst will be racing the 787B up the hallowed Goodwood hill for the festival this weekend. The race car…
Lotus Releases “The Road to Le Mans”; Like “Truth in 24” But Without the Budget [Video]
It might not have the ultra-high production quality of Audi’s “Truth in 24” documentary, but Lotus has just released a short video detailing the British sports car maker’s journey to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The four minute featurette aptly named “The Road to Le Mans” follows the factory Lotus team and the development…
Lotus Offers $1500 Carbon Fiber Backgammon Set
There’s no punch line needed for this story: if you’ve always wanted a lavishly expensive backgammon set and pieces made from the wunderkind material, carbon fiber, than look no further than Lotus. For $1,536, you can lose gammons and raccoon the beaver (this is apparently a real thing) on a sleek green and grey board wrapped in…
Lotus Confirms Use Of V8 Engine
Lotus has officially confirmed the use of its own V8 engine which will first be featured in the 2013 Esprit. Lotus is following its ‘New Era’ plan to launch five new models with less reliance on Toyota engines. Lotus decided last Christmans to design and develop its own V8 engine. Chief executive of Lotus, Dany…
Lotus Esprit Could Get a Dual-Clutch Transmission
Lotus recently announced its intention to build an in-house V8 engine for its upcoming line of exotic sports cars. Making as much as 570-hp from a displacement of just 4.8-liters the sophisticated powerplant may be joined by an equally high-tech automatic transmission. Back in January of last year it was revealed that Lotus was working…
Lotus Opens New Test Track In Hethel
Dany Bahar, the man responsible for running Lotus at the moment, has his fair share of critics. However, he is moving the brand forward through expansion, and his latest move is to give this famed British marque a brand new test track. The new Lotus Test Track is situated in Hethel, U.K., a stone throws…
Lotus Ethos Set for 2014 Launch Based on Emas City Car Concept
Amidst all the sexy and exciting sports cars Lotus unveiled at the Paris Auto Show last year, tucked away in a back corner was the Emas Concept. A small city car, it was perhaps the most likely of the concepts, combining the automaker’s talents for light weight vehicles with nimble handling, wrapped up in an…
Lotus Is Coming To China
Lotus has officially announced that Lotus is opening dealerships in China. Lotus China Symphony will be appointed as the official distributor for the British sports cars in China. The dealership will be based out of Beijing and will offer a full range of Lotus sports cars including the Evora, the Elise and the Exige. China…
New Lotus Esprit Offers “Authentic” Driving Experience
According to the CEO Lotus, Dany Bahar, the new Lotus Esprit will offer a more “authentic” driving experience than its rivals, the Ferrari 458 Italia and McLaren MP4-12C. Bahar has also claimed that the Esprit will “have the character and emotion” that McLaren lacks. The all-new Esprit will launch in the spring of 2013 and…
Lotus Mulling Open Top Evora Designs, More Versions to Follow
With the Elise and Exige about ready to be retired, soon the only model in the Lotus lineup will be the new Evora. A new Elise won’t arrive for several years. The same goes for the flagship Esprit. So to keep the company afloat and improve sales Lotus is looking to grow the Evora range….
Lotus Esprit Delayed; Will Get In-House V8, Shocking Price Tag
The new Esprit will make it to market, but not as early as Lotus had hoped. Speaking at the launch of the new Evora S model in San Jose, Lotus Cars USA PR boss Kevin Smith confirmed that due to a decision by Lotus to produce its own engine for the car, it won’t make…
Tesla Preps To Produce Next Generation EVs At The NUMMI Plant
Tesla Motors has planned to begin building prototypes of its Model S electric sedan in the third quarter at the NUMMI plant located in Fremont, Calif, which was acquired from Toyota last year. Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated the project will involve a $500 million investment. The Model S is slated for production in mid-2012…
Check Out The Nordschleife & Spa In A Lotus with RSRNurburg
The RSRNurburg school runs a fleet of brand new Lotus cars at the Nurburgring and Spa-Francorchamps for those feeling the need for speed. Based out of Nurburg, Germany, the company allows drivers to sample a new Lotus Exige S’s and track the car on both the Nuburgring in Germany and the Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. As…
Lotus Elise And Exige Production For North America Ending In August
According to a report from Autoblog North American-spec production of the Lotus Elise and Exige will end in August, leaving the brand with only the Evora to sell as its sole product. Since its debut in 2004 the Elise, and its hardtop Exige sibling have won accolades from enthusiasts and journalists alike, but have always…
Lotus Developing New Engines For Its New Models
Ever since the Lotus Esprit V8 went out of production in 2004, Lotus has been exclusively using Toyota engines for its cars. While these motors have provided power and reliability, many customers of the brand feel that the company should have its own engines. After all, can you imagine a Ferrari being powered by anything…
Lotus Appeals F1 Name Ruling
What season of F1 would be complete without the off-track drama? The complex battle between racing teams Group Lotus and Team Lotus rages on, indicating that the previous ruling for the rights to the Lotus name didn’t end the dispute yet. Turns out, the high court judge had given Group Lotus the go-ahead to use…
Lotus CEO Denies Plans To Spin Lotus From Proton
Lotus impresario and well-coiffed CEO Dany Bahar has denied reports that he’s planning to divorce Lotus from its Malaysian parent company Proton—right after he mentioned that, well, he might. During a recent interview, Bahar mentioned that he wanted to bring Lotus up to Porsche-killing standards, and in order to do so, he would have to…
2012 Lotus Elise And Evora Get 150 Changes
Lotus has plans to improve both the Elise and Evora with a list of 150 items. Improvements are centered around the Evora, and are designed to boost dwindling sales and bridge the styling gap between the current car and the next wave of Lotus’ due 2013. Changes include improved gearchange quality, throttle response and exhaust…
Lotus Looking to Partner With a Major Automaker Says Company CEO
Lotus CEO Dany Bahar has made numerous changes to the storied British brand since he joined the company in 2009 and he’s not done yet. In a recent interview he made known his desire to see Lotus split off from its current Malaysian owner Proton, in search of a major global automaker – like Toyota….
Lotus Wins Formula 1 Naming Dispute
Group Lotus, the carmakers, and Team Lotus, the racing team, have been battling it out off the track over the rights to use the name “Lotus.” And in a decision awarded this weekend, Group Lotus has come out on top. Team Lotus traces its lineage back to Colin Chapman’s original Formula 1 efforts in 1952,…
Lotus Elan Axed from Future Product Lineup
The Lotus Elan has been put on hold indefinitely, reportedly due to the rather obvious fact that the concept was too close to the brand’s current Evora model. Previously, rumors had indicated Lotus was taking a close look at both the Esprit and Elite models, which share many of the same components and have similar…
Bob Lutz Breaks Down The Failure Of America’s Auto Industry
Auto industry legend Bob Lutz may no longer be in the employ of the Big Three, but that hasn’t ever stopped “Maximum Bob” from giving his two cents on what the industry could do improve upon At the New York Auto Show, Lutz held court for a handful of journalists and expanded on what he…
