Lotus
Lotus Lola LMP2 Headed to Le Mans
The German-based Kodewa team will be campaigning a pair of Lola LMP2 Coupes in this year’s FIA World Endurance Championship which includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Lola LMP2 race cars are designed and built in Huntingdon UK and will be powered by an engine provided by the Lotus Group. The Lola B12/80…
Lotus-Parent Proton Sold to Private Conglomerate DRB-Hicom
In a deal eclipsing $410 million, DRB-Hicom purchased a 43 percent stake in Proton, a Malaysian automaker better known for its ownership of the famous British sports car brand, Lotus. Originally, the stake belonged to Malaysia’s state-owned Khazanah Nasional Bhd. However, as Proton has not made a profit in the last two years, multiple prospective…
Proton Could Sell Lotus Admits CEO
Rumors of the sale of Lotus by its Malaysian parent company Proton have increased steadily since the appointment of CEO Dany Bahar, who has done little to dissuade the rumors. Rather than a sign of instability, Proton has committed to funding the “new Lotus”, and Bahar’s actions have helped keep the small sports car maker…
Proton to Sell Lotus: Rumors Surface Once Again
The New Year may be just around the corner, but it’s never too early to spread some rumors. Proton Holdings is believed to be seriously considering the sale of their Lotus sports car division, a brand that has never made a profit for the Malaysian-based company. Proton originally purchased the British sports car brand in…
Lotus Evora GTE Looks Race Ready On The Track
Knowing that the 444-hp Lotus Evora GTE will be making its way to America makes us giddy. So naturally, when we saw more photos of the most powerful Lotus ever made, we had to share them with the rest of the world. Up until now, we’ve basically been treated to seeing the Evora GTE under…
Lotus Fires Up First IndyCar Engine
Lotus Motorsport achieved a couple of major milestones recently, firing up their first ever IndyCar engine while also giving their Exige R-GT Rally car its first shakedown runs – both of which occurred within 24 hours. On December 22nd at Dallara’s headquarters in Varano Melegari, Palma, Lotus successfully started up the first official IndyCar engine…
Lotus Named Featured Brand at 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed
Every year an automaker is chosen to be celebrated at the Goodwood Festival of Speed with an artistic installation directly in front of the historic Goodwood house in West Sussex, England, and a host of classic and shiny new cars on display. For 2012 it will be the iconic English brand Lotus. This acknowledgement comes at important time in…
Lotus Esprit Will Be Hybrid, Performance Models Gas Only
Lotus has plans to release their new next-generation Esprit at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show and more details were recently released on their next sports car. The base model Esprit will be a hybrid, sporting a 100-hp electric motor and a naturally aspirated V8 engine. Other variants of the Lotus will be more race inspired,…
Lotus City Car on Sale in 2014, Priced Below Aston Martin Cygnet
Lotus and its parent company, Proton, will be releasing their City Car to rival the new Aston Martin Cygnet and will be a production version of the Ethos concept originally seen at the Paris Auto Show. The vehicle will first be offered as a Proton, with the Lotus version coming at a later date with…
2012 Lotus Exige To Be Sold In America As Track-Only Car, $85,000 MSRP
Lotus will offer the Exige in 2012 as a track-only car in America, despite killing off the street-legal Elise and Exige due to air bag laws and the discontinuation of the car’s 1.8L Toyota 4-cylinder motor. The 2012 Exige for North America will be based on the Exige S and get a 3.5L supercharged V6…
GM Back in Talks With Lotus Parent Company Proton
General Motors is reviving negotiations that were scrapped back in 2007 with Lotus parent company Proton Holdings, Malaysia’s biggest auto manufacturer. Both brands are looking to form a manufacturing venture in the Southeast Asian country. A collaboration between the two parties would probably be mutually beneficial, with GM getting access to Proton’s production in Southeast…
Chinese Bank May Come To Saab’s Rescue
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Saab’s sob story saga might be coming to an end, though the information surrounding their pending acquisition is murky at best. Rumors swirled quickly around the media yesterday that the Bank of China, fourth-largest by market value had planned to acquire just under 50 percent of the company. Those reports are now being corrected— it’s a bank in…
Lotus Debuts New Evora GTE By Swizz Beatz
The Evora GTE is the most powerful Lotus to date, making 444 horsepower with a 3.5-liter v6, but track-bred performance isn’t quite enough to make it pop. Instead Lotus signed a deal with rapper/producer Swizz Beatz to collaborate on a special line of cars that have hiphop swag. This isn’t the first time an automaker…
Lotus Cars USA Announces New CEO
Lotus Cars USA made the public announcement that former Ferrari CEO Maurizio Parlato is the new CEO of their U.S. operation. Parlato has actually been with the company for a few months, but Lotus spokesman Kevin Smith told Automotive News Lotus hadn’t made the announcement until recently because they had been too busy appearing at auto shows. Parlato’s…
Kimi Raikkonen Returns To F1 In 2012 With Lotus GP
The 2007 Formula 1 world champion Kimi Raikkonen is making a comeback to the sport after a two-year break. However, its not like he was sitting at home doing nothing for the last two years. Raikkonen dabbled in WRC rallying, and also tried his luck in the NASCAR Truck Series. But it’s F1 where his…
Lotus V8 Engine For New Esprit To Pack 620 Horsepower
Little development has been revealed by Lotus since they first announced their line-up revamp at the 2010 Paris Auto Show. However, sources report Lotus has got all hands on deck to make sure its dedicated in-house V-8 will be complete by late-2013. The engine is designed to serve duty in the mid-engined Esprit as well…
Lotus Launches in China With Beijing Dealership, 10 More to Follow Next Year
There used to be a time when any car company hoping to succeed in business would open up shop in North America. While North America remains one of the key markets for car companies, the new focus is on emerging markets, with China as the number one choice. Group Lotus is the latest to enter…
Lotus Elise, Exige Recalled For Oil Cooler Defects
Lotus Elise and Exige sports cars manufactured between June 1, 2004 and November 30, 2006 are subject to replacement of a faulty oil cooler line, which may be prone to leak oil or suffer from the line detaching completely. If attention isn’t given at a timely matter, the defect can cause slippery oil to coat…
Lotus Secures Regional Growth Fund Cash to Further Model Development
Keep an eye on Lotus over the next six years, they just won a bid for this round of the Regional Growth Fund (RGF). Lotus CEO Danny Bahar said in a press release that the money will help the company refresh its line of sports cars with best in class performance and emissions. The RGF…
Lotus Evora S GP Edition Celebrates Return to F1
Honoring the Lotus Renault Formula One Grand Prix team, the British sports car company is giving three passionate UK enthusiasts the opportunity to own a very custom car. The GP Edition Evora S is fully loaded with the Premium Pack with SuedeTex, Lotus’ Tech Pack and a set of 19-inch forged diamond cut wheels. The…
Group Lotus Fields Works Karting Effort
Under the guise of the ‘Lotus Racing Kart’s banner, the company, in conjunction with Jefra Racing, will operated a full factory effort in the 2012 CIK-FIA World Karting Championship and to boot, the team’s cars will sport the unmistakable black and gold livery, made famous by Lotus Formula 1 racers during the 1970s and much...
Lotus Ethos City Car To Arrive In 2013 With $45,000 Price Tag
Following in the footsteps of the Aston Martin Cygnet, Lotus will introduce their own City Car, apparently dubbed the Ethos, in late 2013. First unveiled at the 2010 Paris Auto Show, the Ethos will be powered by a hybrid powertrain or possibly a fully electric system like the Nissan Leaf. The concept used a 1.2L…
Lotus Evora GTE Confirmed for U.S. Sale
It’s billed as the most powerful Lotus ever made. Based on the brand’s Le Mans racing car it’s also the most hard core. And now you’ll be able to buy one, in America! Speaking with Ian Fry, platform manager for the Evora at Lotus Cars Limited at the car’s unveiling at the Frankfurt Motor Show,…
Lotus Reveals Bespoke Engine On Facebook
After decades of borrowing powertrains from Ford, Renault, Toyota and other OEMs, Lotus has revealed some of the first pictures of a working engine, designed and built in-house. From the photo released on Facebook, the engine appears to be a DOHC V8 with a racy looking intake plenum and airbox setup, similar to an Italian…
