Paul Tan's Automotive News» Lotus at Paul Tan’s Automotive News

Group Lotus hires new Director of Motorsport

Paul Tan — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:29:52 +0000

Group Lotus’s new motorsports ambitions will be spearheaded by its newly appointed Director of Motorsport Claudio Berro, who will report directly to CEO Dany Bahar. Both Berro and his boss Bahar are ex-Ferrari men. Berro was previously the Operations Racing Director for the Speedcar Middle-East International Race Series.

Before that, he held positions at Ferrari, Maserati and Fiat as Formula One Team Manager, Director responsible for all sport activities for Ferrari and Maserati (excluding F1), General Manager Maserati Corse and Director of Fiat Group’s Motorsport Activities, and Racing Operations Director for Abarth. So he’s definitely a man with experience.

“Lotus has a peerless motorsport heritage, not just in Formula One, but we have also won in sportscar racing, saloon car racing, world rally championships, Le Mans and the Indy 500. There is no other car company in the world which can lay claim to so many accolades and championships in such a wide variety of motorsport fields, and I am looking forward to re-introducing Lotus to high level motorsport to not only compete and win but also to demonstrate the shared technology between Lotus sportscars and future racing cars,” said Berro.

Of course, Lotus is also in Formula One, except it actually isn’t. The new Lotus F1 Team is actually run by Litespeed in terms of technical expertise.

Related Posts:
Lotsu eyeing Indy car series, GT and Le Mans

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

Lotus Engineering’s new Versatile Vehicle Architecture – a technical presentation

Paul Tan — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:51:13 +0000

Lotus Engineering is currently pushing its Versatile Vehicle Architecture to any manufacturer that wants to license it as a base platform for future cars.

The Lotus Evora is the first production car to debut based on the VVA chassis and previously we’ve also seen the Lotus APX Concept which was also built on the VVA. It’s interesting how these two models could have come off the same base platform as the APX is a front engine crossover SUV kind of thing while the Evora is a mid-engine sports car.

The VVA allows for the development of a range of vehicles up to a gross vehicle weight of 1,900 kg. It is designed for low to mid volume applications and is an evolution of technology from the tub that forms the basis of the Elise, Exige and Europa. The tub now allows for ease of ingress and egress from the vehicle (it’s not exactly easy to get in and out of an Elise), build modularity and improved, lower-cost repairability.

View presentation in full screen for ease of reading

One of the key selling points is that usually when car manufacturers make a niche or halo vehicle, it rarely fits the kind of engineering that the rest of its product range does. Not every car company is like Toyota, able to quickly source a rear wheel drive platform and boxer engine from now-partly-owned Subaru. A halo sportscar that may require a bespoke platform will rarely fit in with the rest of the mundane front wheel drive sedans and hatches in terms of platform engineering.

So instead of spending lots of time and money on a bespoke niche platform, Lotus hopes car companies will come to them for the VVA instead. It has been designed so that it can be stretched in width, length and height. The strength and stiffness of the low volume VVA chassis can be modified cost-effectively by varying the wall thickness of the extrusions, without altering the exterior dimensions.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

Lotus Exige Stealth makes debut at Tokyo 2009

Paul Tan — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:04:48 +0000

The only recently unveiled Lotus Exige Scura was at the Tokyo Motorshow 2009 with the name Exige Stealth, which will be its name for the Japanese market. The Lotus stand was one of the very very few non-Japanese stands at this year’s Tokyo Motorshow and they displayed the Exige Scura/Stealth and the new Lotus Evora.

The Lotus Exige Stealth looks pretty good in real life. The matte black paint made it look like a military stealth vehicle of sorts. Lotus managed to execute the whole mini Reventon look kind of thing well. Look after the jump for the rest of the photos.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

Lotus eyeing Indy car series, GT and Le Mans

Harvinder Sidhu — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:40:56 +0000

Lotus’ newly appointed CEO Dany Bahar who used to serve for Ferrari revealed that he plans to bring Lotus back into the high-octane world of motorsport. “Lotus will return to motorsport. I believe that this is the perfect platform to showcase our capabilities; racing is part of our heritage and even today the technology in our road cars is derived from racing,” he said when addressing his staff for the first time.

The new boss of the Proton-owned company announced that the group is studying options of participating in Indy car series, GT as well as Le Mans. He also mentioned that the Group Lotus has no direct equity in the Lotus F1 project. Operationally, Lotus F1 will be run separately from Group Lotus and the two parties will liaise. At the moment, Proton is finalising the brand licensing of Lotus for the Lotus F1 team

Bahar also revealed that detailed plans for a product line-up along with plans for the next seven years will be released sometime in December. “Our future lies in aligning ourselves to what the market wants, rather than what we think the market wants; we must concentrate on our customers,” he added.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

Lotus Exige Scura: 35 unit limited edition with matte black paint goes 0-100km/h in 4.1s

Paul Tan — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:34:36 +0000

A new limited edition Lotus Exige has just been announced – the new Lotus Exige Scura. Scura means ‘dark’ in Italian and the pillar of the whole ‘indulge your dark side’ theme used as the launch theme is a soft-feel matte black paint finish with contrasting high-gloss Phantom Black triple stripes that run the length of the car. A carbon fibre front splitter, oil cooler intakes, side airscoops and a rear spoiler complete the looks.

The ‘Scura’ theme continues on the inside, with vast use of carbon fiber to both complement the exterior theme as well as reduce weight. The seats and center console are also made from carbon fiber and finished in high-gloss clear lacquer. The handbrake and gearknob have a special anodized treatment which leaves the metal with an anthracite colour finish.

The engine makes 260 PS at 8,000rpm from its supercharged intercooled 1.8 liter Toyota VVTL-i engine and thanks to its light weight of 925kg it takes the car from 0 to 100km/h in a blazing 4.1 seconds. The engine is sourced from the Exige Cup 260 and makes use of the Cup’s lightweight flywheel and lightweight supercharger piping. The dampers are Ohlins 2-way dampers mated to Eibach variable height springs. The wheels are matte black lgihtweight forged wheels wrapped with Yokohama A048 LTS tyres. The car also has variable slip traction control.

Only 35 units of the new Lotus Exige Scura are available. It is offered in Europe, South Korea, Australia, South Africa, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Indonesia and Malaysia. It will also be made available in Japan but the car will be called the Lotus Exige Stealth instead. It will be sold in the UK for £45,000 with an additional £950 to be charged for OTR costs such as delivery, PDI, first service, number plates, first registration fee, valet, 12 months Road Fund Licence and a full tank of fuel.

Look after the jump for a full photo gallery of the Scura.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

New Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar will race at the MME in Sepang next year

Paul Tan — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 06:13:47 +0000

I think for Malaysians at least, Lotus and endurance races seem to go together, thanks to the Lotus cars run by Proton and Empire Motorsports in the MME endurance race. Maybe Proton will be running this new baby next year – the new Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar. In fact, Lotus has already said that the car is scheduled to race in a few races and the MME is listed as one of them.

Based on the standard Evora road car, the Evora Type 124 (pronounced One Twenty-four) will make its 24 hour racing debut at the ADAC Nurburgring 24 hours race. According to Lotus, the Evora was designed for racing from the start and this made it very easy for the team to convert the Evora into a racecar, thanks to the mid-engine layout, stiff bonded aluminium chassis and lightweight forced aluminium wishbones for the suspension.

The Evora gets a race-tuned version of the Toyota V6 mated to a 6-speed sequential paddle shift racing gearbox, and it now produces over 400 PS which is well over the 100 PS per liter ratio. I wish they’d listed out more specifications as to the specs of the engine – I dig this kind of stuff. In stock form, the Evora makes 280 horsepower from its 3.5 liter V6 engine, but even for the road car its said that a supercharged version could come later putting out over 400 horses.

Loads of goodies are added to the car – AP Racing 6 pot brakes on both front and back, a race-tuned Bosch ABS system, 4-way adjustable dampers, adjustable anti-roll bars, 18 inch wheels (nice and wide 9.5 from and 11 at the rear) with Pirelli slicks, a full FIA rollcage, an FIA 120 liter ATL fuel system, FIA fire extinguisher, yet weight is cut down from the production car to under 1200kg depending on race regulations. This is thanks to the use of carbon fiber extensively in the rear wing, diffuser, font splitter, and body panels.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

Lotus Engineering to showcase 1.2 liter 3 cylinder range extender engine at Frankfurt

Paul Tan — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:51:23 +0000

Lotus will be showcasing its very own “range extender” powertrain at the Frankfurt motorshow this month. If you know how the Chevrolet Volt works you’ll basically have a gist about what range extenders are all about. A range extender engine does not power the car’s wheels. It either provides power to an electric motor or charges the vehicle’s battery, depending on needs as per what the management system tells it to do.

The Lotus Range Extender Engine is a 1.2 liter 3 cylinder engine. Its power/torque curve is optimised for 2 power generation points – 15kW (20hp) at 1,500rpm and 35kW (47hp) at 3,500rpm, which by the way is also its redline. The engine is most fuel efficient at these points in the RPM range so it can just run at these speeds without having to go into the other inefficient ranges because it does not drive the wheels directly. Peak torque is 107Nm at 2,500rpm.

The engine is a single cam engine with 2 valves per cylinder on a 10.0:1 compression ratio. It uses a monoblock construction with an integrated exhaust manifold, which means the head and block are integrated, removing the need for a head gasket. 17 parts are eliminated thanks to this and the water jacket can be optimised – the result is a dry weight of only 56kg. No fancy direct injection here – fuel is delivered via port injection and the minimum octane requirement is RON95. It can also run on ethanol or methanol.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

New Lotus CEO: Ferrari man Dany Bahar

Paul Tan — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:30:26 +0000

Proton’s Group Lotus now has a new CEO – Dany Bahar, a Swiss national. Some of you may notice his face is quite familiar, in fact he appeared most recently on this blog on one of Ferrari’s promotional videos of the new 458 Italia.

This is because Dany Bahar was the Senior VP of Commercial & Brand for Ferrari SpA where he oversaw sales, aftersales, marketing, licensing and merchandising for the prancing horse.

Now of course, he is in Group Lotus. Let’s hope he will do some good for Lotus, as ultimately their performance affects Proton.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

Lotus considering to produce a new Esprit?

Harvinder Sidhu — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 04:43:58 +0000

British-based sports car maker Lotus, is rumored to resurrect the Esprit sports car, which was first produced back in 1976 and starred in the 1977 Bond movie, The Spy Who Loved Me along side Roger Moore. Apparently, the new Esprit would go head to head with the Audi R8.

If there is any truth behind the rumor, expect the new model to feature a Toyota-sourced mid-mounted V8 motivator. The Esprit would also be bigger, both in terms of length and width, than the recently launched Lotus Evora.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

Lotus not happy about Litespeed’s “Team Lotus” Formula One 2010 entry

Paul Tan — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 02:32:07 +0000

F3 team Litespeed will be participating in the Formula One along with a few other new teams like Campos Racing, Lola, Prodrive (future Aston Martin) and USGPE for the 2010 season. But get this – they will be calling themselves Team Lotus.

The team founded by ex-Lotus employees Nino Judge and Steve Kenchington wants to use the Lotus brand name to help the team secure a place on the grid. They say they’ve licensed it, but the real Lotus has come out with a statement today saying they have nothing to do with the team and may take action to protect its brand name. It could be that Litespeed is only still in negotiations to license the name and Lotus is not too happy about them going around announcing it without confirmation.

“Team Lotus” will use Cosworth engines and a chassis designed by a team led by former Toyota and Renault technical director Mike Gascoyne. They will be leasing the RTN factory in Hingham near the real Lotus.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

All-electric Lotus Exige by Ecotricity

Harvinder Sidhu — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 03:34:30 +0000

Ecotricity is a British-based wind energy company and to help promote the usage of electric vehicles in the U.K, the company initiated the development process to produce an all electric Lotus Exige about seven months ago. The car which is now in its final stage of development is able to accelerate to the 100 km/h point in about 4 second all the way to a top speed of 225 km/h.

Ecotricity, which has an ultimate goal of seeing only electric cars in the U.K, assembled six highly trained engineers to work on the project. Collectively, all six engineers have worked on the development of the De Lorean, Jaguar XJR15, Corvette ZR1, Lotus Elan as well as the legendary McLaren F1 super car. Ecotricity also encourages electric vehicles to be recharged via its wind power turbine farms, but also revealed that the electric Exige can be recharged via a house hold power outlet.

The modified Lotus Exige now features a 90mm extended chassis, Brushless electric motors from America, a 96 lithium-ion polymer battery pack from Korea and LED turn indicators. The project, which thus far is worth GBP 200,000, will go into its testing stage in a couple weeks. Ecotricity also revealed that by using electric vehicles in a large scale, U.K can cut down oil usage by 25 million tonnes, and total emissions output in the country can be reduced by 12%.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

Geneva 2009: Lotus Evora Launch Edition

Harvinder Sidhu — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 01:50:58 +0000

Proton-owned and British-based sports car maker Lotus has launched the Lotus Evora Launch Edition at the Geneva Motor Show. The Launch Edition is sort of a “market testing” variant where only 450 unit will be produced at first, and deliveries in Europe will start by May this year. The 2+2 sports car is offered in two body colour options including Ardent Red and British Racing Green and buyers can also opt for other colours as well, with a bump on the price tag.

This mid-engined lightweight sports car receives power from a 3.5 liter V6 that is good for 276HP an 342Nm of torque which enables to Evora to hit the 100 km/h in just over 5 seconds, and can deliver 260 km/h in terms of top speed. With that power, the Evora consumes a reasonable 8.7 liters for every 100 kilometers traveled (based on Official European Combined Cycle), and releases 205 grams of harmful emissions per kilometer. Other fuel consumption figures include; Official European Urban Cycle figures of 12.4 liters per 100 kilometers and 6.5 liters per 100 kilometers for the Official European Extra Urban Cycle.

On the inside, the Evora (my fingers are somehow trying to type Exora) is generously finished in leather with a driver focused instrumentation, a dash with tactile details such as flush-mounted controls that glow with blue LED haloes and a stylized speedometer and rev counter. Other features among others, include; Bi-Xenon headlights, an Alpine Imprint audio system, a reversing camera as well as electric powerfold mirrors.

Lotus also revealed that it plans to produce a 2-seater, a convertible and a variant with an automatic transmission in the future. The Evora comes with a 3-year or 100,000-kilometer whole vehicle warranty with an 8 years chassis perforation warranty for E.U markets. Continue reading to view an image gallery.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

Geneva 2009: The new Lotus Exige S Facelift

Harvinder Sidhu — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 01:21:22 +0000

Proton-owned British-based sports car maker Lotus has launched the 2010 Lotus Exige S at the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland. Design wise, the Exige S received a face lift with a slightly re-styled front end that includes a larger center air intake for the radiator, and two larger side air intakes for the oil cooler. Over at the back, Lotus has added a large rear wing which was actually seen in the Lotus Exige GT3 Concept.

Lotus revealed that due to the aerodynamic improvements, the Exige accelerates to 100 km/h in 4.77 seconds while producing only 199 grams of emissions per kilometer. Based on the European Extra Urban Cycle calculation, its fuel consumption is figured at 6.5 liters per 100 kilometers, while a combined fuel consumption figure is rated at 8.5 liters.

Other features and accessories available include an instrument panel which includes a high-res LCD screen, a touring package that offers, among others, auxiliary lights, full leather interior, a cup holder as well as iPod connectivity and lastly a track-friendly sports package that includes adjustable front anti-rollbar, traction control, Bilstein dampers and so on.

For hardcore drivers, there is a performance package that provides performance brakes (308 mm front cross-drilled and vented discs with AP Racing four piston calipers with up-rated front and rear brake pads), variable slip traction control, launch control, a roof scoop, up-rated clutch plate and cover and an improved engine output of up to 240HP and 230Nm of torque. Continue reading to view more images.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

Supercharged Lotus Evora with 350hp in the works

Paul Tan — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:07:30 +0000

Thanks to Lotus, we now know Toyota’s 3.5 liter V6 can be forced inducted to a nice 350hp and 400Nm of torque without any modifications, as a source in Lotus discovered during the development of an upcoming “Evora SC” and revealed to Autocar UK. The Lotus Evora SC will make at least that amount of power, and will drop 0 to 100km/h acceleration time to below 5 seconds. The Lotus Evora is expected to do in in approximately 5.5 seconds. The Evora SC’s supercharger will be fitted between the V6 engine’s two cylinder banks, so it won’t intrude into rear visibility like the supercharged Elise does. If the Evora goes for £45,000, the supercharged Evora is expected to retail for between 55,000 and £60,000.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

Lotus Sport 2-Eleven GT4 Supersport race car

Paul Tan — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 11:43:46 +0000

The Lotus Sport 2-Eleven GT4 Supersport race car is a race-prepped Lotus 2-Eleven designed in compliance with the rules of the European SRO GT4 Supersports category.

The standard car’s supercharged engine has been upped from 255 PS to 270 PS and a marginal increase of torque from 242Nm to 247Nm, which Lotus says is thanks to “improved induction and exhaust systems, a high ratio supercharger drive system for increased levels of boost, and a remapped ECU” but with those kind of improvements I reckon it’s just thanks to the free-er flowing intake and exhaust.

The engine is mated to an LSD-equipped 6-speed sequential transmission with a centrally-mounted push/pull lever for quick gearshifts and also a gear selection display. The transmission and engine are tightly integrated, allowing automatic downshift-blipping for rev matching and flat upshifts.

HANS and FIA-approved carbon fiber Lotus Sport seats are installed matched with a Schroth 6-point race harness. Fuel is stored in a 70 litre FIA approved bag tank, and the car also has a plumbed-in fire extinguisher system. The suspension has been uprated with stiffer springs and race dampers from Ohlins that are 2-way adjustable. The rear suspension has new race-spec rear toe links.

Other equipment includes a full rollcage and for aerodynamics – a rigid tonneau cover, a carbon fibre rear wing and rear diffuser and a front splitter. As a result, 80kg of downforce is generated at speeds of 160km/h.

Only 10 units of the race car will be produced, priced at £78,255 (RM420,025 at current exchange rates) and the first cars will be delivered in March 2009. Some of the car’s specs can also be retrofitted to existing Lotus 2-Elevens.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

Honda Civic Hybrid: base for a rally car?

Paul Tan — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 02:28:37 +0000

Energy-efficient vehicle design specialists Oaktec have been working on Honda’s IMA hybrid system for motorsports usage since 2004 and has recently signed on Lotus Engineering to be a part of a project funded by the Northwest Regional Development Agency to develop a stage rally and circuit race version of the Honda Civic Hybrid.

No specs have been released on what upgrades have been made to the Civic Hybrid to make it motorsports-worthy, but Lotus says the Civic Hybrid’s CVT transmission allows the car to be driven in full power constantly, making performance very accessible.

The motorsports Civic Hybrid developed by Oaktec and Lotus will be raced for the first time at the Dunlop Max Sport Cup at the Rockingham circuit on the 28th of September 2008 so perhaps we will learn more about the car after the race. What we know now is that the electric motor has been revised for more power and there is now an upgraded control system to allow for more aggressive brake energy regeneration.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

2-Stroke Lotus OMNIVORE research engine project

Paul Tan — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:13:28 +0000

Lotus Engineering is currently developing an engine concept called the OMNIVORE together with the Queen’s University Belfast and Jaguar Cars Ltd. The OMNIVORE research engine features a variable compression ratio, direct injection and a two-stroke operating cycle. It will run on a mix of petrol and alcohol.

Group Lotus plc CEO Mike Kimberly says alcohols possess superior combustion characteristics to gasoline, and taking full advantage of the benefits of bio alcohols will ensure a larger amount of fuel burned will comprise of renewable fuels.

More details will likely come later when an actual working concept is ready.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

Lotus Sound Synthesis technology can give electric cars the rumble of a V8

Paul Tan — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:40:48 +0000

Electric cars or hybrid cars running on fully electric mode can pose a risk to pedestrians as there could be some people, especially those with hearing impairments or the blind, who are not aware of an approaching vehicle because they are just so silent. In fact, there was a bill in the US recently to require a minimum level of sound for vehicles sold in the US.

As an engineering consulting company and component designer/supplier, Lotus is tackling this issue with its new “Safe and Sound” Hybrid demo car. Lotus used a Toyota Prius as a demonstrator vehicle and applied its new Sound Synthesis system to it. The new technology combines Active Road Noise Cancellation, Engine Order Cancellation and Sound Synthesis.

A road speed signal is obtained from the vehicle and a waterproof speaker is positioned near the radiator to emit a realistic sound based on the throttle and speed of the car, projected towards the front of the car. The sound was designed to be instantly recognisable by the human brain, allowing it taking into account pitch and frequency and process it to enable us to identify vehicle speed and distance. The synthesized sound automatically stops if the hybrid car’s combustion engine kicks in.

The sound can be configured to sound like various types of engines. For example, you could drive a fully electric Tesla Roadster and enjoy the lovely rumbling sound of a flat-6 or a V8. Look after the jump for a video of the new technology.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

Lotus EVE Hybrid at the Proton Technology Week

Paul Tan — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 07:23:02 +0000

Click for hi-res photo

Proton brought in the Lotus EVE Hybrid for its Proton Technology Week this weekend, and all journalists got to see was Pak Lah driving it really slowly, parking it, turning off the engine and getting out of the car. That last part was the most important though as it meant the car was left empty for a photo session.

As a recap on what the Lotus EVE Hybrid is, you can read the linked post but here is a brief summary on what makes it a hybrid. The EVE Hybrid combines a 110hp 1.6 liter Proton Campro engine with a 30kW (40hp) electric motor. Instead of the 4-speed auto typically found in a GEN2, the EVE gets a CVT transmission.

The car is claimed to be able to only consume 4.6 liters per 100km. City driving should be a breeze with a massive 233Nm (equivalent to a 2.4 liter engine) at a low 1,500rpm thanks to the boost from the electric motor. Horsepower is up to a combined peak of 141hp, and 0 to 100km/h takes 9 seconds. The electric motor is powered by a 144V battery in the boot.

Look after the jump for more photos and a video of the EVE Hybrid.

Click for hi-res photo

Click for hi-res photo

VIDEO: Pak Lah drives the Lotus Eve Hybrid

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

A Lotus Elise that drives itself!

Paul Tan — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 13:46:48 +0000

I had expected to see a blue 200 DARPA Urban Challenge Lotus Elise covered with sensor equipment but the autonomous Lotus Elise that is on display at the Proton Technology week had a different coat of paint and less equipment. It also had its top off.

The car guides itself around with a combination of laser measurements sensors, high accuracy GPS, and radar. It actually doesn’t work as well than it should have here in Malaysia because alot of the sensor equipment had to be removed because they were classified as sensitive equipment and was not allowed to be exported out of the US.

The vehicle followed a path very slowly around a little “track” formed with cones. After awhile it stopped and seemed to require some reprogramming, which allowed us to see what lied under its bonnet at the rear. The Lotus engineers plugged in a Dell notebook and did some magic and the car was able to self-drive again soon after.

Have a look at what’s under the Elise’s hood after the jump, together with a video of the car on the cone track.

VIDEO: Autonomous Lotus Elise at Proton Shah Alam

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

Lotus Evora: official name for the Project Eagle 2+2

Paul Tan — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:04:26 +0000

Click for high resolution photo

Lotus has unveiled its highly secretive Project Eagle car, now officially christened the Lotus Evora at the 2008 British International Motor Show.

The 2+2 mid-engined sports car weighs just 1,350 kg and is powered by a Toyota 3.5 liter V6 Dual VVT-i engine with a Lotus T6e ECU putting out 280 PS at 6,400rpm and 342Nm of torque at 4,700rpm. It’s 0 to 100km/h time is measured at under 5 seconds. For those who are environmentally conscious, CO2 emissions are measured at just under 225 g/km and the car achieves more than 30 mpg on a combined cycle. This is mated to a 6-speed manual, but the ratios are tuned for a more relaxing GT-like drive. A close ratio gearbox is still under development.

Braking is via AP Racing 4-pot calipers for both front (350mm disc) and rear (332mm disc), hiding behind large 18 inch wheels at the front and 19 inch wheels at the rear wrapped with Yokohama rubber in 225/40ZR18 and 255/35ZR19 sizes respectively.

Its chassis is based on the Lotus Versatile Vehicle Architecture, which was showcased quite some time ago as the base for the Lotus APX Concept MPV. In this incarnation the VVA platform measures 2,575mm long in wheelbase, and the car itself measures 3242mm long and 1223mm tall with a track of 1565mm at the front and 1557mm at the rear. The body has a drag coefficient of 0.33 cD.

The Evora’s composite roof is used as a stressed structural member to help the vehicle achieve a chassis stiffness of 26,000 Nm per degree. The suspension uses Bilstein dampers and Eibach springs with dual path top mounts.

The Evora will be priced between £45k to a little over £50k. For those that think this is the Europa all over again, one key difference between the Evora and the Europe is probably the fact that the Evora is based on a new platform and is larger. But then again, the car is somewhat marketed at a similiar market, so only time will tell how the Evora will do. The car is actually not complete yet – there is still another 6 months of R&D to go but these photos and spec figures are pretty much what the production version will be.

Continue reading for more photos…

Click for high resolution photo

Click for high resolution photo

PHOTO GALLERY: Lotus Evora 2+2 Sports Car
Click thumbnails to view high resolution photo

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

Preview details of Lotus Project Eagle car

Paul Tan — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 04:25:16 +0000

Group Lotus CEO Mike Kimberly calls the above car the biggest milestone that Lotus has achieved since the original Lotus Elise 13 years ago. This milestone car is currently known by its codename Project Eagle, and is a 2+2 sports car powered by a 280 PS Toyota 3.5 liter Dual VVT-i V6. 0 to 100km/h acceleration time is expected to be under 5 seconds.

No other photos have been officially offered other than the one above (though you will find leaked images after the jump), but the Lotus press release is generous with details of the interior which is said to feature a cockpit-like seating position, a flat-bottomed steering wheel, aluminium inserts, edge-lit switches and flush-mounted controls on the dashboard which glow with blue LED halos.

The standard 2+2 configuration can also be changed to a 2-seater configuration, with the rear space used for luggage. Space for the rear two seats will be enhanced by providing foot-room for the rear passengers under the front seats.

An Alpine-developed in-car entertainment and navigation system will be offered featuring a 7 inch touch screen LCD to interface with audio, removable hard drive-based satnav, Bluetooth handsfree and an optional reverse camera. The Alpine audio system will feature a technology called IMPRINT which can cancel out imbalances in the sound caused by it being reflected off different cabin surfaces such as window glass which creates echoes and carpets which suppress mid-range frequencies.

Look after the jump for more photos.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

Lotus gets two UK government green projects

Paul Tan — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:18:13 +0000

Lotus Engineering has won two green vehicle projects from the UK Government’s Technology Strategy Board. The first project involves working as part of the Zero Emission London Taxi Commercialisation consortium to develop a fuel cell taxi system including the electric drivetrain, fuel cell engine and hydrogen storage system. The system will then be assembled into two taxis for full vehicle testing.

The other project is a collaboration with Jaguar Cars Ltd, MIRA Ltd and Caparo Vehicle Technologies called the Limo-Green project. It will use a Jaguar (probably the XJ?) as a basis to develop a large luxury hybrid sedan using an advanced electric motor combined with a small battery pack and something which Lotus calls an “Auxiliary Power Unit“, which is probably in reality a small gasoline engine.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

Lotus and Continental’s Low CO2 Project

Paul Tan — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 19:54:55 +0000

Click to enlarge

Lotus Engineering and Continental Division Powertrain have just posted the results of a Low CO2 research project, involving an Opel Astra equipped with a new prototype inline-3 1.5 liter pressure-charged engine.

The test engine was an inline-3 1.5 liter engine with a power output of 160 PS at 5,000rpm and torque output of 240Nm between 2,500rpm and 4,000rpm, equipped with the following specifications:

integrated exhaust manifold
forced induction (probably supercharging because of the IEM)
10.2:1 compression ratio
centrally-mounted direct injection 200 bar injectors from Continental
a cam profile switching system for lift and timing also found in Porsche’s Variocam Plus, apparently available off the shelf if any manufacturer wants it
a 200 bar high pressure fuel pump
a mild hybrid drive using a 12 kilowatt electric motor powered by energy stored in 60v supercapacitors

The result is a CO2 output of 149 g/km CO2, compared to a stock Opel Astra’s 1.8 liter normally aspirated inline-4’s 175 g/km CO2. The Low CO2 project engine produced less emissions, yet produced more power as the Opel’s engine only produced 140 PS and 175Nm of torque.

The Low CO2 project aimed to reduce CO2 emissions while maintaining an engaging driving experience from a set of off the shelf affordable technologies.

Forced induction combined with direct injection is the usual way to achieve these in modern days, but Lotus Engineering wants to demonstrate these technologies can be added to an engine with relatively economical off the shelf components. A 1.5 liter inline-3 sounds like half of a Project NEF engine, which was a supercharged 3.0 V6, so this could have also been demonstration of the modular design of the NEF.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

A local firm wants to buy Lotus?

Paul Tan — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 18:59:37 +0000

The Malaysian Reserve reports that a local firm has approached Proton with a proposal to take over Proton’s stake in Lotus. The business daily did not mention which local firm this is – but whispers through the grapevines say this might be Naza.

Naza wants to build its own cars. It’s first attempt at it’s own car was the Naza Sutera, now known as the Naza Forza. For future models, Lotus could provide Naza with the necessary platform to build its car on – the Versatile Vehicle Architecture. Also, as successful distributors of most of the supercar brands here in Malaysia, it could also take over the marketing of Lotus sports cars in this country.

Of course, we don’t actually know for sure if it is Naza, or if there is such a thing at all, so let’s wait and see if The Malaysian Reserves is right about this.

Source

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

Lotus and Siemens VDO to reveal new engine

Paul Tan — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 21:41:06 +0000

Lotus Engineering and Siemens VDO will be jointly exhibiting a new 1.5 liter 3-cylinder force inducted hybrid engine at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show which should be starting any time now. The new engine combines parts from both Lotus and Siemens VDO’s parts bin, including Lotus Engineering’s previously revealed integrated exhaust manifold, a Lotus cam profile switching system, centrally-mounted Siemens VDO gasoline injectors and a new Siemens VDO high pressure fuel pump.

The two companies call the new engine the Low CO2 engine – no prizes for guessing why so. Lotus and Siemens VDO intends to reduce emissions but deliver an engaging driving experience at the same time, all using affordable, modular technologies which can easily be used to deploy a set of powertrains with low mass packages.

“It is very appropriate that some of the key features of this Low CO2 project will be on display at one of the world’s foremost automotive exhibitions. I am delighted that we are working with Siemens VDO on this very special project. Both Lotus Engineering and Siemens VDO are recognised as world experts in cutting-edge powertrain technologies and I look forward in the coming months to sharing with you the results of this incredible combination of complementary skills and technological leadership. This project is a prime example of how Lotus Engineering’s research activities, often in conjunction with globally recognised partners, are contributing to bringing to fruition a number of efficient powertrain and automotive advanced technology solutions for the future,” says Mike Kimberley, CEO of Group Lotus plc.

“The cooperation with our partner, Lotus Engineering, shows once again, that there is still a lot of potential for further innovation and development within the internal combustion engine. The combination of direct injection and turbo charging means noticeably better fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions for the Gasoline engine, without compromising driving fun. With our advanced expertise in low CO2 know-how we see clear benefits for our customers and will further strengthen and improve our role as systems integration experts,” added Dr. Klaus Egger, Siemens VDO Group VP.

More details on this new engine to come soon as details are unveiled at Frankfurt. A demonstrator vehicle with the new 1.5 liter 3-cylinder engine will be shown to the public towards the end of 2007.

Most of you may remember the Lotus NEF engine introduced in early 2006 with the Lotus APX Concept. The Lotus NEF engine is a 3.0 liter V6, so this 1.5 liter inline-3 could just be half of an NEF. The NEF was supercharged, which leads me to believe this new engine’s method of forced induction will most likely be a supercharger as well since the integrated exhaust manifold makes no mention of a turbo manifold.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

No made in China Lotus

Paul Tan — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 06:19:31 +0000

Something Lotus generally does not do is respond to individual articles in the media, but this time the British company has stepped up and responded to the recent news that Jinhua Neoplan will be assembling Lotus sports cars in China.

“The company does not normally respond to individual articles in the media, but occasionally we feel it necessary to comment directly to set the record straight about specific rumors that could affect staff morale or performance. There has been comment in the Chinese press that two Lotus sports cars will be put into production in China by the end of the year. This is not true. Staff has been briefed by [chairman] Mike Kimberley on plans for the company for the next five years. Those plans do not feature the manufacture of Lotus cars anywhere other than at Hethel. In future please treat such press comments with the scepticism (sic) they deserve,” said a Lotus representative in an email.

Source

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

Jinhua Neoplan to assemble Lotus cars in China

Paul Tan — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 15:56:34 +0000

Jinhua Neoplan will be assembling CKD kits of Lotus cars in China, with one of the first cars set to be the Lotus Europa.

Interesting to note that Jinhua Neoplan is part of the Jinhua Group, and it is the division that makes buses with technology from German company Neoplan with an annual production capacity of 2,000 vehicles. A bus company making Lotus sports cars.

Source

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

RM272 million ringgit to cover Lotus debts

Paul Tan — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 20:03:58 +0000

Proton has loaned the Lotus Group Â£40 million, or RM272 million ringgit, to cover the Lotus Group’s third successive year of losses. This loan will be converted to equity, which actually means Proton is basically giving Lotus money in exchange for more shares. While new CEO Michael Kimberley has a 5-year plan to turn Lotus around, it is not expected to return to profitability until after 2009.

Source

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.

Zap releases more details on ZAP-X

Paul Tan — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 07:37:04 +0000

Remember Zap? I reported earlier in February that US electric car maker Zap was employing the services of Lotus to develop the ZAP-X for them, an all-wheel drive crossover MPV which would be fully powered by electric motors. The ZAP-X was to use Lotus Engineering’s VVA platform and be based on the Lotus APX Concept.

Zap has released sketches and 3D renderings of the ZAP-X, which reveal some details on what’s going to be in the car as well as how it will look like. Some of the basic performance stats include 644hp combined power from 4 in-wheel motors, a top speed of 250km/h and a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 4.8 seconds.

A lightweight aluminium chassis combined with lightweight motors and the removal of extra weight such as driveshafts in common single engine configurations balance out the weight of the batteries needed, thus making this a relatively light vehicle. On a full charge, the ZAP-X can go 350 miles or 563km, with a rapid 10 minute recharge time.

On the interior, seating is a 5+2 configuration, much like the new BMW X5. By 5+2 instead of 7, it means the rear 2 seats are only for use when you really have to, they aren’t the most comfortable around. The interior is full of gadgets – a computer running Windows XP (it’s Vista now?), Wi-Fi, Blue-tooth, High definition video support, iPod connectivity, Firewire, USB2 and Mini USB ports. There’s also photo voltaic glass with thermoelectrics for heating and cooling, and energy collecting windows and windshields to harness solar energy.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 16:15:06 +0800.