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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 here to read the rest of Lotus Evora: official name for the Project Eagle 2+2

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.

Click here to read the rest of Preview details of Lotus Project Eagle car

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.

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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.

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.

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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.

Related Posts:
Lotus Integrated Exhaust Manifold
Project NEF: Lotus 3.0 liter supercharged V6
Proton and Lotus Engineering develop Proton GEN2 Eve Hybrid Concept

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.

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Related Posts:
Jinhua Neoplan to assemble Lotus cars in China

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.

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Proton has loaned the Lotus Group £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.

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Lotus cars for the next 5 years

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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.