New Lotus model to sit above Evora – Esprit to return?

New Lotus model to sit above Evora – Esprit to return?

Lotus boss Jean-Marc Gales has announced that the company is planning two new sports cars and they are currently in the works, one of which is a halo model that will be positioned above the existing range-topper Evora. According to Autocar, the new Lotus will use the brand’s extruded, bonded and riveted aluminium chassis as the foundation.

Gales has spent four years stewarding the brand based on its founder, Colin Chapman’s “simplify, then add lightness” ethos. As CEO, he has refined the Evora (available as a 2+2 or 2+0), shedding close to 150 kg in the GT430 Sport compared to the original Evora S, with power upped to 430 hp from the initial 276 hp. Lotus’ new star model will “take the Evora a step further” and weigh even lesser.

The new model will be a significant development, with Gales saying that it will be positioned “in an upper segment, above the Evora.” He insists that the new car will embody three key attributes that constitute a Lotus, which are “lightweight, aerodynamic and handling.” Could this facilitate the return of the iconic Esprit name? We’ll have to wait and see.

As it is, the Evora GT430 already features carbon-fibre front and rear bumpers, front access panel, roof panel, tailgate and rear wing. Autocar says a more focused model could replace more of the remaining bodywork with additional use of CF or lightweight composites. As it is, the Evora GT430 rivals the Porsche 911 GT3 instead of the GT3 RS, but a hotter version could change that.

Gales did not specify power outputs or even some of the rivalling cars which the new Lotus would go against, but he said he wants the new car to achieve class-leading status via “efficiency, aerodynamics, agility and braking working together in balance.”

While there are plans for Lotus to employ Volvo engines for some of its cars, Gales said Lotus cars will continue to employ Toyota engines in the immediate future. The current powertrain line-up is comprised of 1.6 and 1.8 litre four cylinder motors in the Elise, as well as a 3.5 litre V6 in the Exige and Evora. All engines are gasoline-powered and are either naturally aspirated or supercharged.

As for the second sports car, it could be a two-seater, but it’s not known if it will directly succeed the Elise. However, Gales did acknowledge that “the market is now moving a bit more upmarket.” Exactly what that means, we’ll leave it to you to decide, but it sure doesn’t sound like a stripped-bare Elise to this writer.

Lastly, with Geely as its new owner, Lotus cars could benefit from the company’s array of technologies, such as a state-of-the-art electrical architecture (replacing the old wiring harnesses) and TFT instrument panels. About time we see these things in a Lotus now, isn’t it?

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Matthew H Tong

An ardent believer that fun cars need not be fast and fast cars may not always be fun. Matt advocates the purity and simplicity of manually swapping cogs while coping in silence of its impending doom. Matt's not hot. Never hot.

 

Comments

  • norm car for norm ppl on May 16, 2018 at 6:05 pm

    Thanks to Najib. No more Proton-Lotus. Is now 100% owns by Geely

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1
    • Reboot on May 16, 2018 at 6:47 pm

      49% stake owned by Tan Sri.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1
    • No worries. Rakyat money will be used once more to bailout P1 and make it great again! Tenkiu Bapak P1! I luv Tun!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 3
      • Andy Teng on May 17, 2018 at 9:01 am

        Your party lost so badly and with so much of shame also, you still come here and spread fake news?

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Khalid Albasrawy on May 17, 2018 at 12:48 am

    I knew from the start that was the icing in Geely part acquisition of Proton in the first place. :(

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
  • Khalid Albasrawy on May 17, 2018 at 12:49 am

    I knew from the start that was the icing in Geely part acquisition of Proton in the first place. This is the first time lm saying as far as l can remember. So don’t cut me.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
  • rally_fan (Member) on May 17, 2018 at 8:31 am

    good riddance.. all lotus did was burn a huge hole in protons bank balance and did nothing much in terms of technology transfer.. ride and handling? look at perodua.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 2
 

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