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Autoblog
- Lotus vehicle engineering director Roger Becker retires after 44 years
Filed under: Performance, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Lotus
If you have ever ridden in or driven any Lotus product produced in the last four decades, you have experienced the handiwork of Roger Becker. Becker has been the director of vehicle engineering at Lotus for more than two decades and has one of the most finely calibrated backsides in the business. However, after 44 years at Lotus, the time has come for Becker to slip off into retirement.
Becker started his career on the Elan assembly line, but Lotus founder Colin Chapman quickly moved him over to the engineering ranks. While relatively few of us have ever driven a Lotus, the chances are pretty good that you have actually been in a car that has had Becker's influence. Through the engineering consultancy branch of Group Lotus, Becker and his team have tweaked countless cars from other brands that never carried the Lotus badge.
Last year, Lotus introduced what may well turn out to be one of the best cars of Becker's career, the new Evora. Becker led the team that brought the Evora from discussion to production in just two-and-a-half years.
This author was fortunate to meet and work with Roger Becker on one of the very first projects of my engineering career, and he helped me to learn that understanding subtle nuances can be as important as raw numbers in many cases. No doubt he influenced countless others in the same way, and the automotive world is a better place for it.
[Source: Lotus]Continue reading Lotus vehicle engineering director Roger Becker retires after 44 years
Lotus vehicle engineering director Roger Becker retires after 44 years originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Lotus gets animated with its Omnivore engine technology
Filed under: Technology, Lotus, Diesel
Omnivore [(om-nuh-vawr)]: An animal whose normal diet includes both plants and animals. Human beings and bears, for instance, are omnivores.
So says Dictionary.com, at least. Ask the engineering boffins from Lotus, though, and they'll tell you than an Omnivore is an engine that can operate on just about any combination of gasoline or alcohol at equally optimum efficiency and power. An impressive feat, to say the least. But how does it all work?
As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. So far, we've used nearly a hundred of 'em and we haven't even touched the surface on how Lotus' Omnivore engine works. That said, we highly suggest you take a gander at the firm's very own Flash animation of the process, which allows you to make all sorts of cool adjustments to see how it impacts the operation of the powerplant. Cool stuff. Thanks for the tip, Chris!
[Source: Group Lotus]Lotus gets animated with its Omnivore engine technology originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Lotus announces Dr Robert Hentschel and Paul Newsome as engineering directors
Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Lotus
Robert Hentschel (L) and Paul Newsome (R)
While most people know Lotus for its sportscars, engineering has always been at the heart of the business. The car production side has rarely if ever made much money, and Lotus Engineering has been the cash cow that keeps the lights on. Lotus Engineering recently picked up three new contracts from Chinese automakers, and to help keep on top of the new business, Dr Robert Hentschel is joining up as the new director of the engineering consultancy. Hentschel previously held top posts at German engineering firm EDAG.
Now that the Evora has been introduced, Lotus is preparing to update and expand the rest of its production car lineup starting with an all-new Esprit in a couple of years. Paul Newsome will be heading up product engineering for Lotus Cars. In addition to the Esprit, Lotus is bringing forth an Evora convertible and eventually updated versions of the Elise and Exige.
[Source: Lotus]Continue reading Lotus announces Dr Robert Hentschel and Paul Newsome as engineering directors
Lotus announces Dr Robert Hentschel and Paul Newsome as engineering directors originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Jan 2010 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Lotus announces Evora race car, one-make series
Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Lotus, Racing
Lotus Evora Cup race car - Click above for high-res image
Now that Lotus is turning out production examples of the Evora on a steady basis, the crew on the motorsports side has turned its attention to creating a new competition car. Built to FIA GT4 specs and eligible to run in several different GT series, the Evora Cup car debuts this weekend at the Autosport International Show in Birmingham, England.
To get the car ready for the track, the Toyota V6 has been punched out to a full 4.0 liters and fitted with a dry sump oiling system. In race trim the engine is rated at 395 horsepower, with power is routed through a six-speed Cima sequential race gearbox. Upgraded six-pot calipers help the binders hold up to track use and adjustable dampers allow the handling to be adapted to the prevailing conditions and the driver's style. At about 2,600 pounds, Lotus has shaved 440 pounds off the road car.
In addition to competing against other makes, Lotus is also launching a single make Evora Cup series with events around Europe. A €100,000 prize fund will be offered for the series this year. The Evora Cup car will run £120,000 plus taxes. Make the jump for all the details.
[Source: Lotus]Continue reading Lotus announces Evora race car, one-make series
Lotus announces Evora race car, one-make series originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Report: Lotus files patent application for new dual-clutch transmission
Filed under: Performance, Technology, Lotus
"Simplify, then add lightness." Those are the famous words spoken by Sir Colin Chapman, the father of Lotus and one of the automotive world's great geniuses. Speaking of genius, the dual-clutch transmission (at a sane price point) is a major step forward. It combines the automaticness of an automatic with the manualness of a manual and the speed of a bullet. The trouble is, dual-clutches are complex and heavy. But what if the company Colin built had their way? What if you could simplify a dual-clutch, and make it lighter?
"What if" indeed. Lotus has reportedly filed a patent application for some sort of dual-clutch. We say "some sort" because not only are we not patent attorneys, the "oily bits" in a dual-clutch are a little bit Greek to us. Besides, patent apps are meant to be a bit vague - they don't want to give too much away. Anyhow, long story short - do we want a track-burning Exige that can swap gears in mere milliseconds? Yes, we most certainly do. Text of the application after the jump.
[Source: Jalopnik]Continue reading Report: Lotus files patent application for new dual-clutch transmission
Report: Lotus files patent application for new dual-clutch transmission originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Lotus celebrates return to F1 with Exige S Type 72
Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Lotus
Lotus Exige S Type 72 - Click above for high-res image gallery
After a 15-year hiatus, Lotus is coming back to Formula One, and to commemorate its return to the top tier of motorsport, the Hethel crew is creating yet another special Exige inspired by the Type 72 that dominated F1 in the Seventies.
Like nearly every other limited edition Lotus released in the last few years, the Exige S Type 72 is little more than a repainted, kitted-up version of its midship masterpiece. The supercharged, 1.8-liter inline four remains unchanged, putting out 220 horsepower and allowing the two-tone coupe to sprint to 60 in 4.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 145 mph.
A set of carbon fiber ProBax sport seats swathed in black microfiber with contrast stitching ties in with the exterior's gold wheels and emblems, while standard twin oil coolers and an adjustable front anti-roll bar round out the mechanical upgrades.
Lotus has slated 20 Type 72s for sale in the UK, with another 20 destined for markets outside of the mainland (no word on U.S. distribution), each carrying a price tag of £35,995 or 40,332 euro. Not cheap, but then again, how do you put a price on nostalgia?
Continue reading Lotus celebrates return to F1 with Exige S Type 72
Lotus celebrates return to F1 with Exige S Type 72 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Lotus appoints Ferrari designer Donato Coco as new design director
Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Lotus, Design/Style
The upper echelon at Lotus continues to evolve, with today's announcement that Donato Coco has been appointed as the new director of design at the UK sports car maker and engineering consultancy. The Italian designer is moving to Hethel from Ferrari headquarters in Maranello where Coco worked on recent products like the F430 Scuderia coupe, Spider 16M, California, 599XX and the new F458 Italia. Prior to his Ferrari tenure, Coco was the chief designer at Citroen.
With Coco's hiring, Lotus hopes to bring its design expertise up to par with its engineering work for other automakers. Coco will also oversee the design of the upcoming Lotus product range which will continue to be led by current design head Russell Carr. With Coco and Carr, Lotus will be producing an Evora convertible, an all new Esprit and eventually a new Elise and Exige in the coming years.
[Source: Lotus]Continue reading Lotus appoints Ferrari designer Donato Coco as new design director
Lotus appoints Ferrari designer Donato Coco as new design director originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - 2010 F1 grid comes into focus as Lotus signs Trulli and Kovalainen
Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Lotus
The pieces to the puzzle that is the upcoming Formula One season are coming together bit by bit. In the latest development, the upstart Lotus F1 Racing team has announced the signing of two veteran drivers: Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen.
A former Monaco Grand Prix race winner, Trulli has driven for five different teams over the course of the past twelve years on the grid. Speculation was that he could switch to NASCAR following a recent test with Michael Waltrip Racing, particularly as the Toyota team for which he'd been driving for the past six years announced its withdrawal from the series. Finnish driver Kovalainen, meanwhile, is also a former race winner, left without a ride when McLaren replaced him with reigning world champion Jenson Button. Local aspirant Fairuz Fauzy, formerly of Malaysia's A1GP team, will serve as reserve/test driver.
The announcement was made by Malaysia's prime minister, whose government is backing the team. Although the outfit has no direct ties with the automaker of the same name - save for mutual patronage by Malaysia's state-run Proton - the British sportscar-maker and engineering firm could buy into the team at some point in the future as part of its comprehensive racing plan, giving Lotus the kind of operation Ferrari has run for decades.
With the Lotus drivers in place and Force India having recently confirmed the retention of Adrian Sutil and Tonio Liuzzi, the 2010 grid is rapidly taking form. The only remaining seats are with Mercedes/Brawn GP (which has yet to announce Nico Rosberg's team-mate as speculation intensifies over Michael Schumacher's return), Renault (which has yet to announce a wingman for Robert Kubica as the team's future remains in question), Sauber (which was only recently approved for next season), Toro Rosso, Campos Meta (which has announced only Bruno Senna), Virgin/Manor (which has confirmed only Timo Glock so far) and USF1.
Follow the jump for the full press release from Lotus.
[Source: Lotus F1 Team | Image: Bongarts/Getty]Continue reading 2010 F1 grid comes into focus as Lotus signs Trulli and Kovalainen
2010 F1 grid comes into focus as Lotus signs Trulli and Kovalainen originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Lotus: Omnivore engine is 10% more efficient with more to come
Filed under: Technology, Lotus
Last March at the Geneva Motor Show, Lotus announced its new Omnivore research engine. The Omnivore is a two-stroke direct-injected engine designed to take advantage of the latest in electronic engine management and run on just about any liquid fuel (hence the name). In the time since the initial announcement, the boffins at Lotus Engineering have been exercising their creation on the dyno stand to evaluate its performance.
The single-cylinder engine uses an air-assisted direct injection system. A movable "puck" in the top of the cylinder head allows the compression ratio to be varied.
The engine has so far been run on gasoline in both spark ignition and homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) modes. The HCCI mode is of particular interest because it is capable of providing diesel engine-like efficiency without the particulate and NOx emissions that require expensive after-treatment systems in a standard diesel engine. Lotus is claiming the Omnivore can operate in HCCI mode in a wide variety of operating conditions and even from a cold start, something that has been problematic for previous HCCI engines.
According to the initial test results, the Omnivore is achieving up to a 10 percent improvement in efficiency (as measured by Indicated Specific Fuel Consumption) compared to existing spark ignition direct-injected engines.
There is clearly a lot of work yet to do, but the concept behind Omnivore shows significant promise.
[Source: Lotus]Continue reading Lotus: Omnivore engine is 10% more efficient with more to come
Lotus: Omnivore engine is 10% more efficient with more to come originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - LA 2009: Lawsuit-happy U.S. kills chances for Lotus Exige Scura, but we'll get something similar
Filed under: LA Auto Show, Government/Legal, Lotus
Lotus Exige Stealth - Click above for high-res image gallery
We had a chance to chat with Lotus USA spokesman Kevin Smith at the LA Auto Show and he shared a bit of news with us. He confirmed that while we unfortunately won't be getting the limited edition Exige Scura/Stealth that debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show, we will will get something close. The problem is the special matte black paint on the Scura. We reported on the rubberized finish at the time after talking with Lotus vehicle engineering director Roger Becker. The matte finish can be marked up, and because of process used to apply it, it's not possible to do spot repairs on the affected area.
Because of the litigious nature of America when it comes to product liability, Lotus has apparently opted not to offer the special paint job. We will, however, get essentially the rest of the car including the new wheel design that debuted on the Scura. The rest of the mechanical bits are largely the same as the Exige 260 S that we had so much fun with a few months ago. Lotus is still finalizing the spec of the new limited edition model but Smith tells us that it will be available in four colors including Phantom Black. Approximately 20-30 units will be built for the U.S. market in two-to-three months with availability in early spring.
Photos copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid, Jonathon Ramsey / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Lotus]
LA 2009: Lawsuit-happy U.S. kills chances for Lotus Exige Scura, but we'll get something similar originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Take a virtual lap of the Lotus test track on Google street view
For car buffs one of the more interesting aspects of Google Maps has been checking out the high resolution satellite imagery of race tracks and manufacturer test tracks around the world. Aside from the engineers who work at those facilities and selected outsiders like the media, the proving grounds are typically tightly guarded places and regular people can't just wander in.
Ever since Google augmented maps with the street view function several years ago, users have have been exploring and finding all kinds of neat places they've never visited or sometimes just checking out their own neighborhoods to see if they got caught on camera. Recently Lotus invited one of the street view camera cars inside its headquarters at Hethel near Norwich in south east England.
The results are now visible on Google maps when you go to the home on Lotus on Potash Ln and start zooming in. When you zoom all the way down, you can take a virtual drive through the front gate, past the factory and engineering buildings and right out onto the track. The street view car circulates the track with a Lotus Evora, a 2-eleven and a methanol fuel experimental Exige 265e. You can get directly to Lotus via http://3.ly/LotusCarFactoryGoogleStreetView
[Source: Lotus]Continue reading Take a virtual lap of the Lotus test track on Google street view
Take a virtual lap of the Lotus test track on Google street view originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Spy Shots: Elise, Exige, Esprit? Lotus tests new model
Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Performance, Lotus, Luxury
When it comes to the successor to the Lotus Esprit, the specs -- and even the name -- are still up in the air. There is, however, a mule undergoing testing on the ground. Autocar has pics of an Exige with a seriously modified rear end, leading to speculation that the new Esprit's powertrain lives underneath.
This time engine talk centers on "a version of" the Lexus lump in the IS F, but with 275-325 bhp per ton as the goal, that could mean an engine which is quite close or quite far from its source material. Knowing Lotus, we won't doubt the power -- what we really can't wait to see are the looks. The Esprit V8 was the last of the gee-willikers rip-snorters from the house of Chapman, but it was the design of the earlier s4s that made us go "Oh yeah." Please, Lotus, give us that lovin' feelin' again...
[Source: Autocar]Spy Shots: Elise, Exige, Esprit? Lotus tests new model originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Lotus Evora gets a U.S. pricetag, starts at $73,200
Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Performance, Lotus
2010 Lotus Evora - click above for high res image gallery
Now that the new Lotus Evora has been successfully launched in Europe, it's time to start delivering the new model to U.S. Lotus dealers. Production of U.S.-spec cars will be starting shortly so Lotus has finally defined a price point for the car beginning at $73,200. For that price you get the 276-hp Toyota-sourced 3.5-liter V6 and a 6-speed gearbox.
Unlike the minimalist Elise and Exige, the Evora is fully trimmed out in a fashion someone might expect of a $73,200 car, including hand-stitched leather from Muirhead and aluminum trim that hints at the structure under the plastic skin. The tiller is adjustable for reach and rake, which, along with the larger size of the car, should make getting in and out much easier than in the Exige. Final EPA numbers haven't been published yet, but the Evora is expected to top 30 mpg on the highway while the 0-60 time will be just 4.9 seconds.
If you haven't yet seen the Evora in person, Lotus has just started a 44-city dealer open house tour around the U.S. The full schedule is in the press release after the jump.
[Source: Lotus]Continue reading Lotus Evora gets a U.S. pricetag, starts at $73,200
Lotus Evora gets a U.S. pricetag, starts at $73,200 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Lotus reportedly gives the go-ahead to Esprit replacement
Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Lotus, Luxury
We have liftoff on the next Lotus Esprit. Finally. Scuttlebutt at the beginning of the year suggested it was taking so long because Lotus was pondering some sort of hybrid system for the car. More recently the talk has turned to three specimens from Toyota's book of engines, including the Lexus LFA's V10, and the word "hybrid" disappeared.
It's the V10 that interests us here, because Lotus is planning for the new Esprit -- or whatever it will ultimately be called -- to have 275-325 bhp per ton. Even if they keep it freakishly lightweight you're looking at a minimum of 400 horsepower, something Lexus' Yamaha-tuned lump could easily handle. We'll get the full picture in a few weeks when new Lotus CEO Danny Bahr unveils his long-term plan for the company.
[Source: Autocar]Lotus reportedly gives the go-ahead to Esprit replacement originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Lotus wins 2 EVO magazine car of the year awards
Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Lotus
2010 Lotus Evora - click above for high res image gallery
Lotus has managed to snag two car of the year honors from EVO magazine for two different machines. The new Evora came out on the top of the heap among the new road going cars, while the Evora went into production earlier this year and as of last month, Lotus has apparently delivered about 800 examples. EVO did their testing in Scotland at the Isle of Skye and the Lotus bested the likes of the Ferrari 458, Aston Martin V12 Vantage and Porsche 911 GT3.
EVO also evaluated track cars at the Bedford Autodrome for their own award and here Lotus again took the top prize. Running against an assortment of competitors from the Ford Focus RS and Mitsubishi Evo to more extreme machines like a Lamborghini Gallardo and the latest Arial Atom, the Lotus 2-Eleven got the best score. The 2-Eleven had the second best time and was found to be the most fun to drive. Considering the 2-Eleven looks more like a pure race car, it's astonishing that under British rules you can actually get single vehicle type approval to drive them on public roads. 'Scuse me Lotus? We'd love to try out the 2-Eleven!
[Source: Lotus]Continue reading Lotus wins 2 EVO magazine car of the year awards
Lotus wins 2 EVO magazine car of the year awards originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Lotus hires former Ferrari/Fiat racing chief Claudio Berro as new motorsport director
Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Lotus
Do you remember back in 1996 when Michael Schumacher left Benetton for Ferrari? They didn't just get Schumi; along with him came master strategist Ross Brawn and designer extraordinaire Rory Byrne. Together, the wonder team built the Scuderia back into a championship-winning powerhouse. Well, we have a feeling there are some people in Maranello who may be getting acquainted with the flip side of that particular coin.
Following the appointment of Dany Bahar - who left his position as Ferrari's senior vice president of marketing - to the post of chief executive at one-time rival Lotus comes news that the British engineering firm has scored Claudio Berro as its new director of motorsport.
Although Berro hasn't been at Maranello for a few years now, he's a well-known personality in Italian motor racing. Not unlike his successor Jean Todt - recently elected president of the FIA - Berro started out as a co-driver for the Peugeot Talbot rally team before kicking off an impressive career as a team manager. Before going on direct the ill-fated Speedcar Series in the Middle East, Berro headed up racing operations for Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Romeo and Abarth individually, and then the entire Fiat Group, managing the industrial empire's F1, GT, touring car and rally teams.
Now at Lotus, Berro will be responsible for implementing the return to racing that Bahar recently outlined. However, his role with the Malaysia-based Lotus F1 team remains to be seen. Details in the press release after the jump.
[Source: Lotus]Lotus hires former Ferrari/Fiat racing chief Claudio Berro as new motorsport director originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Lotus shopping Evora chassis to other automakers?
Filed under: Technology, Lotus
Back in the Nineties, shortly after Lotus introduced the original Elise, the company made it known that its new sportscar platform was designed to be easily adapted to different applications - including different powertrains. Companies that were interested in a platform for a niche products using their own powertrains were welcome to contract with Lotus for use of the Elise's underpinnings. Over the years, it spawned several race and concept cars, to say nothing of the production Opel GT, Vauxhall VX220, and of course, the Tesla Roadster.
Now that Lotus finally has its first all-new car in 14 years and several hundred Evoras have been delivered to customers, the same offer is again on the table. In fact, this time the presentation from Lotus Engineering even shows the Evora chassis carrying an electric powertrain.
The versatile vehicle architecture is made largely from aluminum extrusions which can be cut off in different sizes, allowing the chassis to readily be adjusted for length and width as needed. To date, no company that we're aware of has adopted the Evora's architecture. However, given Tesla's relative success in using the Elise as a starting point - and the increased size of the Evora - it should be even more attractive to potential customers. You can check out the full presentation after the jump.
[Source: LotusEnthusiast]Continue reading Lotus shopping Evora chassis to other automakers?
Lotus shopping Evora chassis to other automakers? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Tokyo 2009: Lotus Exige Stealth, complete with soft-touch paint
Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Technology, Tokyo Motor Show, Lotus
Lotus Exige Stealth - Click above for high-res image gallery
Lotus has unveiled the latest special edition of its maximum performance, minimum everything else Exige today at the Tokyo Motor Show. We took a moment to check out the Exige Stealth (known as the Scura in Europe) on the show floor and managed to curry some time with Lotus vehicle development director Roger Becker.
The new model gains a set of comely forged alloy wheels, but the big news with the car is the unique paint. We asked Becker about the Stealth and its special finish, and as it turns out, this is more than just a basic matte paint. Lotus has been experimenting for several years with matte finishes but was never satisfied with the results. The problem - as anyone who has ever done body repairs and worked on primer-finished cars can tell you - is that matte surfaces really show marks and stone chips. Lotus wanted something more durable before putting the car into production.
To create the Exige seen here, the entire car has to be sprayed in the base gloss coat seen on the central stripes. The stripe area was then masked off and the rest of the body abraded in order to get a surface that the matte paint will grip to. Finally, a newly formulated rubberized matte paint is applied. When you touch the car, the surface actually feels soft, and according to Becker, it is four- to five-times more resistant to marking and peeling than other finishes.
Just 35 examples are planned, so get your deposit in now.
Photos copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid, Jonathon Ramsey / Weblogs, Inc.Continue reading Tokyo 2009: Lotus Exige Stealth, complete with soft-touch paint
Tokyo 2009: Lotus Exige Stealth, complete with soft-touch paint originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - To F1 and Beyond: Lotus reportedly considering Le Mans, GT and Indy teams
Filed under: Motorsports, Lotus
Lotus Evora Type 124 racer - Click above for high-res image gallery
Arguably more than any other automaker in the world, Lotus is ripe for a return to racing. Its products are uniquely track focused. Its history is rife with motorsport heritage. And its new chief executive comes to the company after stints at Red Bull and Ferrari, two outfits deeply involved in top-tier racing.
Unfortunately, as Dany Bahar points out, the formative Lotus F1 Racing team set to join the grand prix circus next season has little to do with the sportscar manufacturer and engineering concern which he now heads. Instead, the name is being furnished by parent company Proton to a consortium of investors in its native Malaysia. Bahar wants a slice of the action, and Proton would be wise to give it to him. But the executive who earned his reputation as a branding guru has more plans to get Lotus back into racing beyond the F1 team.
Speaking to a group of Lotus employees, Bahar reportedly disclosed that the company is looking at getting into a variety of racing series, including Indy, Le Mans and GT racing. That's some ambition for a company that hasn't seriously competed in decades, but if any team can pull it off, it's Bahar and Lotus.
[Source: Autocar]To F1 and Beyond: Lotus reportedly considering Le Mans, GT and Indy teams originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Tokyo Preview: Lotus Exige Scura and Stealth cross over to dark side
Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Europe, Japan, Tokyo Motor Show, Lotus, UK
2010 Lotus Exige Scura - Click above for high-res image gallery
Depending on where you live, you might be able to get a new 2010 Lotus Exige Stealth or 2010 Lotus Exige Scura, but not both, and neither unless you get crackin'. In anticipation of its official coming out party at the Tokyo Motor Show, Lotus just dropped the deets on a new special edition blacked out Lotus Exige alternatively known as the Stealth or Scura (Italian for 'dark') depending on market. Whatever they call it, it is one badass car. Only 35 will be built worldwide and none of them appear headed to the States unfortunately.
This newest Exige special looks menacing with its matte black paint, contrasting gloss black stripes and carbon fiber highlights. It's powered by the 260-hp version of the ubiquitous supercharged 4-cylinder and comes standard with launch control, traction control and 2-way adjustable Ohlins dampers. And thanks to the prodigious amount of carbon fiber inside and out, this featherweight flyer drops another 10kg, allowing it to do the 0-60 sprint in 4 seconds flat. It should also reach 100 in less than ten seconds on its way to a top speed of 152 mph. Brits who hustle over to their local Lotus shoppe will have to plunk down £45,000, while EU customers can expect to pay around €61.000. Check out the gallery of high-res pics below and a long press release after the jump.
[Source: Lotus]Continue reading Tokyo Preview: Lotus Exige Scura and Stealth cross over to dark side
Tokyo Preview: Lotus Exige Scura and Stealth cross over to dark side originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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