Abarth And Lotus Working Towards Sports Car For 2011
July 30th, 2008
Rumor has it that Abarth has worked on a top secret deal with Lotus to use the new Elise to underpin a stand alone sports car. This will be the first one in almost 30 years. The details are still quite hazy - but what we do know is that it will be equipped with a mid mounted engine.
The third-generation Elise will be revealed in 2010 with a longer and wider brand new aluminum architecture then the current model. The Abarth version will be made with different composite body panels and will use a direct-inject 4-cylinder turbocharged engine that can push out 240 horsepower.
Lotus Delays Esprit Till 2011
July 29th, 2008
Lotus has worked hard and put a lot of money into pushing out the brand new Evora earlier then scheduled. Because of this their resources have been running a bit dry and they have had to delay the release of the Esprit until 2011.
Sources stated that the Esprit will be built with the chassis that is based off of the Evora except that it will be stretched and widened to fit the engine that will be mounted beneath the hood. Lotus boss Mike Kimberley says that he wants to offer “guilt-free, high performance motoring” and this means that to reach that goal, the new Esprit could be fitted with a hybrid drivetrain based on a mix of Lotus and Toyota technology.
Lotus Reveals The Elegant Evora
July 22nd, 2008
The 2008 British Motor Show revealed the true name of the mysterious Project Eagle - Evora. Lotus was proud to show off the new Evora - a 2+2 mid-engine coupe that will be able to fit two people in the front comfortably (not so sure about the back).
It has been equipped with a V6 3.5 liter engine from Toyota - but of course Lotus has tweaked it to its specifications. The car itself weighs 2,976 pounds - which is below the average weight of many cars.
Lotus Hints At New Name For 2+2
July 11th, 2008
Lotus has given us a hint at the new name that will be used for the brand new 2+2. We know that it will have a brand new name and that it will begin with the letter ‘E’ - but beyond that we are still clueless.
We know that the Espirit has been taken and will be used for the new range-topper that they have designed - which leaves several names open and ready to be taken. We did hear that Lotus registered the name Ethos in the United States and Eagle was the name that was given to the test mule.
Lotus Uses Recyclable Materials On Eco Elise
July 10th, 2008
The Lotus Exige 265 was a green car that was built primarly for biofuels. Lotus has changed their focus a bit and has decided to show off their new Eco Elise concept - which they will be showing off at the London motor show.
The new Eco Elise uses large amounts of engineers incorporated hemp, recyclable materials, wool, and sisal. The interior of the car uses mainly woven hemp for the trim of the center console, dashboard, and the seats.