1988 Lotus Turbo Esprit on 2040-cars

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Lotus Evora 'Sports Racer' is oddly named and fully loaded

Lotus has just announced a new Evora 'Sports Racer' model that is, well, frankly not much more sporty or racy than the standard Evora or Evora S. Instead, the British company calls the Sports Racer a "visually enhanced and optimized version" of both the Evora and supercharged Evora S. To unpack that a little: The new trim will get a new set of unique exterior colors and a revised interior treatment, and it's fully decked out with options.
The 'Sports Racer' will be available in the buyer's choice of Carbon Grey, Nightfall Blue and the Ardent Red that you see in the image above (the only image we've seen of the car so far). Gloss black accents set the model apart and can be seen on the roof, forged wheels, mirrors and rear badges. Inside, one may choose between black-leather sports seats with red piping and stitching, or a Venom Red leather interior with black piping and stitching. How naughty.
In terms of tech, the 'Sports Racer' gets Lotus' Sports Pack and its remapped throttle response, higher redline, more powerful cross-drilled brakes and a more aggressively programmed Dynamic Performance Management system. The stereo system is also upgraded from the basic Evora, with a DVD player and seven-inch touchscreen display thrown in for good measure.

Lotus recalls 2008-2011 Elise, Exige and 2011 Evora over fire fear

Lotus is recalling 860 vehicles after discovering that the oil cooler hose could detach from its fitting. Should the hose separate, it could spray oil on one of the lightweight car's tires, giving new meaning to the phrase "sudden loss of grip." The other case is, believe or not, more dire, as the spraying oil could hit the engine and ignite. Of course, neither situation is desirable, hence the recall.
The vast majority of the affected vehicles (780 of the 860) are the 2008 to 2011 Elise and Exige, built between November 2007 and July 2011. Another 80 Evora S coupes from 2011, manufactured between September 2010 and September 2011, are also included in the recall.
All repairs will, naturally, be completed free of charge. In the Elise/Exige's case, that means replacing the hose fittings, while the affected Evoras will get a new hose assembly.

Lotus stepping up to LMP1 in World Endurance Championship

Only a couple of years ago, it looked like the top tier of prototype endurance racing was in trouble. Peugeot shut down its program, leaving the LMP1 category all to Audi to dominate. Only six cars entered the Petit Le Mans in 2012, and the season was cut short. But the top class in the FIA World Endurance Championship has since blossomed. And it only looks poised to grow further.
Audi and Toyota will each be back on the grid this season, joined by Porsche. But the latest news has Lotus stepping up to the big leagues also. (Well, sorta: the German-run squad uses the Lotus name and colors, but has no more to do with the automaker than the Formula One team of the same name.)
The Lotus LMP1 will be based on the same Lola-based T129 chassis used until now in the LMP2 class, with former F1 driver Christijan Albers leading the driver lineup. In addition to Audi, Toyota and Porsche, the solitary Lotus entry will also compete against privateer Rebellion Racing in a nine-car LMP1 grid throughout the season.