1960 Lotus Elite on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Lotus Emeya electric sedan revealed like a sleeker Eletre

The number of four-door models in the Lotus line has doubled with the reveal of the Emeya electric sedan. Not surprisingly, it looks very much like the Eletre SUV, just lower and sleeker. The yellow and black debut color just emphasizes that fact, too. What is a bit surprising is the surprising lack of concrete details on the car. We really do mean it when we say this looks like the Eletre. The Emeya utilizes almost the same lines at every point, from the pointy, angry nose to the curvy flanks. But on the whole, the lower height and less overall visual mass makes it a much more successful design. It also adopts the active grille shutters, diffuser and rear spoiler like the Eletre. One thing that does differentiate the exterior of the Emeya is the use of dual running lights on each end of the front fascia. The Emeya's interior again is a near carbon copy of the Eletre's. A single screen is the focal point with an angular dual-cowl dash board surrounding it. A small screen is nestled in the dash behind the steering wheel to provide basic driving information. Extensive use of leather and faux suede is featured throughout. Specifications on the Emeya are lacking detail. It will be available in a dual-motor all-wheel-drive configuration that can reach speeds topping 155 mph. The motors will also get it to 62 mph in a claimed 2.8 seconds. It can take advantage of 350-kW-capable fast chargers, as well. The whole car also rides on an adaptive air suspension. But actual horsepower, torque, battery capacity and much more haven't been given.  The Emeya will go into production sometime next year. Naturally, pricing hasn't been announced, either. Being smaller than the Eletre, it may end up being a bit less costly. Stay tuned for more of that information closer to production. Related video:

A Lotus worthy of the legend | 2017 Lotus Evora 400 First Drive

Lotus is back, both literally and figuratively. After the British brand's two-year absence, the Evora 400 marks its return to the American market. It also shows what's in store as Lotus moves forward after a rough few years. We'll cut straight to the point: The Evora 400 is the best car Lotus has ever made. The heritage of the brand founded by Colin Chapman is centered around the holistic benefits of light weight and simplicity. But historically, light was a synonym for fragile. Heap on the old British build-quality stereotypes like leaking windows and intermittent electrics, and you have the Lotus reputation for brilliant but fickle cars. Owning a Lotus is a badge of honor, the car-culture equivalent of riding a fixed-gear bicycle. And while quality has improved, even modern Lotus models like the Elise, Exige, and previous Evora have a decidedly minimalist approach to comfort. That lack of modern amenities kept sales to a minimum before crash-test standards forced Lotus's hiatus from our shores. And by modern amenities we mean basics like functional air conditioning, a cabin you can climb into without pulling a muscle, and trim pieces that don't fall off from normal use. So when we say the Evora 400 is the best Lotus ever, we mean that in more than one way. It's of a material and build quality befitting the $93,785 starting price, and it retains the almost telepathic connection to the driver while increasing performance on all fronts. The 400 in the name stands for 400 horsepower. Power still comes from a Toyota-sourced 3.5-liter V6, but a new supercharger is now intercooled and delivers about 9 pounds per square inch of boost, up from 5.5 psi. It's a 55-hp jump, with a modest torque increase of 7 pound-feet, to 302. The numerical suffix, though, might suggest this is just a variant, like the Evora S was to the original Evora. Not so. Lotus says over two thirds of the parts are new, including front and rear body panels. The new Evora has a cleaner look, less like an inflated Elise and more like the mid-engine exotic that it is. View 29 Photos But the biggest change to the Evora is the interior. The door sill, perhaps the biggest hindrance to practicality, is now 2.2 inches lower and 1.7 inches narrower. The footwell is also 3.3 inches wider. Getting in and sitting now just feels like it does in most other cars, which, for Lotus, is a revelation. Hey, there's room for a dead pedal to the left of the clutch!

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.