2006 Lotus Elise Sport Pkg Aspen White on 2040-cars

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Lotus will let Evija buyers configure their 2,000-hp electric car on their couch

The men and women who reserved a Lotus Evija will have the opportunity to configure their 2,000-horsepower electric car without getting off their couch. Several aspects of the coupe are customizable, so the company created a digital, touchscreen-based configurator to let clients design their car without leaving their home. Online configurators have been around for over a decade, but Lotus explained its software is more advanced and life-like than what's normally found on a manufacturer's website. It relies on a powerful graphics processor and software gleaned from the gaming world to display extremely realistic images of the car that almost look like they're photographs. Enthusiasts can see the Evija from every angle, inside and out, and they can pelt it into different worlds to check how a specific color looks in the shade or in direct sunlight. The configurator's last party trick is what the firm calls a 360-degree fly-through film which looks like it was shot with a drone. Lotus Evija configurator View 10 Photos When they're done, customers can hit save to send their configuration to Lotus headquarters in Hethel, England. They won't take delivery immediately, the Evija is a limited-edition car built largely by hand, so the company will whet their appetite by periodically sending them gifts. It hasn't revealed what it will ship clients, though it's not too far-fetched to imagine a scale model will be in one of the care packages. Each customer will also receive a personalized build book showing the car at different stages during the production process. Lotus will make 130 examples of the Evija, and it's planning to launch production before the end of 2020. The first year's allocation is already spoken for, according to the firm, so act fast if you want to add one to your collection. Alternatively, Lotus told Autoblog the Evija is a trailblazer that will influence future models, notably in terms of design and technology, so you're in luck if you like what you see but want it at a cheaper price point. Those of us who aren't waiting for a ticket into the Evija club will need to wait for their chance to spec one. "At the moment, [the configurator] is only for customers," a company spokesperson told Autoblog via email. Related Video:

Lotus Type 66 is the Can-Am race car that never was

Most car reveals for Pebble Beach are all-new luxury and supercars, faithful recreations of classics, or some unique restomods. What Lotus has revealed isn't really any of those. The Type 66, while looking like a reproduction of a classic race car, is actually completely new, since it was never built in the first place. Apparently Lotus was considering entering the Can-Am racing series back in 1970, a time when the company was seriously competitive in Formula 1. A designer by the name of Geoff Ferris was put in charge, and drawings and models were made, but the project, called Type 66, never went any further. Those Type 66 designs survived, and to help celebrate the company's 75th anniversary, Lotus decided to bring the car to life. And the result is not exactly what it would've been built for 1970. The design is very similar, and the red, white and gold paint is what Lotus would've used. However, the body has been formed from carbon fiber (something that was definitely not used) and makes much more downforce thanks to more than 1,000 hours of aero development. Specifically, it can produce 1,764 pounds of downforce at 150 mph, more than the weight of the vehicle. The frame is more traditional, though, being made of extruded and bonded aluminum and aluminum honeycomb panels. The powertrain is a similar blend of vintage and modern. It uses a pushrod V8 of unknown manufacture, but with forged internals as well as modern fuel and engine management. It makes a huge 819 horsepower at 8,800 rpm and 550 pound-feet of torque at 7,400 rpm. It also has functional and classic-looking gleaming intake trumpets sticking out the back. Safety and features that are thoroughly modern are also included in the Type 66. It has electric power steering, ABS, a modern fuel sell, sequential manual transmission and an anti-stall multiplate clutch. Only 10 Type 66s will be built, one for every race in the 1970 Can-Am season. Each one will cost more than GBP1 million, or $1.27 million. And, unsurprisingly, it's for the track only. Related Video:

Lotus F1 Team promotes Joylon Palmer for next season

After letting its longtime protege Romain Grosjean go to the Haas F1 team, Lotus has named his successor for next season. Driving for the team as it transitions back to being the Renault factory outfit will be one Jolyon Palmer, the current reigning GP2 champion and possibly one of the best-poised drivers to make it into Formula One. The 24-year-old Brit has been steadily working his way up the formula racing ladder, winning races in Formula Two and GP2 over the past several years before winning the latter title last season. During that victorious campaign he also served as a test driver for Force India, before switching to Lotus this season and getting 10 grand prix practice sessions under his harness. Jolyon's own experience undoubtedly sealed the deal, but his upbringing surely put him in a prime position to make it in single-seater racing. He's the son of former F1 driver Jonathan Palmer, himself a past Formula Two champ before completing half a dozen seasons in Formula One. It's what the elder Palmer's been up to since leaving the grid, however, that's put the son in such a strong position. As head of MotorSport Vision, Jonathan Palmer controls five major racing tracks across the UK – including BrandsHatch, Outlton Park, Snetterton, Cadwell Park and the Bedford Autodrome. He also runs a couple of trackday programs, founded the now-defunct Formula Palmer Audi series and continues to operate the FIA Formula Two Championship, the BRDC Formula 4 Championship, and the British Superbike Championship. All of which gave young Jolyon plenty of room to run as he developed his career. Will that be enough to put the young Palmer in a position to win next season? Only time will tell. But he arrives at a pivotal time for the team, which is expected to transition back from the privately held Lotus operation to Renault's hands, running once again as the factory team – but saddled with an engine package that has been underperforming against the competition. One way or another, it ought to be an interesting time to be in Enstone. Related Video: