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Lotus electric sedan due in 2023 to take on Porsche Taycan

Lotus took a massive step towards the mainstream when it released the Eletre (pictured above), an electric crossover developed with volume in mind. It will continue walking in this direction by launching its first sedan, and a recent report suggests the model will be aimed at the Porsche Taycan. Known as the Type 133 internally, and referred to as a four-door coupe, the sedan will join the firm's portfolio of so-called "lifestyle" EVs. It will borrow some styling cues from the Eletre (pictured above) but it won't be merely a scaled-down crossover. "There has to be some continuity and family identity," explained Peter Horbury, Lotus' senior vice president of design, in an interview with British magazine Autocar. "Families aren't made up entirely of triplets or quadruplets. Every member of a family can have their own character," he added. While the Type 133 — a name that won't make the leap to production; the Eletre was called Type 132 — won't be as basic as, say, an Elise, it will be positioned as a driver's car. Gavan Kershaw, Lotus' director of attributes and product integrity, told Autocar that the engineering team benchmarked the Porsche Taycan during the Eletre's development process and the lessons learned will be applied to the Type 133. Like its taller sibling, the sedan should feature a long list of technology features, including an air suspension system and rear-wheel steering. Powertrain specifications haven't been released yet, but the fact that the Eletre and the Type 133 will be closely related underneath the sheet metal gives us some idea of what to expect. Power for the first Lotus crossover comes from a pair of electric motors that zap the four wheels with around 600 horsepower. The battery pack's capacity checks in at over 100 kilowatt-hours, and an 800-volt electrical architecture enables fast-charging technology. Lotus pegs the Eletre's maximum driving range at 373 miles on the testing cycle used in Europe. It's reasonable to assume that the sedan, which should be lighter and more aerodynamic, should be capable of going further on a charge. Lotus is expected to unveil the Type 133 in 2023. The model will be built alongside the Eletre in Wuhan, China. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Lotus reveals an even lighter version of the Elise Cup 250

For an automaker with very few resources, Lotus manages to keep things relatively fresh. The new Evora 400 is a blast to drive, even if it is just a heavily revised version of the car that debuted in 2009. The current Lotus Elise debuted back in 2010, and though it may have departed from our shores, Lotus keeps customers worldwide happy with a plethora of new variants. The latest model is the lightweight Lotus Elise Cup 250. Now, this isn't the same Elise Cup 250 that debuted last year, though the two cars are very, very similar. The main difference is weight, as is typical with a Lotus. Colin Chapman's tried and true saying, simplify and add lightness, is still true here. The new model weighs just 1,895 pounds, or 1,948 without the lightweight package. Last year's Elise Cup 250 was already quite svelte at 2,053 pounds. While you may think that shaving that much weight from an already light car must be the result of black magic or a localized black hole, the truth is far more simple. The Elise Cup 250 makes extensive use of carbon fiber, titanium, and aluminum for components like the bodywork, exhaust, and wheels. The rear window is plastic instead of glass, and the standard lead-acid battery is replaced with a lithium-ion battery. The rest of the car remains mostly unchanged. The car is propelled by a 243-horsepower supercharged 1.8-liter inline four. It can hit 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds, quicker than the more powerful Evora 400. There's plenty of aero to keep the car planted, but it's not a pure track car like the Exige. The Elise Cup 250 still comes with a full interior with a stereo, though there's no mention of cupholders. As exciting as all this may be, the Elise Cup 250 won't be coming to the US. Unfortunately, airbags and crash structures all add weight. For everyone else, the Elise Cup 250 is at dealers now. Related Video: Featured Gallery Lotus Elise Cup 250 News Source: Lotus Lotus Lightweight Vehicles Performance

Lotus reveals extreme new 3-Eleven at Goodwood

Lotus has taken the occasion of the Goodwood Festival of Speed to reveal the new 3-Eleven. Billed as the quickest, most expensive road-going series production Lotus ever, the new 3-Eleven picks up where the previous 2-Eleven left off. And that gave the British automaker quite a starting point. An extreme evolution of the Elise and Exige, the new 3-Eleven boils things down to the bare essentials and packs a mighty punch. It's built around an aluminum chassis with composite bodywork and a completely open cockpit. That gives it a curb weight of less than 2,000 pounds to embody Colin Chapman's ethos of "adding lightness" like no other modern Lotus we've seen yet. At its heart lies an upgraded version of the company's 3.5-liter supercharged V6, producing 450 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. That makes it even more powerful than the new Evora 400, and channels through a six-speed manual transmission, limited slip differential, and traction control. Other features include double wishbone suspension front and rear, Eibach springs, adjustable Ohlins dampers, AP Racing brakes, a Lotus-tuned Bosch ABS, 18-inch alloys up front, 19 inches the rear, shod with Michelin rubber. All of those goodies translate to a 0-60 time of under 3.0 seconds and a top speed of up to 180 miles per hour. It's even quoted to lap the company's test track at Hethel in 1:22. That makes it an impressive ten seconds seconds faster than the aforementioned Evora 400 – which is already six seconds faster around the circuit than the preceding Evora S. Production will be limited to just 311 examples, and is slated to commence in February 2016, with the first deliveries to begin in April. Any potential for North American availability has yet to be announced, but in the UK pricing will start at GBP82,000 (equivalent to $129k at current exchange rates). A more extreme Race version will be offered alongside the Road model, priced at GBP96,000 ($150k) before taxes or GBP115,000 ($180k) with, upgrading with track-focused features like a more aggressive aero kit, six-point racing harness, and a six-speed sequential gearbox.