94 Lotus Esprit on 2040-cars

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New models, new markets: Lotus plans major expansion in the 2020s

Lotus was so quiet during the 2010s that some enthusiasts wonder if it still exists. It's alive, it's healthier than it's ever been in recent memory, and it's orchestrating a major expansion that will put it back in the spotlight. Its renaissance starts with the Evija, an electric hypercar packing a 2,000-horsepower punch that Matt Windle, the company's engineering boss, called a trailblazer. Future models will all be influenced by this limited-edition coupe. Beyond that, the company is taking steps to overhaul its entire business, from the design language that characterizes its cars to the restaurant its employees eat at — seriously. Even the cafeteria is getting a makeover. "We're building the brand, building the product range, building the dealer network, and building facilities. There's a huge investment program going on," Windle told Autoblog. "We need to shoot the arrow far enough ahead so that we don't get stuck in the day-to-day problems and instead keep an eye on what we need to do long-term," he added. The company's to-do list is long, and rebuilding a brand is difficult, but Lotus believes it can pull it off. The executive team is betting on an array of new products to reach customers in markets Lotus has little or no presence in; the United States comes to mind. The ultimate goal is to increase the brand's annual volume. Windle understandably couldn't shed light on the product plan, but unverified rumors point to a born-again Esprit powered by a 500-horsepower hybrid powertrain made up of a mid-mounted, Toyota-sourced V6 and electric components provided by sister company Volvo. Another one of the company's future models is an SUV —its first — allegedly built on Volvo bones and aimed at the Porsche Macan. We hear a new Elise is coming, too. The engineer explained his team doesn't feel the least bit constrained by the decades-long heritage Lotus is built on, and it's ready to embrace new technologies as it moves forward. "Electrification has given us the ability to look at things differently," he explained, while clarifying the company's core values (aerodynamics, ride, handling, and lightweight construction) won't be overlooked as it expands. "We will stay true to them," he pledged. "Light is right," the phrase famously coined by Lotus founder Colin Chapman, will live on, then. China-based Geely purchased a majority stake in Lotus in 2017 and it's helping turn it around.

The time Elon Musk paid $1 million for James Bond submarine car that cost a couple $100

Tesla CEO Elon Musk landed himself in court after insulting a diver who criticized his plan to rescue a Thai soccer trapped in a cave using a purpose-built mini submarine. Which reminded us that Musk's interest in submarines started years ago. The story begins in 1989, when a couple from Long Island put every barn-find hunter to shame by paying $100 for a locked storage unit, and cracking it open to find a 1976 Lotus Esprit buried under a pile of blankets. That's a cool find, the S1 Esprit is sought-after among enthusiasts, but CNBC reported they quickly learned their car was modified to star in the 1977 James Bond film "The Spy Who Loved Me." Ignoring Colin Chapman's "light is right" motto, the producers alchemized the Lotus into a fully functional submarine by welding in the wheel arches and the underbody, and adding winglets for more stability. Four propellers powered by a battery pack housed in the cabin moved the Esprit under water, and the coupe gained front-mounted missile launchers. The modifications reportedly cost $100,000. The couple had never seen a James Bond movie; they likely assumed it was a mad scientist's kit car, or a science fair project gone wrong. The $100 purchase price represents about $207 in 2019 dollars, so the unsuspecting buyers could have easily sold it as a parts car, made a small amount of money on it, and ended up with a free storage unit. However, they became aware of the Esprit's significance in Hollywood history when truckers identified it over CB radio while they were hauling it home. lotus-esprit-submarine-in-action-1 View 3 Photos They weren't collectors, and storing a submarine is terribly impractical, so they commissioned a cosmetic restoration and asked auction house RM Sotheby's to sell it in 2013. An enigmatic buyer paid $997,000 for the non-running movie prop. Musk later revealed himself as its new owner. "I was disappointed to learn that it can't actually transform. What I'm going to do is upgrade it with a Tesla electric powertrain, and try to make it transform for real," he announced. Even billionaire-owned project cars sit for longer than planned, and there's little evidence the Esprit is in swimming condition, let alone capable of morphing into a submarine at the simple push of a button. If it could, we're certain Musk would have hyped it up on Twitter. But while stalled projects normally draw the ire of loved ones as they take up garage space, Musk's turned into a well of inspiration.

Lotus marks 20 years of the Elise

Lotus was a very different company 20 years ago. For starters, it wasn't owned by the Malaysians: it had just been sold by General Motors to Romano Artioli, the same man behind the revival of Bugatti EB110. It had discontinued the Elan, Excel and Carlton, which left the Esprit – by then already 20 years old itself – as its only product. Then the Elise came along and everything changed. The Elise arrived in 1995, based on a lightweight aluminum chassis that was ahead of its time and cloaked in composite body panels to make it incredibly light in the spirit of Colin Chapman's ethos. Its name was taken from Artioli's granddaughter, but stuck around long after he sold the company. The Esprit was eventually retired, and with the exception of the Evora, the Elise served as the basis for every other new Lotus that has followed in the two decades since: the Exige, Europa, 2-Eleven, 340R, and so on. It even lent its underpinnings to a wide array of sports cars for other automakers, including the groundbreaking Tesla Roadster, the all-conquering Hennessey Venom GT, the Opel Speedster/Vauxhall VX220, and more concepts cars and niche products than we can count. Now 20 years since its introduction, Lotus is celebrating the milestone with the Elise 20th Anniversary Edition. It's based on (and effectively replaces) the Elise S Club Racer, and trims a further 22 pounds off the curb weight. It's got matte black forged wheels and trim, a retrimmed interior and of course all the special badging. UK customers will be able to pick one up for GBP39,900, but as the Elise hasn't been offered Stateside in a few years now, we'll just have to admire – and celebrate – from afar. Lotus Elise celebrates 20 years - Celebratory 20th Anniversary Special Edition Elise - Special edition, based on the Elise S Club Racer, including classic Elise colour schemes - Pioneering and iconic Elise continues to innovate and evolve - Weight reduced by 10 kg The Lotus Elise 20th Anniversary Special Edition celebrates the unveiling of the iconic sports car at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1995. 20 years ago, the Lotus Elise revolutionised the sports car world, setting the benchmark for handling, purity of the driving experience, lightweight and efficiency. Its pioneering and advanced bonded aluminium chassis was a market-leading technological innovation at the time and over the years has improved and evolved and remains core to the Elise's exceptional performance today.