2011 Lotus Evora 2 + 2 on 2040-cars

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2015 Bahrain F1 Grand Prix puts a dark horse in the desert [spoilers]

Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen had said after Malaysia that Ferrari can challenge Mercedes-AMG Petronas purely on pace, beyond the scope of tire wear, in the dry. We didn't see that in China, where Lewis Hamilton easily kept everyone behind and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel only got close to Mercedes' Nico Rosberg when Rosberg slowed down to conserve his tires. But the Iceman's words seemed prescient during qualifying for the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix. At the front, nothing has changed so far this year: four races, four pole positions for Lewis Hamilton. Instead of teammate Rosberg next to him, though, he'll look over to see the scarlet Ferrari of Vettel, who took advantage of Rosberg's cautiousness to snatch second place on the grid. In Q2, Rosberg tried to conserve the tires he'd start the race on and said he couldn't get into a groove in Q3, putting in a time 0.147 seconds slower than Vettel. The second Silver Arrows will share his row with the second Ferrari, Raikkonen – yet again – saying he might have left some time on the table during his hot lap but getting around just one tenth off Rosberg's time. Williams is established as the best of the rest behind two teams this year instead of just one last year, Valtteri Bottas claiming fifth ahead of Felipe Massa. Daniel Ricciardo of Infiniti Red Bull Racing said he wants to fight with the Williams', he'll be helped with a good start off the line for the first time this year. Nico Hulkenberg got Force India into Q3 for the first time since the Italian Grand Prix last year and into eighth on the grid, ahead of Carlos Sainz in the Toro Rosso and Romain Grosjean putting in another excellent day's work for Lotus. Come race time, it turned into Mercedes power against Ferrari strategy. When Sky F1 commentator Martin Brundle talks about the Mercedes-AMG Petronas team he often mentions how their engine advantage leads to other advantages throughout the car. Not having to use aerodynamic changes to make up for power unit deficiencies, for instance, means they can run the aero setup they want, which optimizes speed and tire wear throughout a lap. It equates to advantage on top of advantage on top of advantage. That's where Lewis Hamilton is right now, so fundamentally dialed in to his car and his racing that he run the races he wants to run. From the front spot, the Brit ripped off another perfect start and led the field into Turn 1, relinquishing the lead only during pit stops.

Lotus and Proton might be sold to Peugeot-Citroen after Geely bails

Despite some strong initial interest, Chinese automaker Geely changed its mind about purchasing a controlling stake in Proton, parent company of Lotus Cars. This leaves Groupe PSA, owner of Peugeot, Citroen, and now Opel, as the sole remaining interested party. This is mixed news for Proton, as Geely's hands-off, cash-flush approach may have helped Lotus. On the other hand, it isn't like Groupe PSA is bordering on bankruptcy. According to Malaysian automotive news site Paultan.org, the reasons behind Geely's change of heart are unclear. In fact, it may seem that the indecision about the deal may have been coming more from Proton, not Geely. Reports say that Proton's parent company, Malaysian manufacturer DRB-Hicom, was uneasy about the potential partnership. DRB-Hicom assembles cars for a number of automakers, including Honda, Isuzu, and Suzuki. A deal with Groupe PSA would give the French automaker access to both DRB-Hicom's facilities and an expanded foothold in Southeast Asia. As only one contender remains, look for news of the deal going one way or another in the next few months. Related Video: News Source: Paultan Lotus Citroen Peugeot Geely groupe psa

Lotus Exige Sport 410 is just over 2,400 pounds of forbidden fruit

Few automakers short of Jeep love cranking out new variants of a current model like Lotus. Today, the storied British sports car manufacturer revealed the new Exige Sport 410, essentially a more comfortable and road-friendly version of the track-focused Exige Cup 430. This is a mid-engine coupe with 410 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque and a dry weight that's slightly more than an ND Mazda MX-5 Miata. Too bad it's not-for-U.S. consumption. Thanks to U.S. safety regulations, the Lotus Elise and Exige aren't available in America. Europeans will enjoy the Sport 410's supercharged 3.5-liter V6 and 0-60 mph sprint of just 3.3 seconds. The car's top speed is 180 mph. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission. Thanks to some sophisticated aero, the car can generate more than 330 pounds of downforce. Under the skin, the Sport 410 uses three-way adjustable Nitron dampers and adjustable Eibach front and rear anti-roll bars. Traction comes in the form of 285/30 ZR18 section rear and 215/45 ZR17 section front Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, some of the stickiest rubber available for road use. Forged-alloy wheels are available in either black or silver. The car uses four-piston AP Racing brakes with two-piece rotors. Options include titanium exhaust, carbon-fiber instrument surround, sill covers, barge boards and roof, electrical cutoff and fire extinguisher controls, airbag deletion, a non-airbag steering wheel, four-point harnesses, a full-leather interior, and a dealer-fitted FIA-compliant roll cage. Of course, with enough cash, Lotus will tailor the car to-taste through its Lotus Exclusive program. Related Video: