2006 Lotus Exige Convertible on 2040-cars

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Lotus adds lightness to new Exige S Club Racer

If there are two things Lotus is good at, they're trimming weight off already lightweight cars and getting the most out of its existing products. And those are just the talents it's called on to roll out the new Exige S Club Racer. Based on the Exige that's been on the market since 2000 – itself based on the Elise that dates back to 1996 – the new Exige S Club Racer manages to cut an extra 33 pounds off the vehicle's already featherlike curb weight, now down to under 2,600 lbs. The weight reduction comes down largely to the lightweight battery, center console, doors and sports seats. Yet measured at 100 miles per hour, the coupe also produces 93 lbs of extra downforce thanks to the revised aero package that includes a new front splitter, rear wing and flat underbody. Joining the Elise 20th Anniversary Edition (which itself replaces the Elise S Club Racer), the new Lotus Exige S Club Racer packs a 3.5-liter V6 to run to 62 in four seconds flat and on to a top speed of 170 mph. That's some rather impressive performance for a vehicle that only costs GBP56,900 in the UK, which is about what you'd pay for a Porsche Cayman GTS over there that would cost us around $75k. Unfortunately, Lotus doesn't sell the Exige in the US anymore, so this is one further improvement on a model we'll just have to admire from across the ocean. NEW LOTUS EXIGE S CLUB RACER - FASTER AND LIGHTER - Club Racer ethos applied to searingly quick Exige S - Weight reduced by 15 kg - Lotus benchmarks for handling and pure driving experience Applying the Lotus refined Club Racer principles to the already stunning Exige S results in the most inspiring version of an already class-leading sports car. The Exige S is a model that already excels, thanks to its lightweight aluminium chassis-tub and aerodynamically enhanced composite bodywork. Its 3.5-litre supercharged V6 engine delivers exciting performance, benchmark handling and a pure driving experience combined with a 4.0 seconds 0-62mph (0-100km/h) acceleration time and a top speed of 274 km/h (170 mph). Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Group Lotus plc, expressed his enthusiasm for the new model: "Factoring the Club Racer ethos into the Exige enhances the track-focussed potential of this important model.

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

Here are all the EVs with 800V charging available in 2024

As technology advances, electric cars are improving their fast-charging times. That means less time spent waiting at a DC public charger when you’re out on the road. While Level 3 chargers used to provide a maximum of 150 kilowatts of power, 350-kW chargers are become more common, making for super-fast charging Â… if your car is capable of taking advantage of it. So how do automakers improve the charging speed of their EV batteries? Some are turning to higher voltage, specifically 800V charging. What's the difference between 800-volt charging and 400-volt charging? So how does 800V charging improve upon the more common 400V EVs? Put simply, the higher the voltage, the less amperage (current) it requires to charge. In other words, with more voltage, you get more wattage (power, aka charge rate) from the same amperage (current). 800V architecture is also more efficient, with less electrical resistance, so it can use thinner cables and smaller, lighter components while needing less cooling. The tradeoff is that it is more costly, and guess who that cost gets passed on to. While automakers don't break down their pricing to show how much more you're paying for that 800V system, you'll just have to evaluate any potential purchases as a whole, and make your decision based on overall pricing of the vehicle. Thankfully, the 800V EVs on sale now are generally ones we like. Now, 800V charging capability doesn't necessarily mean an EV has 800V vehicle architecture. For instance, the GMC Hummer EV and Chevy Silverado EV operate at 400V, but with their dual battery packs, can switch to 800V when charging by temporarily connecting those packs in series. Currently, there are only a handful of EVs available with 800V charging. But if you are going to find yourself taking longer trips in your EV and using DC fast chargers more often, you might want to consider choosing one with this faster charging capability. With that in mind, these are the EVs available with 800V charging, either on sale now or coming in 2024. 800-volt EVs available in 2024 Audi E-Tron GT Chevrolet Silverado EV Genesis GV60 Genesis Electrified G80 Genesis Electrified GV70 GMC Hummer EV Pickup GMC Hummer EV SUV GMC Sierra EV* Hyundai Ioniq 5 Hyundai Ioniq 6 Kia EV6 Kia EV9 Lotus Eletre* Lotus Emeya* Lucid Air Lucid Gravity* Porsche Macan Electric* Porsche Taycan Ram 1500 REV* Tesla Cybertruck *Coming later in 2024 Green Audi Chevrolet Genesis GMC Hyundai Kia Lotus Porsche Tesla Electric Lucid EV charging