2000 Birkin Lotus 7 Reproduction on 2040-cars

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Lotus rolls out factory delivery program for Elise, Exige and Evora

"We are delighted to open our doors to customers so that they can collect their new car from us direct." - Jean-Marc Gales
Buying a Lotus sports car now comes with an added perk - you get a peek behind the curtain at the famous factory in Hethel, England.

Lotus Evora GX to race in U.S. Grand-Am series

The Lotus Evora has taken many forms as a race car over the past few years, starting in 2009 with the Type 124 Endurance Racer built for the FIA GT. Since then, Lotus has developed a GT4 Cup version designed for a one-make series, the Evora GTE that currently competes in the GT class of the ALMS and the recently introduced Evora GTC.
Now, Lotus has released the Evora GX, a variation of the GTC tweaked to specifically meet the requirements of Grand-Am's new GX class that will launch at the start of the 2013 race season. While the two cars are very similar, using the same lightweight carbon fiber and plexiglass bodywork, the GX version gets a thicker U.S.-spec roll cage, a revised front splitter and bumper, a standard Grand-Am rear wing, yellow headlights and a new fuel filler system. ABS and traction control have also been removed per Grand-Am regulations.
Pricing for the Evora GX is listed at $335,000 with each one built to order, and one customer has already taken the plunge. McMahon Raceworks has placed an order and should have the car on the starting grid at the first race next year.

Lotus will return to its roots with mid-range model due out in 2021

Lotus knows it can't keep manufacturing the Elise, the Exige, and the Evora indefinitely. It will reportedly begin the process of rejuvenating its range in 2021, when it launches a light, driver-friendly sports car named Type 131. British magazine Auto Express learned the Type 131 — an internal designation that won't reach production; Fiat already owns the 131 nameplate — will be deeply and unabashedly rooted in the company's decades-long heritage. It will embrace Lotus founder Colin Chapman's "simplify and add lightness" philosophy thanks in part to a new platform that should be modular enough to underpin other upcoming additions to the firm's range. Coupe and roadster variants of the 131 will be offered, though only one body style might be available at launch. Although Lotus is working on bringing the electric, limited-edition Evija to production, the Type 131 will eschew all forms of electrification in the name of lightness. Power will come exclusively from a gasoline-burning engine, though the report doesn't specify whether it will have four or six cylinders. Our crystal ball tells us it will be a turbocharged and/or supercharged four-cylinder, because the engine will most likely come from Geely (which purchased a controlling stake in Lotus), and there isn't a six-cylinder on its palette of engines. If the report is accurate, Lotus will share official information about the Type 131 in the coming months, and the model will make its debut in the second half of 2021. Interestingly, it will slot neatly between the Exige and the Evora (pictured) rather than replacing one or both. It's too early to tell whether it will be sold in the United States, but every Lotus official Autoblog has spoken to in recent months has stressed America is an important market. On the opposite side of the scale, Lotus is also developing its first SUV. The yet-unnamed model will be built on a platform sourced from within the Geely group (possibly Volvo's CMA architecture), and it will be developed with an emphasis on performance. Enthusiasts will cry foul, but the soft-roader will become the best-selling Lotus. Related Video: