2010 Lotus Evora 2+2...only 11k Miles!!! Factory Warranty Until 1/2014...mint!!! on 2040-cars

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New Lotus SUV could be based on Volvo architecture

Last year, Chinese carmaker Geely upped its stake in Lotus to a majority, recently investing more money into the British brand. Now, talking with Automotive News, CEO Jean-Marc Gales says Geely has approved three new models: two sports cars and the third an SUV. The sports cars will be announced later this year, and they will reach production in 2020. The last time a properly new Lotus debuted was in 2009 with the Evora, so a decade later new products are certainly due. But what about that SUV? Autocar says that since Geely also owns Volvo, that makes it possible for Lotus to base the SUV onto the Volvo SPA platform, which is also used in the XC60 and XC90. The choice of platform would mean the SUV would have to be a four-cylinder model, but that's nothing new to Lotus. It could even use Volvo's "Twin Engine" hybrid setup, which would mean a power output of over 400 horsepower as stock, and that with Lotus' eagerness for lightness could be a potent combination. Autocar quotes Gales as saying, "It will go round bends like nothing else in its segment." The target weight for the approximately Porsche Macan-sized SUV is under 2,000 kilos (4,400 pounds), and the Macan weighs 4244 pounds in 400-hp Turbo guise. The Lotus SUV is projected to hit the market in "about four years," and it's very likely to be built in China instead of Britain, as the Chinese market is very enticing — especially for this class of vehicle. The vehicles will still be designed at Lotus' Hethel HQ. Related Video:

This Lotus Evora 410 is a custom tribute to the original Esprit

We love the Lotus Evora, whether it's in the current 400 trim or new 410 trim, and now an enthusiast has ordered up perhaps the coolest livery. It's an Evora 410 in an Esprit tribute scheme. And it isn't modeled after just any first-generation Esprit, but rather the car featured in the James Bond flick, The Spy Who Loved Me. The car is a one-off commissioned by a customer through the Lotus Exclusive program, which offers buyers the opportunity to have the car customized with special paint, graphics, body work, and interiors. In the case of this particular Evora 410, the car has a white paint job and features a bumper and blacked-out grille. Extending from the top of the grille is a black stripe that bisects the body. These cues represent the black bumper and stripes of the Esprit. Another nice touch is the Evora name on the panels just aft of the side windows. They've been written in the same font as the classic Esprit. Lotus also points out that the bare carbon-fiber engine cover is meant to look a bit like the glass hatch of the original car. They're all simple, subtle touches, but they come together to create a classy and convincing tribute. Inside, things only get better. The upholstery features Tartan inserts that were popular and common on '70s sports cars. The shift knob is also now made from wood. They're joined by a heaping helping of black Alcantara and red stitching. Mechanically, this Evora 410 is effectively unchanged from the standard model. But as we said, that's fine since the standard model, with its 410-horsepower supercharged V6, is excellent. It should be noted though that, being a standard 410, it does not have the ability to travel underwater. As mentioned at the top, this car is presently a one-off built for a customer using Lotus Exclusive. So don't expect to start seeing these at dealer lots. However, you probably could still order a similar car through Lotus Exclusive. Or you could use the program to customize your Evora 410 some other way, say in black and gold like the John Player Special Lotus F1 cars, or maybe the company's green and yellow racing colors. All we're saying is, as cool as this is, don't let that restrict you from trying something new. Related Video:

Stock Miata beats bunch of high-powered cars in wet 1/4-mile drag race

When is a stock, 167-horsepower Mazda MX-5 Miata quicker than a Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang, Lamborghini Gallardo, Lotus Elise and a Porsche 911? When it's raining. Sort of.
Mazda Canada arranged a unique drag race to show off the fact that the Miata's optional power retractable folding hardtop can go from top-down to top-up in just 12 seconds flat. In this video, all six cars line up for a drag race, and it starts to rain (well, sort of - but you'll have to watch the video all the way to the end to see what we mean). The green flag is waved, and the timer starts as soon as the convertibles begin to put their tops up. But because the Miata's roof mechanism gets the car's roof back up a full 5.1 seconds quicker than the second-place car, the Mazda gets a serious advantage off the line for the actual drag race.
It's a fun video. And while we've spoiled the results (come on, the video was uploaded by Mazda, you knew the Miata was going to win), be sure to see how it all unfolds, below.