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Lotus Type 132 electric crossover spotted testing in China

Thanks to Carscoops, we know that Weibo Chinese social media user Ductile Iron BX spotted a Lotus Type 132 prototype testing on Chinese roads. This is the vehicle that will inaugurate the English sports car maker's transition to a battery-electric future and its future as a purveyor of crossovers, the once dirty word among the light-and-simple crowd that's just too profitable to ignore. In profile, the long, low roof makes the Type 132 look more like a jacked-up Allroad-style wagon than a traditional crossover. The heavy camo can't hide the jutting tail that holds a deployable spoiler. Those regular-sized wheels look good, but they don't fill the arches that way we've come to expect from speedy SUVs; we won't be surprised if larger rims appear on the debut model, with an option for even larger rims. The treatment of the rear quarter glass, which looks like a vent, is a neat touch. We know black drapery hides other touches like an active lower grille, its hexagonal mesh peppered with panels that twirl open to provide the right combination of powertrain cooling and vehicle aerodynamics, and some kind of sensor unit rising from the roof. Nor can the camouflage hide the sharp lines throughout, from the concave front fascia to the arced rear fenders to the dramatic rear bumper. This could be a good looking start to Lotus' people-hauler era. The Type 132 is expected to debut this spring, riding on the firm's Evolution Architecture for premium vehicles and featuring 800-volt electrics and a battery with a possible 120-kilowatt capacity. Lotus has said the crossover will reach 60 miles per hour in under 3. seconds, an estimate that probably refers to the dual-motor version that might put out as much as 750 horsepower. Even though the Type 132's place in the luxury segment will see it lined up against entries like the Aston Martin DBX and Porsche Cayenne, this being the first super-sporty CUV from this OEM, it will undoubtedly spend the early part of its life thrown into battles with the Tesla Model X. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Race Recap: 2013 German Grand Prix is old beginnings, new endings [spoilers]

Just like at Silverstone last weekend, the German Formula One Grand Prix started with Lewis Hamilton putting his Mercedes-AMG Petronas on pole. The only thing missing at the pointy end of the grid was his teammate Nico Rosberg, who lined up beside him in England but back in 11th in Germany because of a team error in qualifying. So instead it was Vettel in the first Infiniti Red Bull in second, his teammate Mark Webber in third, the Lotus duo of Kimi Räikkönen and Romain Grosjean.
Again, just like at Silverstone - and Canada - Daniel Ricciardo used his magic beans to impress with the Toro Rosso, lining up in sixth, followed by Felipe Massa in the first Ferrari, Fernando Alonso in the second. Jenson Button in the McLaren, Nico Hülkenberg finished up the top ten.
When the lights went green, it didn't take long for the race to become a black-and-blue affair...

Lotus Eletre opens a new front in electric SUVs

Ladies and gentlemen, the new era of Lotus as an EV maker begins with this, the Eletre. It takes elements we've seen on the Evija battery-electric hypercar and Emira ICE sports car, wraps them in a larger package, jacks them up, and throws in a lot of new tech for the brand and the market. Let's start with size, which is the easy bit. The Eletre is 201 inches long on a 118.9-inch wheelbase, about 79 inches wide, and 64 inches high. Every one of those dimensions puts the Lotus within a couple of inches of the Aston Martin DBX: the EV being a little longer, with a slightly shorter wheelbase, a little wider, and a roof a couple of inches lower. For us, the side view most closely represents the form we had in mind based on recent spy shots. The front is intense, the yellow of the hero car making the greatest contrast with the polygonal void below. The lights above the leading edge are DRLs and turn signals, the main beams are recessed into that void, hugging the upper edge. The rear, with its Lotus script and full-width light bar fading into triangular intakes along the sides, clearly comes from the sports cars. It can glow in four colors depending on what it needs to communicate, and forms a connection with the light bar across the instrument panel. The SUV proportions and black roof are still playing tricks with our eyes, though; we can't help feeling the Eletre carries its bulk up high. The wheels are an optional set of 23-inchers that hide optional 10-piston (ten!) calipers gripping ceramic composite rotors. Lotus isn't ready to divulge specific battery capacity and motor outputs between those wheels. All we're told is the pack is more than 100 kWh and output starts at 600 horsepower. Every Eletre is all-wheel-drive, with a motor on each axle. The 800-volt electrical architecture can handle up to 350-kW fast-charging, 20 minutes at a station at that charge rate restoring 248 WLTP miles of the Eletre's estimated 373-mile range in WLTP testing. EPA numbers will come eventually. Lotus says the hauler will get to 62 miles per hour in under 3 seconds and hit a top speed of 161 mph. The electronic side mirror housings each contain three cameras, one camera for the rear views, one to help stitch a 360-degree overhead view, and one to help enable self-driving. The charge port is on the front left fender, but keen eyes might notice more shutlines atop the front wheel arches.