Lotus Elise - Beautiful Car - Low Miles on 2040-cars

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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...

Next Lotus Elise to draw from its roots

Recently-appointed Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales told Autocar that work on the new Lotus Elise, which is coming in 2020, is already underway, and thanks to growing sales, the automaker is set to make a profit for the first time in 20 years. Gales also dropped some details about the new sports cars' design philosophy and underpinnings. According to the report, the new Elise will utilize the same aluminum chassis technology found in the original Elise and won't bear any resemblance to the 2010 Elise concept. Instead, the upcoming vehicle will uphold its roots with a lightweight design that emphasizes driver involvement at an affordable price. The new Elise is rumored to weigh in at roughly 1,984 pounds, almost 384 pounds more than the original Elise. In order to meet US crash ratings, the Elise will most likely be wider, but have the same length as the current model. Power will probably come from a Toyota unit producing between 134 horsepower and 245 horsepower. The Elise is expected to come to the US where it will be offered with a manual and automatic transmission, which will both come from Toyota as well. Gales claims Lotus has more orders now than in any year in the last 10 years, with the US being one of the automaker's most important markets. Related Video:

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: