2001 Lotus Esprit on 2040-cars

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Lotus supposedly working up a new Elan, again

Geely's investment in Volvo, and giving Volvo the freedom to do what Volvo knows how to do, propelled the Swedish automaker to another level. This could be the year English automaker Lotus begins the same climb. Late last year, Bloomberg said Geely committed an initial $2 billion to the Lotus renaissance. That number was low, the Financial Times reporting Geely planned to invest billions over the next five years. In May this year, Lotus announced it was hiring 200 new engineers and opening a new engineering center to develop a new range of SUVs, GTs, and sedans that would expand consumer appeal to triple its current annual volume. Sports cars are a vital part of the new mix as well, Autocar citing Lotus insiders for a report that a new Elan convertible sports car has "a strong possibility of being revived in the next few years" as a nameplate.    Lotus made a splash about bringing back the Elan — along with a new Esprit, Eterne, Elise, Elite, and city car — at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. That was a very different Lotus, when Malaysian automaker Proton owned the English outfit and ex-Ferrari marketing honcho Dany Bahar manned the helm. In spite of promises of funding, the team at Hethel lurched through years of corporate drama and dire finances until Geely took over in 2017. The latest Elan whispers sketch a convertible targeting the Porsche 718 Boxster - Lotus in general has Porsche in its sights. The car pictured above is from the first re-animation of the Elan badge, from 1989 to 1995. A coming Elan would sit above the Elise in the lineup, with more space, amenities, and luxury, at the same time as it would focus on being the lightest and most agile in the segment. Before that arrives, however, Lotus needs to finish developing the sports car platform that will help carry the brand's new range for the next decade; The Lotus SUV uses Volvo's SPA architecture that carries the XC90 and XC60. CEO Phil Popham's Vision-80 program — which now seeks to grow annual volume not merely triple but six-fold to 10,000 cars by 2029 — will be centered around the multi-material architecture that replaces the Elise and Evora architectures presently employed. Due in two years, the rivet-bonded "alloy-core" chassis will likely include carbon fiber and other advanced materials.

Lotus Emira GT4 car revealed, ready for the race circuit

It’s time for the Lotus Emira to go racing. YouÂ’re looking at the first photos of the Emira GT4 race car here, which is the competition spec version of the Emira road car we got to see revealed at this yearÂ’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. Lotus didnÂ’t provide a ton of details, but we know the important stuff. Its body is made of composite, and a bunch of changes are made in the name of aerodynamics and downforce. The clean and simple lines of the Emira are interrupted by items like the large front splitter and huge rear wing. By and large, though, the basic Emira design and structure remain the same outside. WeÂ’ll also note that the GT4 is hand-built, whereas Lotus is attempting to bring more automation to the road carÂ’s assembly. The engine used in the GT4 is the tried-and-true Toyota-sourced 3.5-liter V6 (not the new AMG four-cylinder). Per usual, itÂ’s fitted with a supercharger, and Lotus says itÂ’s good for up to 400 horsepower with a 7,200 rpm redline. You get a six-speed xTrac sequential transmission (the only transmission option), and the car is fitted with a limited-slip differential. Braking is handled by race-spec Alcon discs and calipers, and Ohlins coilovers keep the body in check. In all, Lotus says the dry weight is 2,778 pounds. This car was developed with RML Group, a British racing engineering company. “The all-new Emira GT4 is an exciting next step following the hugely successful launch of the Emira road car,” says Richard Selwin, Lotus Race Program manager. “We have worked hard with the team at RML Group to ensure this next-generation of Lotus GT car will deliver race-winning performance.” Those entering racing series will be allowed to buy this Emira GT4 cars for the 2022 racing season. However Lotus says availability will be very limited for the first year. It expects to be able to meet total global demand for 2023 as production of the race car continues. Pricing wasnÂ’t made available initially. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2017 Renault Alpine still looks like a Lotus

Two years ago, an oddly modified Lotus Exige was photographed speeding around the Nurburgring. While that car looked British, at the time Renault's engineers were reportedly developing the suspension for the future Alpine sports coupe underneath with some help from the folks at Ohlins. Now, our spies have spotted this weird Lotus-bodied mule out testing, and it might be a major hint that development for the reborn French brand is getting serious again. Unfortunately, it's hard to pull many details about the future Alpine just from this mule. Up front the air extractors are noticeably covered, and at the rear there's now a panel hiding the engine with just some small vents near the very back. The roof-mounted scoop appears to be the major means of sending cool air to the powertrain. Alpine has been back in the news as of late. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the brand's Celebration Concept was unveiled but without many real details. Then, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the car was filmed actually moving under its own power. Earlier reports suggest that a production version, possibly called the AS1, might come in 2017 with around 250 horsepower on tap from an engine mounted behind the driver. Engineers would keep weight as low as possible to make the most from that power. While no version in the US is likely, prices in Europe might be about the equivalent of $34,000 to $40,000.