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Lotus to layoff a quarter of its workforce

Lotus has issued a press release to day, wherein it indicates that a "need to both reshape its organisation and to reduce costs" may result in the loss of "up to 325" jobs. That's a fairly significant number of layoffs for any company, but considering that Lotus currently employs 1,215 people (per the company's bio in the same release), it could mean a full 25-percent of the automaker's workers could soon be sharpening their resumes.
CEO Jean-Marc Gales says in the statement that Lotus has "worked very hard to avoid the need to make this proposal," but admits that it is now "essential" to the future of the company. The chief indicates that post-restructuring, he expects Lotus to be a "leaner" and "more competitive" organization, one which - and we can all see a little silver lining here - is focused on "producing class-leading sports cars and innovative engineering."
The 325-job number appears to be soft at this point, with the statement indicating that some negotiation about which and how many posts will be cut is yet to come. Further, the company may "redeploy" some employees, and may even recruit new blood for "key roles," all with an eye toward running the strongest possible team going forward. Though, we imagine that the recruitment bit won't fly well for those employees getting the sack.

Lotus Motorcycles C-01 now 'ready for the road'

When we first laid eyes on leaked images of the Lotus Motorcycles C-01, we wondered if its laid-back, sport cruiser shape was really appropriate for a motorcycle bearing any connection with Colin Chapman and the company's famous "add lightness" mantra. We've now seen official pictures of the bike in multiple color schemes, including classic black and gold, British racing green and even a variant that resembles Martini livery, and while we think it looks pretty cool, our opinion hasn't really changed.
Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that the C-01 isn't an embodiment of the Lotus ethos, as the company that intends to build it isn't really Lotus at all, its builders - German racing firm Kodewa and tuner Holzer Group - merely having licensed the name of the British sportscar maker. It was designed by Daniel Simon, who once worked for Volkswagen and consulted for Bugatti and is the man credited with creating the reborn Tron Light Cycles. Still, looking past its questionable heritage, the C-01 looks pretty darn awesome, and there are some interesting bits that have us looking forward to the production version that's reportedly due within the next two months.
As expected, power comes in at 200 horsepower, courtesy of a modified version of KTM's 1,195-cc V-twin engine. The chassis is made up of steel, titanium and carbon fiber, with a seat height of about 28 inches. Its wheelbase, at about 65 inches, is a full 10 inches longer than a real street-legal superbike, and its front end is raked way out in front with a 19-inch wheel. Those dimensions mean we shouldn't expect much racetrack prowess, unless its rider is only planning on going in a straight line. Indeed, with a claimed dry weight of under 400 pounds, the Lotus Motorcycles C-01 ought to be mighty quick down the quarter mile.

Lotus is building 60 extra light, extra aerodynamic Exige Cup 380s

Lotus is never done adding lightness and once again turned its attention to the Exige. Like so many other special Lotuses, this one, called the Exige Cup 380, makes the same 375 horsepower from its supercharged 3.5-liter V6. However, the weight savings is a significant 117 pounds compared with the 2,447-pound Exige Sport 380. This savings comes from the inclusion of many carbon-fiber parts including a one-piece rear hatch, side intakes, hood, front splitter, side sills, and seats, among others. Lotus also removed the gas struts for the hatch to save 2.2 pounds. And if that's not enough, you can save another 2.2 pounds by choosing the optional HVAC and air vent surrounds, and 22 pounds with an optional exhaust system. The Exige Cup 380 also produces significantly more downforce than the Sport, 43-percent more to be exact. That results in maximum downforce of about 441 pounds at the Cup 380's top speed of 175 mph. The car achieves this thanks to a revised front bumper and splitter, vents above the front wheels, more vents behind the rear wheels, and a new rear wing. Even the windshield wiper rests in a vertical position to aid aerodynamics. The Cup 380 doesn't just benefit from better aerodynamics and less weight. The rear tires are wider than the Sport 380 at 285 mm. The Cup 380 also has two-way adjustable shocks and adjustable front and rear anti-roll bars. Even the stability control can be adjusted to the driver's needs. The car is stopped by four-piston brake calipers at all four corners, and a standard steel roll bar protects the driver. If owners wish, they can also add an FIA-certified full roll cage. Lotus will only build 60 of these Exiges, and they're only available in Europe. They're not cheap either. In the UK, buyers will spend GBP83,000 in the UK and ˆ109,900 in Europe. That means this Exige would cost between $106,000 and $118,000, at current exchange rates. Related Video: