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Lotus New Era Cars, New Photos
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Lotus new concept cars out in the open and looks even better...by Auto Guide
Originally Posted by AutoGuide.com
(Post 1536981)
The Lotus story continues to intrigue with plans to deliver five all new cars over the next five years. After debuting all five concepts at the Paris Auto Show, Lotus then brought its traveling road show to the LA Auto Show. Now the storied British brand is keeping the hype alive by releasing a selection of stunning photographs of its concepts. There aren't any new pics of the Eterne 4-door concept (easily the most unrealistic of the group), but Lotus did snap some nice glam shots of the Esprit, the Elan, the second-generation Elise concept, the the flagship Elite. First to market will be the Esprit, with an on-sale date set for the Spring of 2013. With a body made entirely of carbon fiber it will be a true exotic, using a supercharged version of the Lexus 5.0-liter V8 making 542-hp in standard trim and a whopping 612-hp in R-spec trim. Following the Esprit will be the Elan, launching in the Fall of 2013 as a coupe, with a convertible model set to follow. As a competitor to the Porsche 911 it will use a 4.0-liter version of the Toyota-sourced V6 found in the Evora, the Elan will be 200-lbs lighter. An R-Spec model will also be offered, boasting 450-hp. Both it, and the Elise, will use a combination of aluminum and composite materials to keep weight to a minimum. In addition, Lotus will offer both the Esprit and the Elan as a hybrid. The flagship for the new Lotus will follow six months later in the Spring of 2014, with a standard trim making 612-hp. A hybrid option will be offered and this grand touring exotic comes exclusively with a retractable hardtop. Spring of 2015 will see the launch of the second-generation Lotus Elise. Gaining size and weight over the current car the new Elise will come in at under 2,400 lbs. Power will come from a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder with forced induction (either a turbocharger or supercharger), making a total of 316-hp. That should be enough to deliver a 0-60 mph time of 4.4 seconds. Plus, those in search of a fuel efficient sports car will be able to get it with the new Elise as Lotus also plans to offer a hybrid option. Unlike the rest of the hybrids in the Lotus lineup, the Elise will be a mild hybrid (like the Honda system) and feature start-stop technology. More: Lotus: New Era, New Cars, New Photos on AutoGuide.com |
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The Elise:
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The Elise/Elite:
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The Elite/Esprit:
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very nice...looks like a baby lambo up front.
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THOSE are some impossibly beautiful cars. Just a huge improvement over the current line-up, IMHO. And I'm not even a Lambo-look enthusiast.
The devil is in the details as we all know, but that Elite might just be the prettiest car since the DB9. It will be nice to see it in the metal. The only new one that looks even a little dubious is the Eterne (4-door, not pictured above). It might be a bit too Chrysler Sebring meets TVR for my taste. But WTH. Donato Coco has done a great job with the sheet metal. Wow. Just enough design cues to be fair to the real heritage of Lotus. But what a makeover to the whole line! |
Can't wait to see these new cars on the road. I like where Lotus is going.
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Agreed on the Elite. That thing looks badass!
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Looks nice!
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Originally Posted by Pure_Racer
(Post 3608075)
why do they take engine from toyota?
No R&D into an engine that already exists... No need to create your own machinery and plant space to produce your own. As long as they make margin, it doesn't matter, right? Toyota makes some damn good engines. I'm a fan of this, and am waiting patiently for either the Elan or Espirit to make into production. I can't make a decision until they are produced, but I've at least put my next purchase on hold until I learn one way or the other. |
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