Hennessey Venom GT Spyder
Hennessey revealed a few days ago the first photo of the upcoming 2013 Venom GT Spyder, before the car goes on sale in mid 2012 for a price tag of about $1.1 million. Most likely, the car will be sold as a 2013MY and it will feature a huge twin-turbo V8 engine that develops a whopping 1,200 hp.
As most of you know, the Hennessey Venom GT is based on the Lotus Elise and the automaker said that the Spyder version will have a curb weight of only 1,200 kg, meaning that it will have a power-to-weight ratio of 1 hp / kg.
We’ll have more info about the supercar as soon as Hennessey reveals it. Stay tuned.
Source: Hennessey via ZerCustoms
Post tags: Tags: hennessey venom gt, Hennessey Venom GT Spyder, Lotus, lotus elise
Lotus Evora S GP Edition Goes Official
Lotus wants really had to promote the company’s racing pedigree and one of the steps they have taken in order to accomplish this is to launch the Evora S GP Edition. For this special edition they’ve taken their inspiration from the Lotus-Renault F1 car and it features a sleek black exterior with red mirrors, distinctive striping and gold wheels. It comes with a technology package, a premium package, as well as a rearview camera.
The car is motivated by the same engine that powers the standard version which is a supercharged V6 3.5-liter that fires 346 hp (350 PS / 258 kW) and a peak torque of 295 lb.-ft (400 Nm). It can do the 0-62 mph sprint in 4.6 seconds on its way to a maximum speed of 172 mph (277 km/h).
The British automaker has mentioned that they’ll make only three units of the Evora S GP Edition and each of them will have a base price of $109,155 (79,850 Euros / 69,950 pounds).
Source: Bell and Colvill via Autoblog.it via WCF
Post tags: Tags: Lotus, Lotus Evora, lotus evora s, lotus evora s gp edition, special editions
Lotus Ethos Heading To U.S. ?
2010 Lotus City Car Concept
Not many people in the United States have heard of the Malaysian automaker Proton, but they are the owners of Lotus. A few years ago, the British automaker launched (and later on revised) a 3-cylinder, range-extending, 1.2-liter engine & generator set for EVs. Using that powertrain, Proton revealed a lineup of plug-in Emas minicar concepts while at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, Lotus brought its own city car concept.
According to the guys from duPont Registry, the recently renamed Lotus Ethos might be heading to the United States. This might occur sometime in late 2013 as a 2014MY or even later than that date. The price tag for the Ethos is expected to be somewhere around $45,000.
Dony Bahar who is the CEO at Lotus hinted that the city car could be also sold as a pure battery EV, without the traditional gasoline engine. The electric range of the Ethos is up to 40 miles and with the range extender it can go for up to 250 miles. The 0-62 mph sprint is done in approximately 9 seconds, en route to a top speed of 105 mph.
The car will probably be built by Proton and depending on the demand they might roll out as high as 1,500 cars annually.
We’ll have more news once they become available so stay tuned.
Source: Green Car Reports
Post tags: Tags: city-car, Green, Lotus, lotus ethos, rumors
At the Frankfurt Motor Show, the British automaker Lotus brought two of its latest models, the 2012 Elise S and the Exige R-GT. The first one brings a bunch of upgrades as far as the styling and performances are concerned. One of the most important novelties of the model would have to be the implementation of the SPS – Serial Precision Shift, which is a new transmission for the 1.6-liter model that uses an all-new robotized lightweight automated-manual gearbox technology that allows the driver to switch between manual and automatic driving modes. Changing the cars is done by using the paddle shifter mounted on the steering wheel.
Replacing the SC model, the Elise S is motivated by a 4-cylinder 1.8-liter engine that benefits from the VVTL-i system. The engine outputs 217 hp (220 PS / 162 kW) @ 6,800 rpm and a peak torque of 184 lb.-ft (250 Nm) at 4,600 rpm. They forgot to mention the important figures like performance, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, but we should have them pretty soon.
What we do know is that the car benefits from a fully independent suspension system and the company’s DPM – Dynamic Performance Management. It also has ABS with AP-Racing twin-piston fixed aluminum alloy brake calipers in the front and single-piston sliding rear calipers from Brembo.
Design-wise, the 2012 Lotus Elise S comes with LED daytime running lights that have been integrated into the headlights. Other than that, it features new instrument dials with blue illumination, along with a two-tone white & black interior.
As far as the Exige R-GT, it is a professionally rally car that will mark the return of the company in the WRC after three decades of absence. It is based on the recently introduced 2012 Exige S and comes with a wide array of racing parts. The car has already been homologated by FIA to participate in a new category series that will be organized in Monte Carlo and San Remo.
It has a FIA-approved roll-cage that has been bolted and bonded on the car’s lightweight aluminum chassis. Other than that, the British automaker fitted the vehicle with Lexan windows, front & rear underbody protections, WRC-style crew side protections and a roof air scoop. The curb weight of the Exige R-GT is only 1,200 kg.
The car is motivated by the same V6 3.5-liter engine you will find in the production version and it fires 302 hp. The power unit features 34 mm air restrictors and the power is sent to all the wheels through the 6-speed sequential gearbox. Lastly, it has front & rear double wishbone suspensions that pack adjustable dampers, while the standard brakes of the car have been upgraded with a hydraulic fly-off handbrake as well as more efficient cooling.
We don’t have any details at the moment regarding who will be driving the Lotus Exige R-GT in the World Rally Championship, but we are certain that the British carmaker will let us know in the weeks to come.
Source: Lotus via ZerCustoms
Post tags: Tags: frankfurt motor show, Lotus, lotus elise, lotus elise s, lotus exige, lotus exige r-gt, wrc
Lotus Evora GTE Limited Edition
At first, Lotus said that they are going to make only 114 units of the Evora GTE Limited Edition and all of them will be sold in China. However, after receiving a positive feedback from potential buyers, the British automaker has decided to increase the manufactured units of this limited edition, which probably will not be appreciated by those original 114 clients since they won’t be buying what you would call an exclusive car anymore.
Lotus Evora GTE Limited Edition
Anyway, this special edition is based on Lotus’ Evora GTE racecar and has the same supercharged 3.5-liter engine that launches 444 hp, which is considerably more than the 350 ponies offered by the Evora S. A novelty of this model would have to be the implementation of a brand new sequential automated manual transmission (AMT) racing gearbox that is capable of transferring the power to those beautiful lightweight forged alloys that have center lock hubs, wrapped around in P-Zero Corsa rubbers from Pirelli.
Lotus Evora GTE Limited Edition
In comparison to the base Evora, this not-so-limited GTE Limited Edition has lost 232 pounds (105 kg) by using a lot of components made out of carbon fiber, both for the exterior and the interior of the car.
Source: Lotus via Carscoop
Post tags: Tags: frankfurt motor show, Lotus, Lotus Evora, lotus evora gte, lotus evora gte limited edition
Lotus Exige S Revealed In Frankfurt
The hot “S” version of the Lotus Exige has made its official debut today at the Frankfurt Motor Show and the British automaker has promised that the car will be able to offer “raw performance and unparalleled ride and handling.” Although we don’t have any performance figures at the moment, the car will most likely be able to do the 0-62 mph sprint in less than 8 seconds.
The Exige S is motivated by the same V6 3.5-liter engine available in the Evora S that churns 345 hp. It has a curb weight of only 1080 kg and its aerodynamic styling features a bigger and fixed rear spoiler, a more aggressive front-end look and a revised front splitter. The car will be available with the Lotus Dynamic Performance Management system that will offer drivers the possibility to choose from one of the three available driving modes: touring, sport and DPM off. Those who opt for the Race Pack will get an extra driving mode, dubbed race, which promises to provide more traction out of corners, along with a track-optimized suspension and a launch control.
Towards the end of the month, Lotus will reveal the performance figures of the Exige S, along with data about fuel economy and CO2 emissions. The car will cost more than 40,000 pounds and it will be available by the end of this year.
Also at Frankfurt, Lotus has brought the Elise S, which will replace the now defunct SC model. The car has a 1.8-liter supercharged engine that generates 200 hp and offers lower CO2 emissions and a bigger torque. In addition, the British car maker has revealed the IPS automatic version of the Evora S and an Elise 1.6 that has been fitted with an SPS robotized automated manual transmission.
Source: Lotus via Autocar
Post tags: Tags: frankfurt motor show, Lotus, lotus exige, lotus exige s
We’ve first seen the Lotus Evora GTE as a concept last month during the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in sunny California, U.S. of A. Now, the British automaker has said that a production version will reach the European market. Before it does that, the car will be exhibited this month at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Initially, the plans of the company were to make 25 units for Chinese customers but thanks to the positive feedback, they’ve changed their minds and started working on a production version.
The Lotus Evora GTE is powered by a Toyota-sourced V6 3.5-liter engine that is linked to a sequential AMT racing transmission. This engine fires 440 hp and the car will weigh 105 kg less in comparison to the standard Evora thanks to the use of carbon fiber for the front & rear bumpers, doors and the rear wing.
Besides this model, Lotus will also bring to Frankfurt three new models. We know for sure that one of them is going to be the Elise S, which will replace the now discontinued Elise SC. The car will be powered by a 1.8-liter supercharged engine that generates 200 hp, which promises to offer more torque, better throttle response and lower emissions.
All we can tell you about the other two models is that one of the promises to be “one of the quickest road cars Lotus has ever built” while the other will mark the return of the company “to another motorsport discipline.”
Source: Lotus via Autocar
Post tags: Tags: frankfurt motor show, Lotus, Lotus Evora, lotus evora gte
The officials from Hennessey have announced their plans to stage the United States debut of the incredible Venom GT supercar at this week’s McCall Motorworks Revival, as part of the buildup for the popular Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
As a reminder, but we’re sure that you know this already, the Hennessey Venom GT is as you can see based on the Lotus Exige and it is powered by a V8 6.2-liter twin-turbo engine that fires 1,200 hp (1,217 PS / 895 kW) and an amazing peak torque of 1,155 lb.-ft (1,564 Nm). This powerful engine is mated to a 6-speed Ricardo manual gearbox and it enables the 2,685 lb (1,220 kg) supercar (or should we say hypercar?) to do the 0-62 mph sprint in only 2.5 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 275 mph (443 km/h) which is a lot more than the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport.
They’ll make only five cars per year and each one will have a base price of $950,000 (660,190 Euro or 577,850 pounds).
Source: Hennessey via WCF
Post tags: Tags: hennessey, hennessey venom gt, Lotus, lotus exige
Lotus Evora GTE Road Car Concept Unleashed
Lotus Evora GTE Road Car Concept
During this weekend’s Pebble Beach show organized in sunny California, the British automaker Lotus will present the hardcore race-inspired version of the Evora, dubbed GTE Road Car Concept. They took their inspiration for the car from the Evora GTE racer that races in the GTE category (which replaces the old GT2) in Le Mans Series racing.
The bad news is that at the moment we are talking about a one-off concept and the company hasn’t said a word about putting the car into production. What we do know is that this vehicle is powered by a race-developed version of the Evora’s standard Toyota-sourced V6 3.5-liter engine, only this time it has been tweaked in order to fire 420 hp. This engine is linked to a sequential AMT racing gearbox.
As you can see from this photo, it comes with a more aggressive appearance in comparison to the standard Evora, along with lightweight alloys that have center lock hubs, covered by Pirelli P-Zero Corsa rubbers.
Source: Lotus via Autocar
Post tags: Tags: Lotus, Lotus Evora, lotus evora gte road car concept
All-new Lotus Exige Will Get V6 Engine
It seems that the new Lotus Exige is going to be powered by a V6 engine as the British automaker tries to bridge the gap between its limited lineup at the moment and the five upcoming models that will start arriving from 2013. Since December 2010, no Exiges were rolled out for the European market when its 4-cylinder 1.8-liter engine didn’t pass the emissions regulations.
Back in 2010, a Lotus Exige fitted with a V6 engine was spied when Lotus did a little bit of experimenting, fitting the V6 3.5-liter engine borrowed from Evora to the mid-engined, rear-drive layout of the Exige. That prototype had a wider track so that there was enough from to install that engine while the further development of the car you see in this picture shows a longer wheelbase.
The spy shot was taken by the guys from Autocar at the automaker’s Hethel HQ and we get to see that the 2012 Exige is going to be an entirely new model from the B-pillars back. The front styling of the car will be thoroughly updated and we should expect to be more bold and aggressive, taking into consideration that Donato Coco who is the design boss at Lotus, said that the current models look “too weak.”, a statement with which I don’t really agree.
All of the company’s models – Elise, Exige and the Evora are going to get a more aggressive styling starting with next year and according to the boss at Lotus, all of the car will benefit from more than 150 updates, including here changes inside the cabin.
The engine on the Evora is available in two output configurations: one that produces 276 hp and another one with 345 hp. This power unit can be mated to an automatic gearbox so fitting this engine to the Exige will offer Lotus a lot of room to customize the driver-focused sports coupe. Let’s see if the British still got it.
Source: Autocar.co.uk
Post tags: Tags: Lotus, lotus exige, Spy Shots
Lotus Elise SC Final Edition
We have some great news and some bad news coming from Lotus this week. The good news is that they are about to launch two special editions, one for the Elise and the other for their Exige. This is bad news at the same time due to the reason that these are in fact final editions for these models so you won’t see new ones in North America after they sell these limited-run models and I’m pretty sure they won’t have any issues selling them.
The Lotus Elise SC Final Edition will carry a price tag of $57,500 for the base model and the production will be limited to just 15 units. It will be powered by a 4-cylinder 1.4-liter supercharged engine with 218 hp (221 PS / 163 kW). This special edition model will be distinguished by its matte black exterior accents, the polished aluminum knob and ProBax sport seats.
Lotus Exige Matte Black Final Edition
As for the Exige Matte Black Final Edition is concerned, prices starts at $69,900 and they’ll make only 25 units. This one will feature a 1.8-liter supercharged & intercooled 1.8-liter power unit that has 257 hp (261 PS / 192 kW). It will be available with a matte black exterior finish, a limited slip differential and Alcantara sport seats.
Source: Lotus via WCF
Post tags: Tags: Lotus, lotus elise, lotus exige, special-edition
Italy’s Carabinieri Get Two Lotus Evora S Cars
It seems that the best place on earth to work as a police officer would have to be in Italy as this week they’ve acquired two specially-made Lotus Evora S cars. The Carabinieri in Milan and Rome will use these cars during their activity.
These vehicles have been fitted with voice recognition technology like Enhanced Vehicle Automation (EVA) system, along with a portable refrigeration compartment that will be used for transporting blood and organs required during medical emergencies.
The regular Lotus Evora S comes with a V6 VVT-I 3.5-liter DOHC engine that churns 350 PS (257.5 kW) @ 7000 rpm and has a peak torque of 295 lb.-ft (400 Nm) available at 4500 rpm. With such power available, the car is able to do the 0-62 mph sprint in 4.8 seconds, before reaching a top speed of 172 mph.
Source: Lotus via ZerCustoms
Post tags: Tags: carabinieri, italy, Lotus Evora, lotus evora s
More Powerful Lotus Evora, Heading To Frankfurt Motor Show
It seems that the engineers over at Lotus are working hard on a more powerful version of the Evora, which will be revealed this September during the Frankfurt Motor Show. The Norfolk-based manufactured got their inspiration from the GT racer you see in this picture and promises to be more powerful than the current top-spec S version that churns 345 hp.
We don’t have any confirmed details but we can tell you that the new version will be extreme, featuring a stripped-out interior cabin and an updated V6 supercharged 3.5-liter engine that will develop about 400 hp. Dany Bahar, who is the company’s boss, said to Auto Express that the company is also working on a convertible while in 2013 we should expect to see a plug-in hybrid model.
In the mean time, the regular V6 Evora will receive “147 improvements”, including a sharper gearbox, a sportier exhaust note and better materials for the cabin.
This October, Lotus will show the running version of the plug-in hybrid which will have a 3-cylinder 1.2-liter engine and twin-electric motor that will provide a combined output of 1,000 Nm of torque, which should be enough for a 0-62 mph sprint time of 4.4 seconds and CO2 emissions of only 55 g/km. As we said before, the production version might make it into the market in about two years but it will most likely cost “double” in comparison to the regular V6 Evora. In other words, expect a price tag of around 100,000 pounds.
Source: Lotus via AutoExpress.co.uk
Post tags: Tags: frankfurt motor show, Lotus, Lotus Evora
Lotus Prolongs Evora’s Life Until 2017
A couple of days ago, Dany Bahar, who is the Group Lotus boss, revealed that the all-new Elan won’t be out until 2017 so until then Lotus will have to stick to the current Evora, which isn’t that bad at all if you ask me.
In this 5-year period until the new Elan is out, the British automaker will develop its own V8 4.8-liter that produces 570 hp. This engine will be produced at Hethel and will power the Esprit model which should be out sometime in 2013.
Bahar also said that the Lotus-Proton city car will go into a limited series production wearing the “Ethos” designation and in Europe it will wear the Lotus badge whereas in the Asian markets it will be a Proton. The one wearing the Lotus name will be more of a luxury car while the Proton is going to have a more affordable price tag. He didn’t say if it is going to be a hybrid or a pure battery vehicle. However, he did confirm the fact that it is going to be “one of the two”.
The aforementioned new V8 engine is going to be conceived by the Lotus Engineering division and it will be put to its first initial tests this August. The power unit has a curb weight of only 170 kg, which is 80 kg lighter than the Toyota engine that Lotus has been using in the last few years. Wolf Zimmerman, the chief engineer at Lotus says that this new engine is “40% smaller” in comparison to the Japanese unit.
Zimmerman also mentioned something about the possibility to create a 4-cylinder engine comprising one bank of the 8-cylinder unit. This engine might output 250 hp and power the Lotus Elise replacement model which will hit the market in 2015 or so.
Source: Lotus via Autocar.co.uk
Post tags: Tags: Lotus, lotus elan, lotus elise replacement, Lotus Evora
We have some great news if you are a fan of Lotus. Dany Bahar, the company’s boss recently affirmed that they will develop their very own lineup of V6 and V8 engines, after deciding to postpone the launch of the all-new Elan model. The first prototype V8 “will fire up in July”, a year after the company has started working on new engines. According to insiders, this power unit will produce approximately 550-570 hp.
Lotus decided to develop its own lineup of engines after their Internet survey which was carried out after presenting the six concept cars at last year’s Paris Motor Show. The 10,000 responses they got suggested that the British company should start making their own engines, instead of borrowing them from Toyota.
Source: Lotus via Autocar.co.uk
Post tags: Tags: lotus elan, lotus engine
