Lotus auto news

REPORT: Dodge Circuit production hints, possibly coming in 2010

With all of the recent upheaval at Chrysler, it's no surprise that the fate of the very cool Dodge Circuit is not exactly certain. In May, Chrysler assured everyone that the program was not DOA, and Chrylser ENVI president Lou Rhodes recently said something similar to Car and Driver. Rhodes even gave C&D a few details about how the program is shaping up.

Chrysler's plan involves having the vehicle produced by Lotus in the UK (sounds familiar) and then shipped to the U.S. for the electric powertrain. Chrysler's sales target is 100,000 EVs in order to benefit from economies of scale for all the expensive EV bits. By selling that many vehicles, Chrysler's efforts could make the Circuit "tens of thousands" of dollars less than the somewhat similar Tesla Roadster. The Circuit is still likely to be Chrysler's first EV, and could start production next year.

Gallery: SAE 2009: Dodge Circuit quick drive

Photos copyright (C)2009 Sebastian Blanco / Weblogs, Inc.

Automotive Engineer commissions Lotus to design tiny city EV [w/VIDEO]

Developing cars quickly is nothing new to the designers and engineers at Lotus - the British firm does contract development for automakers around the world on a regular basis. With that in mind - and knowing that Lotus has been actively involved in many electric and hybrid vehicle projects in recent years - the editors at Automotive Engineer magazine naturally chose to approach Lotus with a project idea: design a brief on what a new city car might look like five years from now.

After two weeks of work, Lotus design chief Russell Carr produced a concept that defined a car 3.74 inches shorter than a Smart ForTwo and nearly 16 inches shorter than the new Toyota iQ. Somehow, in that tiny space, Carr has managed to squeeze in space for four adults. The sketches show two different iterations of the vehicle, both with two sliding doors on its flanks and electrically-driven by a liquid-cooled 37 kW motor and a 10 kWh lithium ion battery pack under the floor. See more in the video after the jump.

Continue reading Automotive Engineer commissions Lotus to design tiny city EV [w/VIDEO]

Lotus head Mike Kimberley stepping down due to medical issues

In the interim, the Lotus Group's board members will assume control until a replacement for Kimberley is anointed with the bearing oil from a Lotus 25. Official press release after the jump.

Continue reading Lotus head Mike Kimberley stepping down due to medical issues

Hertz So Good: Lotus Elise SC joins Italian rent-a-car fleet

Lotus Elise SC fleet at Hertz Italiana - Click above for high-res image gallery

Ever fantasize about driving an exotic sportscar around Italy? Well who hasn't. And there are plenty of companies on the peninsula that'll be glad to help you out. Count among them now car rental giant Hertz. But while you may have images in your head of wafting around the countryside in a Maserati or Lamborghini, Hertz has something entirely different on offer: the Lotus Elise.

Starting this summer, Hertz Italiana will be offering the Lotus Elise SC at select locations throughout the country. It's part of the company's Fun Collection and is sure to cost a hefty premium, but then nobody said realizing your dreams would come cheap. Details in the press release after the jump.

Gallery: Lotus Elise at Hertz Italiana

Continue reading Hertz So Good: Lotus Elise SC joins Italian rent-a-car fleet

Lotus Evora makes SoCal stop at Cars and Coffee

2010 Lotus Evora at Cars and Coffee - Click for high-res gallery

While lucky Brits are already capable of walking into a Lotus dealership and driving off with a new midsize Evora of their very own, Americans still have to wait a bit longer. We've already shown you the 2010 Lotus Evora that was at the L.A. Auto Show, and we've given you info on the specs and options. We've even confirmed U.S. details for the most important numbers.

Although an official release date hasn't been confirmed yet, we have heard that the magic moment will arrive early next year. Whether the Evora gets labeled as a 2010 or 2011 model remains up in the air, but we do know a lot of other info about this all-new model crafted by the magicians in Hethel. What we haven't had until now are some real-world photos. That all changed over the weekend when a couple of test engineers stopped by for a spell at our favorite weekly Southern California car meet, Cars and Coffee. Read the rest of our first impression after the jump, and don't forget to check out the gallery as well.

Gallery: 2010 Lotus Evora development cars

Photos copyright (C)2009 Frank Filipponio / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Lotus Evora makes SoCal stop at Cars and Coffee

Lotus becomes title sponsor of Lotus Challenge Series

After attending the second event of the 2008 Lotus Challenge Series last May, we were convinced the up-start had potential. Lotus Cars USA seems to agree and has become the title sponsor for the 2009 season.

In its inaugural year, the series stuck to California for six of its events, along with two races at the Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch in Pahrump, Nevada. For 2009, the campaign is expanding to ten events in the western US, including stints at Laguna Seca and Infineon, with four more events planned in Texas.

The series - part track day and part time-attack - brings together Lotus enthusiasts of all stripes, divides the field according to experience level and vehicle model/modifications, and sets them loose for a weekend of down-and-dirty track action. You can get all the details, along with the 2009 schedule, in the press release after the break, and check out the Lotus Challenge website to sign up for any of the 2009 events.

Gallery: Lotus Challenge - Buttonwillow - April 2008

Continue reading Lotus becomes title sponsor of Lotus Challenge Series

Lotus Blossoms: U.S. Evora specs leaked

With there having been so much continued hubbub over the forthcoming Esprit replacement, you would think that enthusiasts have already forgotten that we have a new Lotus in our midst, the 2010 Evora. That's a shame, because judging by the U.S. specs provided by our friends at Lotusenthusiast.net, it looks to be a corker.

According to their specs, the Evora will weigh just over 3,000 pounds (3,046.8 - but who's counting?), and its Toyota-sourced 3.5-liter engine will marshal its 276 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque to get its mid-engined self to 60 mph in a tidy 4.9 seconds. Keep rowing through those six gears and pushing the right-most pedal, and the Evora will apparently top out at 162 mph. Every bit as important is news that the lithe little Lotus will grind to a halt from 60 mph in just 110.2 feet, a distance firmly in the ballpark of a Porsche 911.

No word yet on pricing, but we hope to get our crack at a U.S.-spec Evora soon. In the meantime, head on over to LE for the full monty.

Gallery: LA 2008: Lotus Evora

Gallery: Lotus Evora

What's in a Name? Lotus to return to Formula One

With over a dozen teams all bidding to join a new cost-capped F1 next season, it would take a big name to stand out above the competition. Lotus ought to do the trick.

Teaming up with veteran F1 team leader Mike Gascoyne, the Litespeed Formula 3 team has secured the rights to use the Lotus name for its potential entry. Rights to use the name in motorsport reportedly belong to David Hunt, younger brother of renowned F1 driver/all-around lady's man James Hunt, who took over the former Lotus F1 team in 1994. Founded by the legendary Colin Chapman, the Lotus team went on to win seven world championship titles with such drivers as Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Jochen Rindt, Emerson Fittipaldi and Mario Andretti.

The new outfit plans on basing itself at the Racing Technology Norfolk (RTN) facility that previously housed various F1 efforts as well as Bentley's Le Mans team, and has enlisted the services of several former Lotus engineers as well as former Lotus F1 driver Johnny Herbert. While it remains unclear what association would exist with the eponymous automaker, the Lotus name promises to give the Litespeed/Gascoyne entry an edge against other bids using such throwback grand prix names as March and Brabham.

Tesla Motors and Lotus announce matching recall notices

Tesla Roadster - Click above for high-res image gallery

Tesla Motors has announced its first-ever recall, affecting all 345 Roadsters the Silicon Valley automaker produced in 2008. According to the official recall notice from the NHTSA, the rear hub flange bolts on some vehicles may not be torqued to proper specifications, which could lead to "degredation in vehicle handling and a rubbing noise from the rear of the vehicle." That, as you would imagine, would be bad, and if left unresolved could result in a crash.

The problem can be traced back to the Lotus factory in Hethel, England where the Roadster's main chassis is constructed before being shipped to the States to have its electric drivetrain installed. This being the case, Lotus has issued its own matching recall on the 27 Elises and Exiges that have shipped so far in 2009. As always, you are advised to contact the manufacturer as soon as possible if you've yet to be notified of the recall.

Gallery: Jason Calacanis' Tesla Roadster

Rumormill: Next Lotus Esprit could be powered by Lexus V10

Lotus' relationship with Toyota could extend beyond supplying drivetrains for the Elise, Exige and Evora, with three new engines sourced from Lexus rumored to be fitted to the 2012 Lotus Esprit. According to EVO, a choice of three Esprits will be available for any (thick) wallet, including a 300 hp version packing Toyota's direct injected V6, a 417 hp model that would make use of the Lexus IS F's 5.0-liter V8 and, at the top of the range, a V10-powered Esprit packing the yet-to-be-released Lexus LF-A's 500+ hp engine.

Additionally, the alliance with Toyota could make good on Lotus' recent push for eco-friendly motoring. The Hethel-based automaker has repeated said that lightweight platforms and fuel-efficient drivetrains are a top priority, going so far as renaming its powertrain engineering arm the "propulsion systems" division. As such, an "Eco Esprit" could be available with a reworked version of Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive.

The recently launched Evora will be the basis for the next Esprit, and considering the quick turnaround - a mere 27 months - for the Evora to go from concept to production, Lotus has the ability to bring the new Esprit to market quicker than ever. If the Evora's a hit, then we should be seeing the Esprit on roads in Europe, the UK and the US by 2012, with a price somewhere north of £100,000 for the V10-powered variant.