Lotus auto news

Official: Lotus rolls out new competition-spec Evora GTC

You might say the same for any number of automakers, but in this case it rings particularly true: Lotus wouldn't be Lotus without racing. It's what forged the company at its outset, and that hasn't eluded the management team lead by Dany Behar. Say what you will about his overly ambitious plans to expand the company's product portfolio - he's also lead the company (or at least the brand) into a variety of racing series, and this is its latest product.

A further evolution of the Evora GT4 Enduro, the new Evora GTC packs carbon-fiber body panels in place of fiberglass and plexi windows to help trim 30 kilograms (66 pounds) off its the GT4's curb weight that's now down to 1,130 kilograms (less than 2,500 pounds, depending on customer specification).

The 4.0-liter V6 carries over with 450 horsepower and an Xtrac six-speed sequential gearbox, both of which are further enhanced by new traction control and Bosch ABS, with eighteen-inch competition alloys packed into flared fenders.

Having already undergone exhausting testing at the company's Hethel test track, the Evora GTC has already found its first customers that will be fielding theirs in the Grand-Am series and Britcar MSA Endurance Championship. Scroll down for the full press release.

Continue reading Lotus rolls out new competition-spec Evora GTC

Report: Proton has no plans to sell Lotus

Lotus isn't going anywhere, according to parent company Proton. Autocar reports representatives of Proton's new owner, DRB-HICOM, stopped by Lotus HQ to reassure the company's staff.

Dato Sri Haji Mohd Khamil Bin Jamil, DRB-HICOM group managing director, said his company "is not thinking about a sale." While the executive said that he could never fully dismiss the prospect of sending Lotus off to another owner, right now such a move isn't one of his company's top priorities. Instead, figuring out a course for Lotus could take months. In the meantime, Dato Jamil said his company would continue to support Lotus financially.

Until recently, Proton was owned by the Malaysian government, but DRB-HICOM purchased the company three months ago. Since then, the future of Lotus has been anything but certain. All production and development stopped for 60 days after the deal was inked, but has now officially resumed. Even so, with no clear long-term decision from DRB-HICOM, it remains unclear whether Lotus will pursue the five-year plan laid out by company CEO Dany Bahar.

Official: Lotus custom channels the Esprit of Ayrton Senna

These days it seems like the dream of a new Lotus Esprit is getting nothing but further away, while the troubled company responsible for it applies the classic black and gold livery to everything it produces - and many things produced by others. But there was a time when the original Esprit was a mechanical wonder to behold, and the JPS livery was championed by arguably the greatest driver who ever lived.

That driver, of course, was Ayrton Senna. And to mark the 18th anniversary of his death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, a German outfit called Cam-Shaft Premium Wrapping has created this special edition in his honor. Instead of starting with the original four-cylinder Esprit, though, Cam Shaft went with the later turbo V8 and laid over its black paint a series of gold decals evocative of the iconic livery which Senna sported on his 1985 Lotus 97T, including a reproduction of his signature on the panel in front of the door.

The German firm didn't stop there, however. They gave the Esprit new turbos, an intercooler and cats to drive output up from 354 horsepower (stock) to 492 hp, drop the 4.9-second 0-62 time down to 4.3 seconds and increase the top speed from 282 km/h to 305. They also fitted it with a new six-speed gearbox to replace the old five-gear unit, upgraded the brakes with AP Racing four-pot calipers on 330mm cross-drilled discs and fitted it with a chassis control switch similar to a Ferrari manettino.

A fitting tribute to the legendary pilot? We'd say so, and you can see for yourself in the high-res image gallery above and the press release below.

Continue reading Lotus custom channels the Esprit of Ayrton Senna

Report: Lotus scrapes together enough money to restore production

"The past four months have been really tough for us," admits Lotus CEO Dany Bahar to Autocar magazine. "We were working at a pace nobody had seen at Lotus for many years," Bahar continued, alluding to the British sports car maker's planned rollout of four models over five years that recently had recently hit the skids thanks to a 60-day financial freeze at Malaysian parent DRB-Hicom. "The shut-down, as I call it," Bahar continued, "was very hard for us," but the Lotus boss forcefully rejects media reports that his company is being shopped to potential buyers.

Production at Hethel is reportedly swinging back into action within the next few days now that DRB-Hicom has slid money across the table to re-start Elise, Exige and Evora production. Lotus will also reportedly continue to develop the new Esprit and its V8 engine and automated transmission. Bahar went on to dispute reports that KPMG was looking for a buyer to take on Lotus, though there are likely to be management shuffles and continuing developments between Lotus, DRB-Hicom, Youngman, and who know what other parties, as the re-start doesn't completely short-circuit the rumors of a possible sale.

In fact, resuming production could potentially even position Lotus more attractively for a potential suitor, rather than putting a shuttered, down-at-the-mouth boutique carmaker on the block.

Video: EVO takes a closer look at Harry Metcalfe's 1972 Lotus Elan Sprint

Everyone has their ultimate vehicle wish list, and ours is littered with a smattering of models both obscure and asinine. One of the more mainstream sweethearts is the original Lotus Elan. Collin Chapman's wonderchild remains an impressive performer even today, thanks to its feathery curb weight and the impressive performance on hand. As you may recall, EVO Magazine pitted editorial director Harry Metcalfe's 1972 Elan Sprint against vehicles like the Toyota MR-2 and Mazda Miata back in the early 2000s. Metcalfe still has his tiny yellow convertible and was kind enough to bring a camera along for the roadster's first run of the spring season.

Weighing in at around 1,500 pounds and packing a surprising 126 horsepower, Metcalfe says the car is still good for sprints to 60 mph in a tick past six seconds. Unburdened by pesky life-saving hardware like crumple zones, steel reinforcements, airbags or any electronic nannies, the plucky little fiberglass creation is also a pretty smart handler even though the model is now officially 50 years old. Hit the jump to check out the video for yourself.

Continue reading EVO takes a closer look at Harry Metcalfe's 1972 Lotus Elan Sprint

Official: Lotus reveals terms of Genii-Proton deal while hitting back at rumors

There have been plenty of rumors surrounding the fate of Lotus and its relationship with its longtime parent company, Proton. Some are saying that Dany Bahar has been axed as CEO, that the company is undergoing bankruptcy protection, and that its involvement in Formula One has drawn to a close. Lotus itself is hard at work quashing those rumors - attributing most to the people at Caterham - but among them we have some juicy tidbits of information regarding its arrangement with the Formula One team formerly known as Renault.

Having sold most of its stake in its team to Genii Capital, Renault reverted to an engine supplier role the year before last, and Group Lotus stepped in as title sponsor, which is an interesting relationship for an automaker to have with an F1 team that it does not own or run itself - and not dissimilar to the sponsorship arrangement Infiniti has with Red Bull Racing. The deal has Lotus holding branding rights, merchandising license and title sponsorship with the team.

As part of the arrangement, however, Proton granted Genii a £30 million ($48 million) loan against which Genii leveraged the team's entire assets. So in addition to the 10 percent of the team which Proton has the right to buy at any time, it could take another 10 percent if Genii defaults on the repayment of its loan. But if Genii proves incapable of paying back Proton altogether, the Malaysian automaker could find itself in entire possession of a leading F1 team. Just what they'd do with it if it no longer owned Group Lotus, however, would remain to be seen. Scroll down for the full statement.

Continue reading Lotus reveals terms of Genii-Proton deal while hitting back at rumors

New York: 2012 Lotus Evora S nearly sneaks by, but we catch the improvements

Lacking the fanfare of a flashy press conference, the 2012 Lotus Evora S arrived at the New York Auto Show sporting an upgraded interior and new wheel options (Lotus is one of the few automakers still following the actual calendar when it comes to model year introductions, meaning 2012 models are just now flowing into the North American marketplace).

While hardly lacking lavishness, the Evora's cockpit has been further enhanced with additional leather on the door panels and lower sills. There is a new trim ring around the transmission shifter, the standard Recaro seats have been re-upholstered with upgraded leather (with contrasting piping and woven fabric inserts) and the bright brushed metal dashboard has a new dark finish for better contrast. Rounding up the interior alterations, the loathed Alpine audio/navigation system has been replaced with a superior system from Pioneer.

The standard alloy wheel package remains a staggered 18- and 19-inch setup, but Lotus is also offering a new 19- and 20-inch wheel package with several different finishes including a gorgeous matte anthracite (the wheels shown in our gallery). The 2012 Lotus Evora / Evora S is rolling into showrooms today.

Official: Lotus ramps up partnership with Mansory

Under its current management, Lotus has proven nothing if not ambitious. Lotus can't achieve its goals without help from the outside, however, and thus has has teamed up with established racing teams to field cars under the Lotus name in countless motorsport series, hunted for new capital from external investors and collaborated with Mansory to customize its vehicles. It's that last joint venture that the British automaker is now preparing to expand.

The collaboration goes back a little over a year when Lotus brought Mansory in to tart up the Evora with some extra carbon fiber bits that debuted at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. That led to the production Evora GTE (pictured above) and subsequent special editions based thereon, but now Lotus and Mansory are preparing to roll out an entire customization range not only for the Evora, but also the Elise and Exige models.

The catalog, according to Lotus, will include custom "bodywork, trim and special finishes", although not much more information was released at this point. The collaborative effort, however, is gearing up to unveil a new variant at the Paris Motor Show come September, so follow the jump for the full press blast and watch this space for more.

Continue reading Lotus ramps up partnership with Mansory

Report: Lotus model development on lockdown as company looks to change hands

Lotus has put a halt to all development of future models. The news comes after the Malaysian government sold its controlling stake in Lotus parent company Proton. According to EVO, the company's takeover regulations require all involved parties to enter into a "lockdown" wherein anything outside of normal business is brought to a halt. For Lotus, that means stalling development for 60 days and pushing back launch dates for vehicles like the Exige S, Evora GTE and the upcoming Esprit successor. Lotus CEO Dany Bahar is currently engaged in talks with DRB-Hicom, Proton's new owner, in an attempt to ensure the industrial conglomerate holds onto the sports car maker.

Odds are we won't know what the future has in store for Lotus until after the due diligence period comes to a close. In the mean time, Lotus will continue to build and sell cars as well as engage motorsports efforts. It will also be the featured marque at the 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Geneva: Lola LMP2 racer sure looks like a Lotus

Lotus, we're sorry to say, promised a lot but delivered very little this year in Geneva. But that doesn't mean its show stand was without its eye candy. Feast your eyes on this new LMP2 racer.

Developed by Lola, powered by BMW and set to be fielded by the Kodewa team in the upcoming inaugural season of the FIA World Endurance Championship, this class-two Le Mans prototype may be a Lotus in name only, but it sure looks the part nestled in between the Lotus F1 Team's latest single-seater and the Evora GT sports racer.

That principally comes down to the black-and-gold livery applied to this beast much as it has to all of the company's other racing machinery. But that's no bad thing. See what we mean in the gallery of high-resolution images from the show floor.