Lotus

The flurry of announcements is heating up prior to the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. Details on the 2010 Lotus Exige Stealth or 2010 Lotus Exige Scura (depending on what market you are in) have just been released and my heart is aflutter. But let me take a step back and explain the excitement. When the Lotus Exige first emerged on the scene, there was an individual in LA who immediately took his car to a custom shop and got the body repainted in matte-black along with carbon-fiber highlights. Strangely enough, I came across this Lotus quite often and it was this particular Exige that got me pumped about these fierce urban racers. I remember searching far and wide to try and find out whether or not Lotus offered this as an option and was disappointed with the answer. However, that is all about to change.

If it ain't broke don't fix it... The new 2010 Lotus Exige S240 will drop in the US and Canada this fall with some minor aerodynamic and styling tweaks, without making too many changes to the underlying platform. The most noticeable difference is the revised front end with includes larger intakes pushing air through the radiator and a new splitter. Ahead of each front wheel are two additional air intakes to feed the twin oil coolers. At the rear, Lotus introduces a more pronounced and wider "low drag" wing which is mounted further back and higher to increase stability, reduce drag and maintain amazing downforce at high speeds.

British manufacturer Lotus Cars has been a motorsports behemoth for what seems like forever. So, it's only natural that they would be releasing a racing version of their latest and greatest sports car, the 2010 Lotus Evora. Their new Type 124 Endurance Race Car has just made its official debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show and its transformation from the street to the track is stellar. Not only is this Evora completely reworked from the inside out, the Type 124 benefits from everything one would expect to make a competitive GT3-spec racer.

Today, the North Coast Triumph Association hosted its 18th Annual British Car Show at Shaker Square, in Cleveland, Ohio. The event was located on the green space inside the inner quadrants of the historic district and featured a wide variety of classic, vintage and modern vehicles of UK origin. There was a nice mixture of brands such as Jaguar, Aston Martin, Austin Healey, MG, Lotus, Triumph, Rolls Royce, Morgan and DeLorean.

Back in March, we provided information concerning the European delivery of the Lotus Evora. However, since then there hasn't been any information on a stateside release and big question marks remain. Now, thanks to the folks at Lotusenthusiast.net, we finally have the official US specs and they are impressive. The car will sport a Toyota-produced 3.5L V6 engine capable of 276 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. This by itself is not so overwhelming, but when you factor in the weight of the car (3,047 pounds) the car sprints 0 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. It also tops out at 162 mph and get 32.5 mpg.

The 2010 Lotus Evora will ride on either standard cast wheels or optional forged wheels in size 18" x 8" in front and 19" x 9.5" in rear wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero tires. Braking will come from ventilated front and rear discs with cross-drilled rotors optional. In any case, the Lotus will drop from 60 mph to 0 in 110.2 feet, which is pretty phenomenol. An aero package will also be available which includes a front splitter, flat underbody, rear diffuser and floating rear wing.

Every now and then I feel compelled to quote homer Simpson. I can hear his voice in my head screaming "It's here! It's here! It's here!" Well almost at least... The 2010 Lotus Evora will be delivered to European consumers in May of this year. Interestingly enough, the company was able to move from design to production in a tightly abbreviated 27 months. The bonded aluminum chassis are already starting to roll down the assembly line in Worcester UK with output being slowly increased to a target of 34 finished cars a week by July. Finishing touches are applied at the company's factory in Hethel.

In the works by Lotus, in conjunction with Jaguar and Queens University, is a super efficient flex-fuel engine that functions with any combination of alcohols and gasoline. Lotus' research centers on renewable fuel, specifically on bio-alcohols.

Source: Lotus

Even though Lotus vehicles are notorious for their low weight and high output 4 cylinder engines, they have taken things even further with the Eco Elise. Based on the Elise S platform, the Eco version sheds 70 pounds, almost 35 from the wheels alone. The same 134 bhp 1.8L engine from Toyota is used which gives the Elise even greater fuel economy.

In addition to dropping weight, this version uses hemp and sisal in body paneling, seat fabrics and the carpet. A new green shift light will assist drivers, under normal circumstances, to maximize their fuel consumption. And as a final solute to the green movement, the car comes complete with solar panels on the hard top roof.

The price and availability are unknowns at this point as the Eco Elise, first presented at the British Auto Show, is still just a prototype.

Source: Lotus