New Lotus Evora postponed until 2017
Article by Christian A., on July 6, 2011
Among the major changes that Group Lotus boss Dany Bahar revealed recently is the news that the Lotus Evora was given a five-year stay of execution. He gave confirmation of the postponement of the new Elan until 2017.
What this means is that the current Evora will be extended. The modified five-year plan also indicates that Lotus will make its own 570bhp 4.8-litre V8 engine at Hethel for the new Esprit that's set to arrive in 2013.
Bahar confirmed that the proposed Lotus-Proton city car (which will be named Ethos) will enter production and will be sold as a low-volume Lotus-badged luxury car in Europe as well as a cheaper Proton for the markets in Asia.
He declined to say if the car would be a pure battery model or a hybrid. Bahar claims that "all the boxes" in the plan's first year have been accomplished. In opening the improved Hethel test track last week, Bahar was joined by a few of those who were significant in Lotus' history such as former F1 works driver Nigel Mansell.
The track has been evaluated and considered suitable for F1 testing and for setting up a race meeting.
According to the results of a research revealed at the Paris show last year, it was found that many of the potential buyers of Lotus's five new sports cars are not willing to purchase a £100,000-plus car powered by a Toyota engine regardless of how good it is.
Nothing has changed with the iconic Lotus Elise ever since its debut in 1995. We are simply welcoming another era with the all-new Lotus Evora. The new sports car is the only 2+2 medium sized machine built with the powerful Lotus 3.5 litre V6 engine.
The impressive engine of the all-new Lotus is capable of 280 PS and weighs only 1350kg. In one of the tests conducted in Nürburgring, preliminary findings showed Evora's exceptionally agile and easy driving performance. The excellent handling of the new Lotus Evora makes it all the more desirable as compared to the earlier 4-cylinder engines.
Inside the new model is an elegantly designed interior to match all the modern features such as power-fold door mirrors and touchscreen multi-media system. Since the new Evora is made to promote Lotus cars in general, they made sure that the latest model comes with more convenient features. Expect narrower windowsills as well as taller and wider door apertures. Thus, it's so much easier now to get in and out unlike in the previous Lotus sports car variants. In spite of this, the 2-Eleven, Europa, Exige and the Elise all come with Lotus standard cabin size which can accommodate a grownup as tall as 6'5" in front.
On the other hand, the new Evora's comfort factor goes beyond the size of the cabin. For example, the advanced aluminium sacrificial modular unit at the front is linked towards the main aluminium tub. This offers optimum safety for the passengers and reduces repair costs in case of accident.
The overall design of Lotus Evora adheres to the Global automotive regulations. Each unit is hand crafted in Hethel, England, where Lotus's advanced production facility is located. To maintain exclusivity of the brand name, the company has set some limitations in terms of the number of cars produced yearly. The ideal number is around 2000 units.
Lotus plc CEO Mike Kimberley expressed in a statement how the new Lotus Evora became their biggest milestone (so far). This was after the successful launch of the Elise. In fact, the all-new Lotus was created under a 5-year strategic planning process. As a result, the latest model is more lightweight and efficient while at the same time more elegant and highly economical in terms of fuel consumption. In other words, the Evora is the most practical form of a 2+2 sports car. The CEO also looks forward to develop more of these in the future, including electric and hybrid vehicles and alternative engine techniques. The British brand is also bent on pushing environment-friendly motorcars in the near future.
Topics: lotus, lotus evora, sports car