After last year's success of the Lotus Challenge Series, the program will be expanded to ten western U.S. events for 2010 that begin this January. Lotus will again be the title sponsor for the series.
Started by Lotus owner Jim Navarro, the series is basically just a place for Lotus owners to get together and bond over their vehicles. Eight races were held in its first year, with six in Cali and two at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch in Pahrump, Nevada - where the Lotus Driving School resides.
"The Lotus Challenge Series is a very well run organization that's expanding through providing Lotus owners a fun, safe and positive environment in which to enjoy their Lotus vehicles and improve their driving skills," said Lotus director of operations Arnie Johnson.
It's comprised of several classes that include both the Elise and Exige street cars and the track-only racers like the Exige Cup Car 255 and 2-Eleven. The Lotus Challenge Series kicks off January 23 just outside of Rosamond, CA at Willow Springs Raceway.
You might have heard that Team Lotus has submitted an entry for the 2010 Formula 1 championship. Awesome, right? The team/company that brought you Mario Andretti and Emerson Fittipaldi driving gorgeous black-and-gold John Players Specials is getting back into the action?
Except one thing: Team Lotus ain't the Lotus team. It's not even Lotus, says Lotus. In a terse statement today Group Lotus plc (the parent company of Lotus Cars Limited which brings you the Elise) noted that it was:
"...not connected or affiliated to, nor in any other way associated with the newly announced "Team Lotus" that has submitted an entry for the 2010 Formula 1 championship. Group Lotus plc will take all necessary steps to protect its name, reputation and brand image."
Oh no you din't!
In a related story, Lotus also did not point out it has ended its association with this pansy-ass flower:
If you have never driven on a race track, you should. If your skills are weak, track time will make them better. And if you think you're an undiscovered Tony Stewart, well then, get out there and prove it. The list that follows after the jump gives some ideas where you might try your luck both on the road and in the dirt.
Here's one problem that needn't be blamed on Elon Musk, Tesla Motors or electric cars in general. One of the roughly 400 owners of a Tesla Roadster noticed that his car had a "wobbly feel" when turning. When he took the car in for service, technicians discovered that the bolts on the rear hub hadn't been properly tightened.
Tesla then notified Lotus, which supplies the roadster's chassis. Turns out some Lotus Elises and Exiges have the same issue. As a result, separate NHTSA recalls were issued on May 22 for 345 Tesla Roadsters (MY2008) and 29 U.S.-spec Lotus Elises and Exiges (MY2009).
For Tesla owners not living near the automaker's California, New York, Chicago or Seattle service centers, Business Insider reports that Tesla technicians will be flown out to make the necessary repairs.
Lotus has never been about sensible transportation. The company builds serious cars for serious drivers. The Evora four-seater is still a serious performance machine, but as European Editor Alistair Weaver notes, it's been toned down to the point of daily drivability.
Does that make it any less of Lotus? Mr. Weaver doesn't think so.
Is the mid-engine-V6-powered 2010 Lotus Evora 2+2 a spiritural successor to the Dino 246 GT of the late 60s, the baby Ferrari that Maranello never gets around to building?
Or is it just the most accessible and refined Lotus built to date?
Either way, writes Matt Davis, the Evora is a car that satisfies on multiple levels. It's a sharp implement on back roads with incredibly strong brakes and hydraulic power-assisted steering that's as faithful in delivering feedback as the non-power steering in the Elise and Exige. Yet, a 60 percent stiffer structure (for torsional and bending rigidity) allowed Lotus to tune the suspension for far greater compliance than ever before without losing out on the handling front. And that "+2" backseat option is sure to make a difference when kiddies are a consideration.
North American deliveries start in January 2010, and Lotus says it already has 150 orders in the book for the Evora, which will cost about $74,500 in 2+2 form.
In what seems like a reversal of roles, Lotus will provide audio technology to Harman Becker, a division of Harman International, the huge OEM audio supplier that's home to such brands as JBL, Infinity, Harman Kardon Mark Levinson and Lexicon.
Lotus will supply Harman Becker with a trio of audio technologies, one of which is active noise cancellation that uses microphones to monitor engine and road noise and sends the information to a processor. The processor then generates an opposing signal composed of frequencies that, when played through a car's speaker, cancels the offending noise.
The second piece of technology is designed to add some noise to electric and hybrid cars via external speakers so that the blind can hear them coming. The third is another sound-generating technology that creates a signal relative to the vehicle's engine speed. The resultant signal is fed into the cabin to give drivers the impression that car has an "exciting exhaust note."
And they don't have to regret that they coulda had a V8.
Muslims have Mecca. Cheeseheads have Lambeau. Elvis wackos have Graceland. These are varying degrees of devotion to be sure, but each group has a place where they must make a pilgrimage to at least once in their lifetime. For James Bond fans, their place of pilgrimage is now Keswick in the north of England.
The Bond Museum opens this Sunday, April 5, featuring the world's largest collection of items used in the 22 James Bond films. It's been gathered over the years by Peter Nelson through personal purchases and donations from other fans as well as actors and crew.
While golden guns and jet packs are all well and good, it is the absurdly thorough car collection that should make the pilgrimage to Keswick worth it not just for Bond aficionados but any car enthusiast. The full list of vehicles can be found after the jump, but in short, the collection is so complete, there are fewer Bond cars not present.
Highlights include the Aston Martin DB5 used in the Brosnan movies (the original Goldfinger car was stolen), the Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me (in regular and submarine guises), one of two Toyota 2000GT roadsters in the world used for You Only Live Twice, the two-wheeling Mustang from Diamonds Are Forever, the Glastron speedboat from Live And Let Die, and the Russian T55 main battle tank from GoldenEye. That's right, they have a tank.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm heading to LAX to catch a flight to Manchester. -- James Riswick, Automotive Editor
Did you know there was a British Motor Show? Probably not. It was never much of a stage for big debuts, at least not lately, so the news that next year's show has been cancelled isn't exactly much of a letdown. If anything, it's yet another indication of the weakness of the industry, but unless you were hoping to see yet another Lotus unveil it probably won't matter much in the grand scheme of things.
Lotus is using the 2009 Geneva Auto Show to showcase a new variable-compression engine it calls the "Omnivore." Designed to run on alcohol-based fuels as well as gasoline, the single-cylinder concept engine uses direct injection and a two-stroke operating cycle to maximize its efficiency.
An adjustable puck at the top of the combustion chamber is used to vary the compression and according to Geraint Castleton-White, Head of Powertrain at Lotus Engineering, the Omnivore has potential as a four-stoke, production engine.
"The absence of poppet valves in two-stroke engines makes the incorporation of a variable compression ratio system relatively straightforward. Our research into these systems on four-stroke engines has led us to the conclusion that while thermodynamically it is a desirable technology to incorporate, practically it isvery difficult, particularly taking into consideration production feasibility. This two-stroke engine could solve these practical difficulties and simultaneously permits a much larger range of compression ratio adjustment, with the potential to perform at a much higher efficiency when running on renewable fuels," according to Castle-White.
Well this seemed almost inevitable. After watching Tesla and Chrysler suck up all the glory for electric cars that are basically Lotuses with batteries, the British sportscar builder has announced that it plans to build an electric car of its own. In a report in yesterday's Financial Times, Lotus CEO Michael Kimberley said, "Don't be surprised to see an electric Lotus shortly."
A Lotus sports car featured in the James Bond movie "The Spy Who Loved Me" is expected to bring $185,000 in a London auction next week.
The '76 Lotus Esprit is equipped with a (for show, and is not real) surface-to-air-missile button on the gearshift.
"This Esprit featured in the scene where Bond takes collection of the car from Q, but is paying more attention to Barbara Bach," said Bonhams specialist, Tim Schofield.
While it's unlikely to win many over when it comes to styling, it's sure to be a hit on the track. The makers of the Aspid, a Lotus-Seven-inspired Star Wars sports car if ever there was one, claim a 0-62 mph in 2.8 seconds, and 5.9 seconds from 0-100 mph. It can stop from 100 mph in 3.0 seconds. Those are serious numbers folks!Full story here.
The code-named Lotus 'Project Eagle' ('Project Eagle' a new mid-engined, 2+2 Sportscar from Lotus) was introduced at the British Auto Show wearing the Evora name tag. This 2+2 is the first all-new Lotus since the Elise, which was introduced back in 1995.
Unlike other Lotus cars, the Evora was designed as a pure GT, and not a sports car. Powered by a 276 hp 3.5L V6, the new car uses a lightweight chassis technology for first-rate track performance but with ride and handling more in line with a grand touring car. Under the skin the entire front-end structure is a high tech aluminum sacrificial modular unit, attached to the main extruded aluminum tub. This modular unit is designed to deform for maximum safety, and to reduce repair costs in the event of a frontal impact. The car's final curb weight comes in at 1,350kg. That number could change as it's still a prototype. Production starts later this year.
Aside from all the sure-to-come Cheech & Chong pot smokin' jokes, the new Lotus Eco Elise raises the art of eco-engineering to a new level. The company has gone out of their way to make sure that the entire manufacturing and driving process of the Eco Elise be as fuel efficient and environmentally friendly as possible. The new Lotus uses body panels built from a hemp resin, and it uses an eco wool and sisal in the interior. Paint is water-based and all materials are sourced locally to reduce the Eco Elise's total carbon miles in production.Full story here.
Making its official global debut at the British Motorshow in London on July 22nd, the first all-new car from Lotus since the iconic Elise in 1995, will enter the sportscar market as the only mid-engined 2+2 in production.The new car, which is known only by its project name 'Eagle', is an addition to the Lotus lineup, and does not replace any existing model. The car, the name for which will be announced at the British Motorshow on 22nd July is powered by a 3.5-litre V6 producing 280 PS. The new car employs innovative lightweight chassis technology in keeping with the great Lotus tradition. Here's Inside Line's take: 2008 British Auto Show Preview: Lotus Project Eagle
The Lotus 2-Eleven, a car so hard-core it doesn't have a top or a full windshield. A car you need a helmet to drive. A car that makes you think about only one thing: driving.
Or are we wrong?
Whatever the case, the 2-Eleven at Geneva's Palexpo showed up with friends...
Here’s what we know about this interesting looking prototype caught recently in the Arctic Circle. It’s a Lotus, it’s code named “Eagle” and it wasn’t supposed to happen. Lotus was planning on building its replacement for the Esprit next, but during one of its recent management shuffles, it was determined that the plans for the Esprit weren’t realistic. With that in mind, this 2+2 was commissioned to get something in the works while the plans for the Esprit were completely reworked...
It's street-legal and it's coming to the U.S. The Lotus 2-Eleven streaks from zero to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds. No roof, no doors, no windows, but you know, who needs them?
Unlike most car companies that guard their future product plans like they have national security implications, Lotus recently sent out a press release outlining the future of the brand. We already knew the flagship Esprit would return, but now Lotus is planning on two additional models. Details were slim, with Lotus only revealing that one would be, "a new mid-range Lotus set for launch in December 2008" while the other would be a Lotus/Proton high-performance model due in May 2008. Although we expected the new Esprit to arrive within the next couple of years, the release also noted that Lotus wanted to "incorporate more Lotus 'DNA' and other enhancements to meet the changing needs of the global marketplace," so its debut has been pushed to December of 2009...
If there's one thing the Brits do well, it's the specialty, cottage industry-built small sports car. Their history is filled with these types of companies ranging from Lotus, to Morgan, to Caterham, and so on and so forth...
Javan is the latest to set up shop, and their R1 roadster is their first entry. This vehicle is powered by a 2.0L high-revving, mid-mounted Honda engine (is there any other type of Honda engine?), and claims a 0 – 62 mph in 3.6 seconds...
Lotus has just moved the bar a bit higher for soapbox racer builders out there with the Lotus Type 119c soapbox. This racer is the reigning champion and record holder at the Brooklands Soapbox Derby which is an event that is part of the Goodwood Festival of Speed held in England.
Somehow I don't think too many 8–17-year old kids will be up to the task of matching this...
Snippet: The closed-cockpit Lotus Type 119c “streamliner” features an aerodynamically-efficient ultralight carbon-fibre monocoque, remaining true to the “performance through light weight” philosophy of Lotus founder Colin Chapman...
Although Lotus is still cranking out new versions of the Elise, work is also under way on a replacement for the Esprit. It will hit the streets around 2008 and is expected to use a BMW V8 for power while sticking with the Lotus mantra of minimal weight. Although this test mule was spotted on the Nurburgring wearing an older Esprit shell, the odd proportions suggest this is most likely a test mule for the chassis of the new supercar.
Lotus Sport is to Lotus what AMG is to Mercedes, STI is to Subaru, or what M-cars are to BMW. They're a bunch of hardcore Lotus guys devoted to making virtually track-ready cars for the track-oriented Lotus customer.
With that in mind, they have just introduced a couple of very limited-edition models for the US market:
