Lotus | The Motor Report: Auto News And Reviews

Lotus Unveils Range-Extending Petrol Engine For Series Hybrids

LOTUS ENGINEERING HAS lifted the lid on its latest project, a range-extending petrol engine designed to be used by the next generation of hybrid vehicles.

Intended for use in a series hybrid setup (similar to the upcoming Chevy Volt), Lotus’s new powerplant is essentially a vehicle-borne generator.

Mated to an electrical generator rather than a gearbox, the [...]

2010 Lotus Exige Cup 260 Revealed: Better Handling, More Efficiency

LOTUS HAS ANNOUNCED its updated-for-2010 Exige Cup 260, and although it’s outwardly similar to the current model, the British manufacturer has managed to screw more efficiency and improved handling out of its race-ready road car.

Power from the Toyota-sourced supercharged 1.8 litre inline-four is still a respectable 191kW and the 0-100km/h sprint is still dispatched in [...]

Hertz Now Offering Lotus Elises For Rent In Italy

MOST RED-BLOODED petrol heads will have seen the tight, sinuous roads that wind their way through the Italian countryside and pondered what it would be like to drive through them at a highly illegal rate of knots.

Some may have even been fortunate enough to visit Italy themselves, only to discover that the fanciest set of [...]

F1: Group Lotus Distances Itself From Team Lotus Entry

GROUP LOTUS is considering the prospect of legal action after revealing it has not been consulted over Litespeed’s decision to revive the Team Lotus moniker for the 2010 Formula One season.

Litespeed’s founders Nino Judge and Steve Kenchington received permission from Team Lotus rights holder David Hunt to use the brand in an attempt to boost [...]

F1: Team Lotus Latest Name Set For Return

LOTUS IS THE LATEST famous name set to return to the Formula 1 scene after 2010 aspirants Litespeed gained permission to compete under the famous moniker.

Litespeed founders and former Lotus engineers, Nino Judge and Steve Kenchington, sought out Team Lotus rights-holder David Hunt to bolster its bid for a place on the F1 grid next [...]

2012 Lotus Esprit To Make Use Of Lexus V10 Power?

WORD AROUND THE traps is that Lotus’ upcoming Esprit successor may come in V10 trim, with the Lexus LF-A’s bent-ten speculated to be the powerplant of choice.

Lotus currently enjoys a close relationship with Japan’s biggest automaker, and uses the company’s 2GR-FE 3.5 litre V6 in the Evora and its 1ZZ-FE 1.8 litre four cylinder in [...]

2012 Lotus Esprit Still On Track, New Elise To Drop In 2011

According to Lotus insiders, the next-gen Elise will arrive sometime in early 2011 followed by an all-new V8-powered Esprit in 2012.

The 2011 Elise will likely be built upon an evolved version of the current model’s extruded-aluminium underpinnings and continue the same formula that’s made the pint-sized sportscar a track day fave, but the Esprit will [...]

Lotus Exige 270E Tri-Fuel Headed to Production?

Dual fuel is so old hat, but Tri-Fuel? Now that’s something to get excited about. Apparently we weren’t the only ones who took great interest in the Lotus Exige 270E Tri-Fuel when it was first unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show last year.

Lotus Enthusiast is reporting that strong interest from Youngman Auto (Lotus’ Chinese partner) [...]

Lotus Elise Purist Model On The Way?

More for less is always a good way to win favour with buyers and Lotus may be looking to offer just that with a rumoured Elise Purist model.

Lotus Enthusiast is reporting that the Elise Purist will soon be available in the US and will be based on the Lotus Elise Sport Package.

To sweeten the deal [...]

2009 Lotus Exige Cup 260 First Test Drive

Lighter, meaner, rawer. This really is a pocket-rocket ‘ready to race’ straight from the Lotus production line.

Lotus has brought into Australia just three 2009 Exige Cup 260 event-ready cars for a lucky trio of track day enthusiasts ready to go to the next level of competition.

Today, Targa Tasmania, one of Australia’s most famous tarmac events, [...]

Targa Tasmania 2009 Preview

It’s that time of year again: the weather is turning colder, the football season is in full swing, F1 is heating up and, for one week, the island of Tasmania is alive with the sounds of screaming engines and tyres. Yes fans, it is Targa Tasmania time.

For those who haven’t heard, Targa Tasmania is now [...]

Lotus And Harman Join Forces On Noise Cancellation And Electronic Sound Synthesis

If you’ve become concerned over the past few years that more electric cars on the road means less engine rumble to light your day, and to alert you when you’re about to be skittled, you’re in luck.

As reported last August, Lotus and Harman have teamed up to develop a sound system to help pedestrians who [...]