Lotus Excel Reviews

The 1963 F1 world championship-winning Lotus 25 driven by Jim Clark brought $1,525,500 (including buyer’s premium) after spirited international bidding at the Bonhams and Goodman sale in Sydney yesterday. "It is certainly a world record for a Lotus and we believe it to be an Australian record for any car," Bonhams and Goodman's Robert Glover said. "The really nice story is that we had bidders from Japan, the United States and Europe but the car is staying in Australia." Mr Glover said the buyer was a "known keen enthusiast" but had requested confidentiality on the sale. Against predictions of recession-hit bidding Mr Glover said the sale had realised $5.2 million, a 90 per cent clearance rate by estimated value. "The sales were still very much driven by passion rather than any attempts to recession-proof," Mr Glover said. He said that while rarity was what made many of the lots so attractive, buyers who desired one of the cars or bikes at the sale were prepared to go to great lengths to obtain them. The record breaking Lotus was the jewel of the John Dawson-Damer collection. Dawson-Damer was killed competing in a Lotus at the Goodwood festival in England in 2000 and his collection of six historic Lotus cars went under the hammer at the weekend.  

It looks like a leftover prop from the next Bond movie – or perhaps The Thunderbirds – but if you’re planning on mounting an expedition to the Antarctic, this could be the perfect vehicle.The Lotus was designed expressly for the Moon-Regan Trans Antarctic Expedition, which is planning to cross the 5000km-wide icy continent to raise awareness of how its fate "affects the whole world’s environment’’.Being that you’re in a pristine ecological system – give or take anything similar to the century-old toxic levels of heavy metal pollutants from Europe’s Industrial Age of burning coal, that were found in Greenland's ice last week – the Lotus is powered by burning biofuel.They don’t say which particular kind of biofuel it uses. But given the worthy environmental wholesomeness of the exercise, we can probably rest assured that the expedition team won’t be suctioning up a monopoly on some sort of staple food stock that reduces the African continent to starvation.The marvellously green-cred engine powers the Lotus across the ice via rear-mounted propeller, which is a handy feature because when you’re in sub-zero temperatures you obviously need something to increase the wind chill factor just that little bit more.Because it will be crossing the coldest continent on Earth, the vehicle has apparently been designed to have a minimum number of moving parts that could freeze solid.And it is light enough for the scientists to be able to pull it across the landscape like a makeshift husky team if they feel the need for a bit of light exercise, perhaps keeping the beat with a bit of a capella barking, to spur them on to greater physical effort.It may not have much in the way of creature comforts… no ipod-compatible stereo system, for example. Nor any heated seats, although you can imagine at least one user might have requested them. But the bizarre creation is fitted out with an ice-penetrating radar that is supposed to detect any dangers ahead -- gaping crevasses, thin ice, packs of marauding penguins and so on.Naturally, the aim is to keep the contraption sitting above the ice, rather than falling through it and into the freezing briny depths. An incident that could make you startlingly aware that the acronym for the Concept Ice Vehicle – CIV -- is actually pronounced `sieve’. 

Lotus is a car brand known for its innovation, particularly in its philosophy of “performance through light weight” but now it is turning to renewable materials of hemp, wool and sisal as part of its enviro moves.British-based Group Lotus has developed a show car called the Eco Elise to demonstrate green technology. This includes using materials that can be grown and, when cropped for use, regrown.If you thought the little Elise two-door sports car was light — it is — then consider that this version has taken 32kg off that weight.This means less fuel being used and therefore fewer emissions when driving. But Lotus says a green car is more than just C02 emissions from the exhaust pipe: it's about less environmental impact when making the car, choosing its materials and being able to recycle materials at the end of the car's life.Last year Lotus achieved significant improvements in its business practices, compared with 2006. It cut energy use — electricity by 14 per cent and gas by 30 per cent — and used 11 per cent less water across its headquarters at Hethell, Norfolk.Hemp technical fabrics areused as the primary constituent in composite body panels and spoiler. It is said to be a very strong fibre (historically, hemp was used in making rope).Hemp is a natural resource that needs fairly low levels of energy to process and it absorbs CO2 while growing as a plant through photosynthesis.The Eco Elise seats are upholstered in biodegradeable woollen fabric “ethically produced” and needing no dye. The colour is created by selecting sheep breeds to produce the wool for the yarn.Sisal is another renewable crop, here used for the Eco Elise carpets because it is a tough, abrasion-resistant material.The hemp hard top on the Eco Elise has two flexible solar panels embedded. These convert energy from the sun to power electrical systems, so the car's engine needs to work less to provide such electrical power.Lotus says using the technology on more panels would make it possible to provide more electrical power, especially on a larger vehicle.Lotus Elise cars have a red light to advise performance drivers that maximum engine revs are approaching and it's time to quickly shift up a gear. The Eco Elise also gets a green light in the instrument panel — to suggest that a higher gear can be selected to save fuel and reduce emissions.The Lotus Paint Facility in partnership with Du Pont has developed a water-based paint system, catering for primer, colour and lacquer. It's said to be the first time it's possible to hand spray a top-quality production paint finish with water base. It has benefits of giving off less solvents and uses less energy due to the lower temperature for curing. It's anticipated such paint technology will be available for production cars soon.Other than lighter weight components — even the audio system is revised to shed 1.3kg — special lightweight wheels have been created. Each saves nearly 4kg over the usual Elise wheel.Lotus sells normal Elise sports cars here from $69,990 for the S with its 1.8-litre engine of 100kW power.

The car called Project Eagle is officially the Lotus Evora, but it will not reach Australia until November next year. The car the British brand has to have — after relying for far too long on the one-trick Elise — is a big deal and cannot arrive soon enough for Lotus Australia. “We've already taken our first deposit. There is a lot of interest,” Lotus Australia boss John Startari says. The Evora was unveiled at the British Motor Show. Preliminary technical details include a claimed top in the 270km/h range and a 0-100km/h time of five seconds. Just as important as the performance are the car's 2-plus-2 cabin and a package that is already being compared with the benchmark Porsche Cayman. “The Evora is the biggest milestone Lotus has achieved since the Elise was born 13 years ago and is part of our bold five-year strategic plan, which includes the introduction of new cars and technologies to many more markets around the world,” Group Lotus CEO Mike Kimberley says. “The Evora also . . . proves that you can have phenomenal performance, fuel efficiency, elegant design and practicality all in a class-leading mid-engine 2+2 sports car, which will meet global safety and homologation standards.” But no one is sure about the Evora name. It could have come from a historic Portuguese town, though Startari says the main reason for the choice is “all Lotus cars have a name that starts with E”. The Evora is built on a new aluminium chassis that is longer and wider than the Elise's. It was created from the remains of the stillborn Lotus M250. It has a 3.5-litre Toyota V6 engine and six-speed manual gearbox behind the cabin, rear-wheel drive and fully independent suspension. Lotus says the car will be built on a new production line at Hethel in the UK and is already talking about 2000 cars a year. The first deliveries will be in Britain. Evora will also take Lotus back into showrooms in the US for the first time since the 1970s. Startari says the Evora is a breakthrough, even if it is not the long-promised supercar replacement for the Esprit Turbo and V8. “The most important thing is it's an all-new car, not just a stretched Elise,” he says. “The styling is based on the Elise, but what's wrong with that? It has been a winner and it is a stunning car. They have deliberately gone for a classic Lotus look to give the car longevity.” Lotus Australia is forecasting its first Evora deliveries by November next year, though Startari is keen to get a preview car for the Melbourne Motor Show in March.  

It says everything about the ubiquity of such things that the authorities in Baghdad are holding one. What better way to present the image that all's well in this most dangerous of cities than to stick a bunch of cars on stands and charge admission?The realisation that these things are becoming a bit of a yawn has not been lost on the organisers of the British International Motor Show, which has kicked off in London's Docklands.It started with the most memorable pre-launch stunt in recent history, Opel's new Insignia being lowered by a massive crane from atop Tower Bridge. Cute as these things go, but counting for nothing if the show lacked stars and substance.Unlike some other international motor shows, the Brit edition has plenty of both. There are 600 cars running the alphabetical gamut from Alfa Romeo to ZEV (that'd be Zero Emission Vehicles) worth some $100 million.While Britain's biggest consumer exhibition comes close to being all things to all people, it's the 23 models making their debut that is the chief draw for the anticipated 550,000 punters.The show-stealer is undoubtedly the Lotus Evora. The Norfolk marque's first all-new model in 12 years is a mid-engined 2+2 V6, intended to give Porsche something to think about, especially if _ as anticipated _ it combines the brand's trademark lightweight build (just 1350kg) with razor handling.While the Evora represents a significant step forward for Lotus, Jaguar has looked to the past for the XK60, a captivating special edition of the current production coupe to commemorate the unveiling of legendary XK120 sporters in 1948.Powered by the atmo version of the 4.2 V8, the Jag cops enhancements such as 20-inch Senta alloy wheels, alloy gear knob and selector-gate surround, new front spoiler, chrome-finished side vents and special tailpipe finishers. Which is nice.Performance with an eco-conscience? Why not? Mercedes-Benz is showcasing its BlueTEC version of the stylish CLS. Reassuringly for the rev-hungry, there's a Brabus-built Bullit Black Arrow, their V12-engined C-Class.The show's green tinge is evident in the Lightning Car Company's Lightning, a 100 per cent electric GT sports car, and Allied Vehicles' E7 electric taxi, whose lithium-ion batteries imbue the seven-seater with a range of 160km and top speed of 100km/h. Other green gambits include the Ford Fiesta ECOnetic with carbon dioxide emissions of less than 100g/km.While the British blowout is not spoken of in the same breath as the biennial Frankfurt or Paris salons, the lesson for organisers of Australian events are salient.Not least of these is making `events' singular _ just as we have too much government for 21 million people, there are too many annual shows. Oh, and staging it in a venue that's spacious and accessible isn't a bad idea, either. 

The Proton-owned company will officially unveil and name the mid-engined 2+2 coupe — the first all-new car from Lotus since the Elise in 1995 – at the British Motorshow on July 22.The car will be powered by a Toyota 3.5-litre V6 with dual VVT-i (‘intelligent’variable valve timing) developing 206kW, sitting on a lightweight chassis Lotus says aimed at ensuring “visceral all-round dynamic performance”.Lotus ride and handling engineers claim that it is faster around the Nürburgring than the Elise and more stable at speed than the Exige.The prototype is said to have a maximum speed of 257km/h and to hit 100km/h in less than five seconds.The Project Eagle production car will be also be available as a two-seater, with the rear seat of the 2+2 given over to luggage space. Lotus says other versions are being planned, including a convertible and hi-po version.The car’s interior features leather upholstery, and high-tech flush-mounted controls with glowing blue LED haloes.Just 2000 cars will be built per year, with deliveries starting in 2009.Penned in-house by Lotus Design boss Russell Carr, Project Eagle is the first of three new models on the Lotus drawing board, aimed at revitalising the company.In the press blurb, Carr points to the dramatically sculpted lines of the car, cab-forward proportion, muscled haunches and gaping air intakes as cues that highlight its “serious” sportscar intent.The fit-out includes sport seats, flat-bottomed steering wheel and touchscreen multimedia system with a removable hard-drive for the satnav function. The Alpine audio set-up sound enhancement technology to cancel acoustic imbalances caused by different areas of the cabin.Lotus swears the boot will take a set of golf clubs, and both back seats feature child seat mounting points to strap the kiddies in tight while you’re exploring the handling boundaries. 

Derek Ogden has been behind the wheel of two in the space of a week. ELISEWith the rag top on, getting in and out of the Lotus Elise is a pain in the bum . . . and arms, legs and head if you're not careful.The secret is to push the driver's seat back as far as it will go, slide the left leg under the steering column, and slide in to the seat, keeping your head down. Getting out is the same in reverse.The easy part is to take the cloth top off - just two clips, roll it up and store it in the boot with its two metal supports.With the roof off it's a piece of cake by comparison. Step over the threshold, stand and, while holding the wheel, slowly drop in to the seat and adjust it for reach. You don't so much as sit in a Lotus as wear it.Once inside the little roadster it's time to turn on the fun (er, sorry, engine). The car is powered by a 1.8-litre variable valve-timing Toyota motor, situated behind the two-seater cabin, which from 100kW can shoot the vehicle from zero to 100km/h in a tidy 6.1 seconds on the way to a top speed of 205km/h.How can 100kW come up with such performance? It's all down to weight. At only 860kg, the Elise S has an aluminium chassis that tips the scales at just 68kg. Lightweight steel is also used.Steering and braking is extremely responsive and so is the suspension which can be a teeth rattler on uneven surfaces.This can be forgiven in a car that is out to capture the essence of sports-car driving. In fact, at $69,990 it's the perfect introduction to the genre.An $8000 Touring Pack adds things like leather trim, iPod connection and sound-insulation panelling - not that the noise should bother the sports-car fan.A Sport Pack at $7000 ups the ante with Bilstein sports suspension dampers, switchable traction control and sport seats. EXIGE SNow, if the Elise is the equivalent of a Lotus on training wheels, the Exige S is quite a different matter. In fact, it's the closest you can get to a track car legally on the road.While the standard Exige pumps out 163kW of power, the 2008 Exige S is now available with an optional Performance Pack, pushing power to 179kW at 8000rpm - the same as the limited-edition Sport 240 - courtesy of a Magnuson/Eaton M62 supercharger, faster flowing injectors, plus a higher torque clutch system and an upsized roof scoop.This power lift, with an increase in torque from the standard 215Nm to 230Nm at 5500rpm, helps rocket the Performance Pack Exige S from zero to 100km/h in 4.16 seconds to the accompaniment of a glorious bellow from the engine situated behind the cabin, while fuel economy is claimed by the maker to be a frugal 9.1 litres/100km (31 miles per gallon) on the combined urban/highway cycle.Again, the old enemy, weight, has taken a beating with a power-to-weight ratio of 191kW per tonne putting the Exige S at supercar levels. It drives like a go-kart (or should that be `gone-kart', so quick is the Exige S off the mark).Lotus Sport has had a hand in the pack, providing Formula One-style launch control in which the driver selects revs by means of a dial on the side of the steering column for optimum standing starts.The driver is encouraged to floor the accelerator pedal and quickly release the clutch, in most situations a recipe for drivetrain damage and power-sapping wheelspin.Not with this baby. A damper cushions the severity of the clutch/transmission engagement to minimise the stresses to the drivetrain and also wheelspin until 10km/h, after which the traction control takes over.As with launch control, the amount of traction control can be adjusted from the driver's seat, altering on the move to suit the characteristics of corners.It can be varied in 30 increments - a new instrument pack displays what degree of traction control is dialled in - from 7 per cent tyre slip to completely disabled.The brakes get the Performance Pack treatment too with thicker, 308mm diameter cross-drilled and vented discs at the front operated on by AP Racing four-piston calipers, while standard brake pads are up-rated and there are braided brake hoses.Direct steering offers maximum feedback to the driver with nothing, including power steering, between the wheel and the road to interfere.Parking and manoeuvring at slow speed can be a toil, only compounded by the lack of vision from the cab.The interior rear-view mirror is as useful as a hip pocket in a singlet, giving a clear view of nothing but the turbo intercooler which fills the whole of the back window.It's left to the external mirrors to come to the reversing rescue.The 2008 Lotus Elise and Exige ranges sport new instruments with an easy-to-read white-on-black design. Along with a speedo topping out at 300km/h, the indicator lights now flash on the dash to signal left or right, as opposed to a single light previously.The shift light also changes from a single LED to three sequential red lights during the final 500rpm before the rev-limiter cut-out.The dash also features a new high-definition LCD message panel that can display a scrolling message with vehicle systeminformation. The red on black helps legibility in direct sunlight.The new instruments constantly display fuel, engine temperature and odometer. However, it can also display the time, trip distance or a digital speed readout in mp/h or km/h.Warning symbols are out of sight until activated, keeping the instrumentation free from visual clutter and distraction and airbags are standard.There's a new one-piece alarm/immobiliser and key with lock, unlock and panic alarm buttons. The Lotus Exige S sells for $114,990, plus on-road costs, the Performance Pack adding $11,000.Stand-alone options include Bilstein one-way adjustable dampers and ride height, split-type seven-spoke ultra lightweight forged wheels, Lotus switchable traction control and a limited-slip differential.LOTUS HISTORYThe stamp of Lotus founder Colin Chapman, with his mastery of leading-edge technology and adoption of race-bred features, can be found all over the Elise S and Exige S.Lotus is credited with making the mid-engined layout popular for Indycars, developing the first monocoque Formula One chassis, and the integration of the engine and transaxle as chassis components.Lotus was also among the pioneers in F1 in adding wings and shaping the under-surface of the car to create down-force, as well as the first to move radiators to the sides in the car to aid in aerodynamic performance, and inventing active suspension.Chapman rode on the back of Lotus from a penurious London University undergraduate to multi-millionaire.The company encouraged its customers to race its cars, and itself entered F1 as a team in 1958, a Lotus 18 entered by privateer Rob Walker and driven by Stirling Moss, winning the marque's first Grand Prix two years later at Monaco.Major success came in 1963 with the Lotus 25, which, with Jim Clark driving, won Lotus its first F1 World Constructors Championship.Clark's untimely death - he crashed a Formula Two Lotus 48 in April, 1968, after his rear tyre failed at Hockenheim - was a severe blow to the team and to F1.He was the dominant driver in the dominant car and remains an inseparable part of Lotus' early years. The 1968 championship was won by Clark's teammate, Graham Hill. Other drivers to claim success with the marque were Jochen Rindt (1970), Emerson Fittipaldi (1972) and Mario Andretti (1978).The boss was no slouch behind the wheel either. It is said Chapman lapped circuits within seconds of his F1 drivers.After Chapman's death, until the late 1980s, Lotus continued to be a major player in F1. Ayrton Senna drove for the team from 1985 to 1987, winning twice in each year and achieving 17 pole positions.However, by the company's last Formula One race in 1994, the cars were no longer competitive.Lotus won a total of 79 Grand Prix races and Chapman saw Lotus beat Ferrari as the first team to achieve 50 GP victories, despite Ferrari having won its first nine years sooner.Moss, Clark, Hill, Rindt, Fittipaldi, Andretti . . . it was a pleasure and a privilege to share a seat with them all. 

Ever wondered what it would be like to be fired from a slingshot?

It was just as well we tasted the Elise S before having the chance to drive the Exige S.

The price premium is good value considering the power gain.Elise SC has a compact supercharger in a special, one-piece casting of the intake manifold to the 1.8-litre variable-valve, four-cylinder engine.It lacks an intercooler, saving weight compared with the supercharged version of its stablemate, the Exige.Lotus says the new Elise SC has been engineered as a fast road car and so gets a progressive throttle response. The variable camshaft does not switch in at a single point but rather comes into effect between 4000rpm and 6200rpm, depending on how the car is driven.The 162kW of power and, at 5000rpm, the 212Nm of torque are each about 15 per cent more than the Elise R. In deeper contrast, it's 62 per cent more power than the Elise S, yet at 870kg is just 10kg heavier.That translates to a 0-100km/h time of 4.6 seconds, so watch out six-litre V8 HSV drivers. But the real talents of the Lotus are in cornering and braking.The SC version has slightly wider rear wheels with 225/45 tyres. Its 17in diameter alloys have a unique design helping Lotus spotters pick it from other Elises, while its rear wing is another identification aid.It has AP Racing calipers at the front and Brembo calipers at the rear on 282mm ventilated discs - more than enough braking for such a light car.Instrumentation includes lights warning to change up a gear as the engine approaches its redline.The Elise S sells for $69,990, Elise R $94,990 and the new Elise SC $104,990.A touring pack costs $8000, a sports pack $7000 and options include removable hardtop and traction control.