Lotus Elise News

Right now, new-car sales are booming, buyers have to wait months and even years for specific model or grade choices in some instances, and nobody is really wheeling and dealing like they used to pre-pandemic.

Legendary British brand Lotus is about to make another attempt at a revival in the Australian market, after recently parting ways with vehicle distributor Ateco.

Some cars refuse to die. The original Land Rover is the best example, with the last one just built after 68 years.

Lotus has been led by managers at Malaysian conglomerate DRB-Hicom since early 2012 and since then we’ve heard little on the progress of the British sports car manufacturer.DRB-Hicom previously said it was committed to keeping Lotus as well as keeping production of Lotus cars in the UK, but stopped short of stating whether we’d see any new models in the near future.One hope had been a new Esprit supercar, the only model from the six-car lineup Lotus’ previous CEO Dany Bahar had envisioned. However, getting the Esprit into production will take hundreds of millions of dollars, money Lotus just doesn’t have and which DRB-Hicom, understandably, may be reluctant to provide.Speaking with Business Times, DRB-Hicom managing director Tan Sri Mohd Khamil Jamil said his company had spent the previous year settling Lotus’ financial issues and other commitments and that it has a new three-year plan. Unfortunately, that three-year plan won’t see any new models launched but rather updates of existing cars."We are coming out with the variants based on existing products--variants with improved technology, improved performance, improved quality as well as improved costing," he said, adding that those will be based on the Evora, Exige and Elise.The first of these has already been launched in the form of the 2013 Lotus Elise S Club Racer, a stripped-out version of the Elise designed for the track.www.motorauthority.com 

The British-built sports cars are famous for their giant-killing reputation, supercar performance for a fraction of the price, and new importer Ateco is working both fronts. The company's first step has been to leverage the Aussie dollar's strength against the pound to make effective price cuts of up to 20 per cent. The base model Lotus is now $2000 cheaper at $67,990 while the supercharged SC is now just $77,990, a saving of $17,000. The performance has also been tweaked with all Elise vehicles now loaded with the previously optional sports pack valued at $6000. It consists of twin oil coolers, Bilstein dampers; Y spoke forged alloy wheels and ProBax sports seats. It's all good news for new owners but not much consolation to the 10 Elise buyers this year who paid up to $94,990 for the privilege of putting a Lotus in their garage. Lotus Australia general manager Glen Sealey sympathised but noted pricing had been set by the previous importer. "We officially became the Lotus importer this month and we've overhauled the entire structure," he said. "The first-year plan is to double sales to 100 vehicles . getting volume on to the streets helps establish a presence. We're looking at the Lotus brand equity to see just where it fits into the market. The Lotus name has global appeal, it is a case of working out where to position the models." Sealey wouldn't comment on the previous pricing of the Lotus models in Australia but said Ateco's business case was based on increasing volume and realigning prices to Lotus's natural competitors. "We'll re-launch and re-price the Evora," he said. "The other two name plates (Elise and Exige) are established and in some ways look after themselves but the Evora is where we see the potential for big volume growth. First we had to determine where it sits against the likes of Porsche and we've now adjusted the model mix to have the Evora S and (automatic transmission) IPS.

Toyota has bought a significant stake in Tesla, which plans to add a prestige family sedan soon to its Lotus Elise-based Roadster, in a deal which will also revive a dormant factory in the USA. The NUMMI factory in Fremont, California - its name stands for New United Motor Manufacturing, Incorporated - was originally set us as a joint venture between General Motors and Toyota. But, just like the shotgun marriage between Toyota and Holden in the 1980s in Australia, the deal fell apart and production at the factory ended this year. Now Toyota plans to assist Tesla to establish a giant new manufacturing operation at the NUMMI site as it taps into the American start-up company's expertise in electric-car technology.  It has bought a stake in Tesla costing more than $59 million and Toyota chief Akio Toyoda is bullish about the potential in the deal. "I’ve felt an infinite possibility about Tesla’s technology. Through this partnership, by working together with a venture business such as Tesla, Toyota would like to learn from the challenging spirit, quick decision-making, and flexibility that Tesla has," Toyoda says. "Decades ago, Toyota was also born as a venture business. By partnering with Tesla, my hope is that all Toyota employees will recall that ‘venture business spirit,’ and take on the challenges of the future." Tesla will build its upcoming Model S, although it is unlikely to approach the 500,000 cars-a-year production capacity at the factory.  The Model S was unveiled last year and has a target price in the USA of $49,900, a figure helped considerably by a government tax break, as well as a claimed range of 500 kilometres between re-charges. "The Tesla factory effectively leverages an ideal combination of hardcore Silicon Valley engineering talent, traditional automotive engineering talent and the proven Toyota production system," said Tesla CEO, Elon Musk.  "The new Tesla Factory will give us plenty of room to grow."  But Tesla is still in its infancy and has delivered less than 1000 of its Elise-based electric Roadster sports cars to date.

The US-based Tesla, which uses lithium-ion batteries and the Lotus Elise as its donor vehicle, is the only producer of highway-capable electric cars in the North American and European markets.Mercedes-Benz parent, Daimler AG, says it bought the stake and will form a co-operative to make and develop battery systems, electric drivetrains and vehicles.Tesla provided technology to create the Daimler-owned electric Smart car.Daimler has 100 Smart electric cars on trial in London and later this year will start production of 1000 versions.This year Daimler is also starting small-series production of the Mercedes-Benz B-Class with a fuel-cell drive system.In 2010 it will introduce its first battery-powered Mercedes-Benz and from 2012, Daimler plans to equip all Smart and Mercedes-Benz electric vehicles with its inhouse-produced lithium-ion batteries.In 2004, Tesla began development of its first electric vehicle, the Roadster, which remains the only highway-capable EV for sale in North America or Europe.The Tesla Roadster is the first production battery electric vehicle to travel more than 320km per charge. It accelerates from zero to 100km/h in about in 4 seconds.Tesla will start making its four-door Model S in California in late 2011.

Venues like Amaroo Park and -- soon -- Oran Park are becoming distant fond memories in drivers minds.  So the launch of the Marulan Driver Training Centre (MDTC) is timely.Based 20 minutes from Goulburn, the MDTC gives drivers the chance to push their cars hard in a very inviting and safe setting. The track is so tight that you won’t get into the higher cogs… but if you think never getting out of second gear isn’t fun, you need to give this a try. The track is just one kilometer long, so the 12-minute sessions allow at least eight laps each … something unheard of at larger settings.  Not having to worry about changing gear so much also lets you concentrate on what you’re there for -- improving your driving.The track has just about every type of turn, angle, and run you will ever experience on a track or on the street.  Off-camber corners, sharp downhill turns, crests leading into double S-bends, a hairpin, and a main straight right in front of the pits.  Race driver instructors are on-hand all day to give you pointers.  Don’t want to take your own car?  A group of race-prepared MX5s are available for hire there. The design of the track is no accident.  Garry Willmington and his family built the facility, starting in 1991 and drawing on more than 30 years of race knowledge, including multiple Bathurst belt-notches to Willmington’s credit.  A final resurfacing allowed the venue to open in August last year.  Yes, close to 20 years since conception.  One can only shudder at the thought of all the red-tape Willmington went through… and the persistence and determination it requiredThe first event at the MDTC was organised by Circuit Club – a non-CAMs affiliated group that asks for no member fees.  The members are the drivers who turn up on the day.  No strings attached.  And this attitude allowed a variety of drivers to enjoy a particularly well organised day free of pressure.Drivers in a range of cars from stock-standard Astras to full race-spec Civics and Turbo MX5s put their skills to the test.  All up, the track saw a field of 60 different cars over the weekend. All the organisers served as marshals, keeping everyone safe and answering any questions.  I was also treated to a hot lap in Circuit Club director Narada Kudinar’s S2000, and a very nicely tuned Lotus Elise. An organization like this brings a level of experience and professionalism to first-time drivers, so Circuit Club has given me an experience that was out of my reach till now, and one that no one should be afraid of exploring.Being my first track day, my nerves were on edge.  It’s well know that motorsport has risks -- not only to the driver, but to the car.  And my beloved Nissan Skyline is a car I have worked on for the past two years, carefully preparing it for this day: its track baptism. With this in mind, the organisers gave me, and all the other novices, a helping hand through the day.  A slow and steady approach was encouraged to start with.By the end of the day my trusty steed had pulled through with flying colours, with my newly-installed suspension keeping me well planted on the road all day. By the fourth session a hunger hit me for just one thing...  grip.  Until you start pushing your car to the limit, you can’t grasp how much you still have to learn about driving and how poor your `performance’ tyres really are.  So it’s straight off to eBay for me, hunting down a nice set of semi-slicks for the next outing. Yes the track bug has bitten, and bitten hard.  Do yourself and your car a favour and head out to a Circuit Club event.  Trust me, its love at first drift. 

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.