Knowing that the 444-hp Lotus Evora GTE will be making its way to America makes us giddy. So naturally, when we saw more photos of the most powerful Lotus ever made, we had to share them with the rest of the world.

Up until now, we’ve basically been treated to seeing the Evora GTE under the typical auto show floor lighting. Now we get to see the retina-burning, bright yellow in its natural environment with its 3.5L V6 powerplant ready to rock. These photos really show off what the Evora GTE’s all about, the overall wider vehicle sporting plenty of carbon fiber throughout.

The GTE weighs in slightly over 230-lbs lighter than the standard Evora model and features Lotus’s Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) racing gearbox. Forged center-lock wheels adorn each corner of the street-legal racer, while the inside packs lightweight carbon fiber Recaro seats.

Now we’ll just anxiously await to hear its price tag.

GALLERY: Lotus Evora GTE

Lotus Motorsport achieved a couple of major milestones recently, firing up their first ever IndyCar engine while also giving their Exige R-GT Rally car its first shakedown runs – both of which occurred within 24 hours.

On December 22nd at Dallara’s headquarters in Varano Melegari, Palma, Lotus successfully started up the first official IndyCar engine while under the observance of Group Lotus Director of Motorsport Claudio Berro and his team’s technicians. Once they were satisfied with the overall results from the engine, the team began preparations to have the powerplant and car shipped to the United States where full testing will begin in January.

“The fire up in the car went really well, there were no nasty surprises and I think our partners are going to be very happy with the results. It was only October last year that we announced that we would become an IndyCar engine supplier and just 12 months on, we had an all new Lotus engine and three teams signed up – Bryan Herta Autosport, Dreyer and Reinbold Racing, and HVM Racing. We’ve still got a lot of work to do ahead of the start of the 2012 IZOD IndyCar season but so far I’m very encouraged by what I see”, said Claudio Berro.

Lotus also had their first shakedown runs in their Exige S R-GT Rally car in Turin with the team delighted with the results. Testing on the rally car will continue in the new year in preparations for the 2012 FIA World Rally Championship where the Exige will compete in the FIA GT category. It’s powered by a 3.5L, supercharged powerplant and looks to be a formidable race car in the series.

GALLERY: Lotus IndyCar Engine and Exige R-GT Rally

Every year an automaker is chosen to be celebrated at the Goodwood Festival of Speed with an artistic installation directly in front of the historic Goodwood house in West Sussex, England, and a host of classic and shiny new cars on display. For 2012 it will be the iconic English brand Lotus.

This acknowledgement comes at important time in Lotus’ history, both when looking into the future and consulting the past. In 2012 Lotus will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Elan sportscar, the 40th anniversary of the Espirit supercar concept unveiling, the 35th anniversary of the 78 ground effect Lotus F1 car competing for the first time and the 20th anniversary of cyclist Chris Boardman winning a gold medal at the Barcelona summer Olympics while riding the type 108 bicycle developed by Lotus. Next year will mark a big year in the company’s history as well, when the new 2013 Espirit supercar is finally unleashed.

The Goodwood festival’s chosen Marque is always an honor that is bestowed upon a company the organizers feel have had a major influence on car culture and automotive history. Some of the companies that have been celebrated include Jaguar, Audi, Alfa Romeo, and Land Rover just to name a few.

The 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed begins on June 28 and should be a great celebration of Lotus’ past accomplishments and future endeavors.

Lotus has plans to release their new next-generation Esprit at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show and more details were recently released on their next sports car. The base model Esprit will be a hybrid, sporting a 100-hp electric motor and a naturally aspirated V8 engine.

Other variants of the Lotus will be more race inspired, ditching the electric motor and hybrid tag for more weight savings and additional horsepower. More details on the other models weren’t released, but we can expect a more pure driver’s car and everything “unnecessary” will be removed from them, as well as an abundant use of carbon fiber. Unfortunately no specs were released on the naturally aspirated V8 powerplant either.

The new Lotus Esprit will go on sale in Europe starting in Summer of 2013 and will mark the beginning of Lotus’ five-year, five-model plan.

[Source: Topspeed]

Lotus and its parent company, Proton, will be releasing their City Car to rival the new Aston Martin Cygnet and will be a production version of the Ethos concept originally seen at the Paris Auto Show. The vehicle will first be offered as a Proton, with the Lotus version coming at a later date with a higher price tag.

Lotus will be making additions to the car, hoping to make the electric vehicle offer performance not seen on any other small cars. It will be about $3,125 (£2000) cheaper than the Aston Martin Cygnet, so pricing is estimated to be around $45,300 (£29,000).

The Ethos Concept featured a 1.2L, three-cylinder Lotus Range Extender engine that had a peak torque of 177 lb-ft with a top speed of 105-mph.

GALLERY: Lotus City Car

[Source: Topspeed]

Lotus will offer the Exige in 2012 as a track-only car in America, despite killing off the street-legal Elise and Exige due to air bag laws and the discontinuation of the car’s 1.8L Toyota 4-cylinder motor.

The 2012 Exige for North America will be based on the Exige S and get a 3.5L supercharged V6 from the Evora making 345 horsepower. 60 mph comes up in 3.8 seconds and the car is good for a V-Max of 170 mph. Standard equipment should include a roll cage, harnesses, bucket seats, an electrical cut-off switch and other features that will make it legal for competition use.

The Exige is expected to carry a base price of around $85,000-$90,000, but we’ll have to wait for an official announcement from Lotus for more info.

[Source: DuPont Registry]

General Motors is reviving negotiations that were scrapped back in 2007 with Lotus parent company Proton Holdings, Malaysia’s biggest auto manufacturer. Both brands are looking to form a manufacturing venture in the Southeast Asian country.

A collaboration between the two parties would probably be mutually beneficial, with GM getting access to Proton’s production in Southeast Asia while Proton would be able to take advantage of GM’s technologies to boost their exports.

Proton Holdings is a government-linked company (GLC) with the majority of its equity owned by a government-owned company named Khazanah Nasional Berhad. Ever since an unsuccessful relationship with Mitsubishi ended in 2004, the Malaysian government has been seeking a partner for Proton.

[Source: Bloomberg]

Saab’s sob story saga might be coming to an end, though the information surrounding their pending acquisition is murky at best.

Rumors swirled quickly around the media yesterday that the Bank of China, fourth-largest by market value had planned to acquire just under 50 percent of the company. Those reports are now being corrected— it’s a bank in China, but not the Bank of China. Regardless, this investment could be the savior Saab prayed for after GM flatly rejected their previous partnership with Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile Co. and Pang Da Automobile Trade Co.

Pang Da operates dealerships in China, while Youngman manufactures Chinese vehicles under the Lotus brand.

According to GM, that partnership would jeopardize their own interests in China because they supply both parts and the 9-4X crossover, which would then be unfairly accessible to the Chinese companies.

Saab hopes the new deal will keep GM satisfied while allowing them to finally be rid of their debt, which includes unpaid salaries and bills.

“The discussions include a short term solution to enable Saab Automobile to pay November wages and continue reorganization. The outcome of the discussions is still uncertain,” Saab said to Automotive News.

Saab parent company Swedish Automobile originally hoped for Pang Da and Youngman to take a combined 53.9 percent share of Swedish Automobile, but nothing in Saab. The two companies pushed instead for full ownership of Saab.

Gallery: Saab 9-4X

[Source: Automotive News]

The Evora GTE is the most powerful Lotus to date, making 444 horsepower with a 3.5-liter v6, but track-bred performance isn’t quite enough to make it pop.

Instead Lotus signed a deal with rapper/producer Swizz Beatz to collaborate on a special line of cars that have hiphop swag. This isn’t the first time an automaker resorted to the rap community for extra buzz, as Funkmaster Flex and Ford had a tie-up earlier in the decade.

Lotus chose the Alvin Ailey’s Opening Night Gala to show off their chrome-adorned special edition Evora GTE. Aside from serous horsepower, the car gets an automated manual transmission and carbon fiber throughout the body, good for shaving off anther 231 pounds.

Lotus Cars USA made the public announcement that former Ferrari CEO Maurizio Parlato is the new CEO of their U.S. operation.

Parlato has actually been with the company for a few months, but Lotus spokesman Kevin Smith told Automotive News Lotus hadn’t made the announcement until recently because they had been too busy appearing at auto shows.

Parlato’s move to Lotus is part of an effort by the company to improve their market share. The switch actually took place mid-September, though the official announcement didn’t come until November 16.

Before coming to Lotus, Parlato ended a 20-year career with Ferrari on January 1, 2010, of those 20 years, he spent seven as CEO.

Smith said Lotus is looking to strengthen their dealer network in the U.S. in anticipation of increased sales.

“[Parlato] is a welcome addition to the team,” Smith said. “He’s brought in a lot of energy already and great contacts in the industry.”

[Source: Automotive News]

The 2007 Formula 1 world champion Kimi Raikkonen is making a comeback to the sport after a two-year break.

However, its not like he was sitting at home doing nothing for the last two years. Raikkonen dabbled in WRC rallying, and also tried his luck in the NASCAR Truck Series. But it’s F1 where his star shined the brightest, where he had won 18 races and 62 podiums while racing for McLaren and Ferrari. His only championship win came at the wheel of a Ferrari.

Raikkonen’s return to F1 was in the rumor-mill for several months, but many speculated that he will drive for Williams. But the 32-year old from Finland will return with Lotus GP (known as Lotus-Renault GP for the 2011 season). On this occasion, Raikkonen commented: “My hunger for F1 has recently become overwhelming. It was an easy choice to return with Lotus GP.”

Raikkonen who first entered F1 in 2001 with Sauber, raised many eyebrows in the paddock when he scored a point in his debut race. He moved to McLaren a year later.

Will Raikkonen’s return be heroic or will he suffer from the same fate Michael Schumacher has been dealing with during his comeback? Only time will tell.

Little development has been revealed by Lotus since they first announced their line-up revamp at the 2010 Paris Auto Show. However, sources report Lotus has got all hands on deck to make sure its dedicated in-house V-8 will be complete by late-2013.

The engine is designed to serve duty in the mid-engined Esprit as well as the front engine Elite and Etern, we expect the output to produce more than 550 horsepower in the naturally aspirated Esprit form and perhaps even a more extreme version tuned to 620 horsepower in the future.

In terms of the Esprit’s chassis, Lotus claims that the modular chassis will allow engineers to fit front, middle and rear sections as needed without making complex changes so that the platform can accommodate the Elite and Eterne too.

GALLERY: Lotus Esprit

[Source: sensethecar.com]

There used to be a time when any car company hoping to succeed in business would open up shop in North America. While North America remains one of the key markets for car companies, the new focus is on emerging markets, with China as the number one choice.

Group Lotus is the latest to enter the Chinese market, with a showroom in the trendy Chaoyang district of Beijing. While this is the first official dealership for Lotus in China, a further 10 showrooms are expected to open in this country in 2012.

At the launch, many Group Lotus execs such as Clive Chapman (son of the late Colin Chapman, founder of the company) and Dany Bahar (Group Lotus CEO) were present, along with President and CEO of Lotus China, Li-Chen Zhang.

On this occasion, Zhang said: “This is the first showroom that the Lotus brand has set-up in China since entering the Chinese market on June 15 and it’s a very proud day for all of us who believe very strongly in the brand. We truly believe the Chinese market will completely embrace the Lotus philosophy of performance through lightweight and innovation through clever design. We sold around 300 units before we even opened the showroom so the initial interest and orders put forward indicate that our faith in the brand is well placed.”

At launch, Lotus will be selling six models in China, namely the Elise R, Elise SC, Evora, Evora IPS, Exige S240 and Exige S260. The Evora GTE road car and T125 race car will follow soon after.

GALLERY: Lotus China

Lotus Elise and Exige sports cars manufactured between June 1, 2004 and November 30, 2006 are subject to replacement of a faulty oil cooler line, which may be prone to leak oil or suffer from the line detaching completely. If attention isn’t given at a timely matter, the defect can cause slippery oil to coat the tires, smoke, or even fires.

This defect was first brought to Lotus’ attention after reports of smoking and in one case, a fire. Repairs will be performed at no cost to Lotus owners. Dial for Lotus, (800) 245-6557, or you may the call NHTSA vehicle safety hotline at (88) 327-4236

Keep an eye on Lotus over the next six years, they just won a bid for this round of the Regional Growth Fund (RGF).

Lotus CEO Danny Bahar said in a press release that the money will help the company refresh its line of sports cars with best in class performance and emissions.

The RGF is meant to support projects and programs in the UK that will support private sector growth. A long list of companies competed for a share in the discretionary fund worth about $2.25 billion. Lotus got official confirmation from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills that they are among the accepted.

Bahar said that “this is a very significant boost to local communities, and the Regional Growth Fund will help businesses like Lotus to drive local growth.”

The funding will help Lotus further development of its new line up sports cars, including a next-generation Elise and Exige, as well as the new Esprit (above).

GALLERY: New Lotus Esprit

Honoring the Lotus Renault Formula One Grand Prix team, the British sports car company is giving three passionate UK enthusiasts the opportunity to own a very custom car. The GP Edition Evora S is fully loaded with the Premium Pack with SuedeTex, Lotus’ Tech Pack and a set of 19-inch forged diamond cut wheels. The special edition Evora S is clearly race-inspired, with a gold-and-black paint scheme that resembles the Lotus Renault Formula One Grand Prix race graphics.

The limited edition of just three vehicles will surely be snatched up quickly in the United Kingdom, sporting a price tag of £69,950 – or a tad over $110,000 based on today’s conversion rates.

GALLERY: Lotus Evora S GP Edition

[Source: Autoblog]

As part of a plan to spot future motor racing talent, Group Lotus has been the first car manufacturer to truly feature a presence in that most grassroots form of racing, karts.

For decades, some of the most notable stars of Formula 1, including former Lotus driver Ayrton Senna and more, recently the likes of Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, all began their careers in karts, so the idea seems logical.

However, Group Lotus isn’t just interested in spotting future world champs, it’s also embracing karting in a big way because it also allows for the potential to work with talented youngsters who show a real aptitude for innovative design and engineering.

Under the guise of the ‘Lotus Racing Karts’ banner, the company, in conjunction with Jefra Racing, will operated a full factory effort in the 2012 CIK-FIA World Karting Championship and to boot, the team’s machines will sport the unmistakable black and gold livery, made famous by Lotus Formula 1 racers during the 1970s and much of the 1980s.

The team will be headed by Fran Jerancic, and headquartered at Jefra’s home base in Italy, just outside Treviso, while the karts themselves will be sourced from seasoned manufacturer Wildkart.

“Our entry into karting is exciting on many levels,” declared Miodrag Kotur, who currently serves as Director of Operations for Lotus Motorsport.  ”Not only are we nurturing talent and widening our motorsports programme, we also have an opportunity to join forces with two world-class specialists.”

Further announcements regarding Lotus Racing Karts, will be made on February 14th during next year’s Autosport Show at Britain’s National Exhibition Centre near Birmingham, West Midlands.

Following in the footsteps of the Aston Martin Cygnet, Lotus will introduce their own City Car, apparently dubbed the Ethos, in late 2013.

First unveiled at the 2010 Paris Auto Show, the Ethos will be powered by a hybrid powertrain or possibly a fully electric system like the Nissan Leaf. The concept used a 1.2L three-cylinder engine with a hybrid system that allowed for 37 miles of electric driving and a total range of 310 miles. Pricing is said to be set at $45,000.

GALLERY: Lotus Ethos Concept

[Source: DuPont Registry]

It’s billed as the most powerful Lotus ever made. Based on the brand’s Le Mans racing car it’s also the most hard core. And now you’ll be able to buy one, in America!

Speaking with Ian Fry, platform manager for the Evora at Lotus Cars Limited at the car’s unveiling at the Frankfurt Motor Show, he confirmed that the 444-hp street legal race car will be homologated to U.S. standards and could be on sale in as little as six months. Exactly how Lotus plans to do this, is still uncertain says Fry, indicating that it may be offered as a modification kit to the standard Evora in order to get around certain regulations.

Unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show in production trim, the Evora GTE is powered by a supercharged 3.5-liter V6 and shares it’s widebody with the brand’s Evora race car. In addition it gets wild aerodynamics, light weight wheels, a stripped-down interior that is almost entirely coated in carbon fiber and a sequential 6-speed transmission with paddle shifters. Initially offered only for sale in a limited number of just 25 units (and only in China), Lotus has since given the go ahead to sell the car in both the U.S. and Europe.

GALLERY: Lotus Evora GTE

Watch video of the Evora GTE from Frankfurt after the jump:

Continue Reading…

After decades of borrowing powertrains from Ford, Renault, Toyota and other OEMs, Lotus has revealed some of the first pictures of a working engine, designed and built in-house.

From the photo released on Facebook, the engine appears to be a DOHC V8 with a racy looking intake plenum and airbox setup, similar to an Italian supercar engine. No word on whether individual throttles, direct injection or any sophisticated technologies will be employed.

Expect to see the engine in products like the upcoming flagship Esprit, assuming those vehicles actually make it to market.

[Source: Facebook]

After having showcased numerous new concept cars at the past several auto shows, one might expect that Lotus had dried up its reserve of new car news. Not so. At the Frankfurt Auto Show the British manufacturer had on display six new or newish models. Many won’t make their way to North America, but some will – including one particularly exciting sports car.

GALLERY: Lotus Evora GTE

To find out more, watch the video after the jump:

Continue Reading…

After being revealed in concept form at Pebble Beach, just a few weeks later Lotus has rolled out the production version of the Evora GTE Road Car at the Frankfurt Auto Show today. In many ways a road-going version of the Evora GTE race car, the road car holds the title of the most powerful Lotus street car ever, with a supercharged 3.5-liter V6 pumped up to 444-hp.

Using the same aluminum tub as the regular Evora, but with a significant wide body (by several inches), the production model gets plenty of functional aerodynamics, including a large rear wing – that we’re glad to see has replaced the highly-stylized, but rather un-functional one found on the concept.

According to Lotus an initial production run of 25 units was offered in China, but having sold out immediately the British automaker has decided to offer the car to fans in markets elsewhere. What exactly those markets are isn’t yet clear, but out past discussions with Lotus Cars USA PR Boss Kevin Smith have indicated that meeting strict U.S. crash and emissions regulations is unlikely.

GALLERY: Lotus Evora GTE

Having been cut from the Lotus lineup only recently Lotus hasn’t wasted any time in bringing back it’s hard-core track superstar, the Exige. Looking remarkably similar to its predecessor, the new Exige S is a solid 10-inches longer and 2-inches wider than that car.

Perhaps the biggest change, however, is under the hood, with the Evora S’s supercharged 3.5-liter V6 making 345-hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, enough to propel the Evora S to 60 mph in a seriously quick 3.8 seconds. Such an impressive speed is also as a result of an ultra light 2,380 lb targeted curb weight.

Known for a return-to-basics type of driving, the new bosses at Lotus have added some high-tech wizardry to the Exige. And while purists might gasp, they should be impressed. Unique to the Exige is a new Lotus DPM (Dynamic Performance Management) switch that allows the driver to switch between three different driving models: Touring, Sport and DPM off. Plus, when equipped with an optional Race Pack (which includes Launch Control), a Race setting helps deliver maximum possible traction in corners.

GALLERY: Lotus Exige S

Alongside a new Exige S street car, Lotus has unveiled its proposed entry into rally racing, the Exige R-GT, today at the Frankfurt Auto Show. Weighing in at around 2,600 lbs this race car trades the old Exige’s 4-cylinder for something close to what can be found out back in the Evora S – a supercharged 3.5L V6. Power makes it to the rear wheels using a sequential 6-speed transmission with paddle shifters.

All the necessary equipment is in place to meet FIA racing regulations (plus a few extra driving lights up front), although Lotus does point out that it has yet to get approval to officially campaign the car in motorsports. That’s is certainly the plan though.

GALLERY: Lotus Exige R-GT