2014 Lotus Elite
#1
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2014 Lotus Elite
market with the 611-bhp, 3700-lb. Elite[/b]
http://www.roadandtrack.com/auto-sho...14-lotus-elite
http://www.roadandtrack.com/auto-sho...14-lotus-elite
Feast your eyes on the rakish new Elite from Lotus, scheduled for an official unveiling at the Paris Auto Show on September 30. This 2+2 front-mid-engine rear-wheel-drive sports car is about as far as you can go from Colin Chapman’s original. Slated to arrive in 2014, the Elite is expected to carry a price tag of around $180,000. Designed by the new Lotus styling team led by Donato Coco, the 181-in.-long coupe weighs in at 3700 lb. and features a retractable hardtop.
Power comes from a heavily revised Lexus 5.0-liter V-8 with an epicyclic hybrid gearbox with integrated electric motors and a front-mounted Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS). Power is rated at 542 bhp, or 611 bhp in the R-tuned version. Lotus predicts the Elite will hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in about 3.6 seconds. The 4-cam V-8 features both direct and port fuel injection with scavenged cylinder heads and a charge-cooled supercharger.
The Elite marks the first stage in a highly ambitious 10-year, $1.2 billion program that Lotus CEO Dany Bahar says will see Lotus challenge the likes of Aston Martin and Maserati by the middle of this decade, producing 7000–8000 cars per year. “Lotus can’t survive as a niche brand,” said Bahar. “It needs to be more appealing and has to exceed its rivals with better quality, class-leading emissions and performance at a better price.”
Power comes from a heavily revised Lexus 5.0-liter V-8 with an epicyclic hybrid gearbox with integrated electric motors and a front-mounted Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS). Power is rated at 542 bhp, or 611 bhp in the R-tuned version. Lotus predicts the Elite will hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in about 3.6 seconds. The 4-cam V-8 features both direct and port fuel injection with scavenged cylinder heads and a charge-cooled supercharger.
The Elite marks the first stage in a highly ambitious 10-year, $1.2 billion program that Lotus CEO Dany Bahar says will see Lotus challenge the likes of Aston Martin and Maserati by the middle of this decade, producing 7000–8000 cars per year. “Lotus can’t survive as a niche brand,” said Bahar. “It needs to be more appealing and has to exceed its rivals with better quality, class-leading emissions and performance at a better price.”
Last edited by LexFather; 09-19-10 at 08:16 PM.
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Retractable hardtop?
Supercharged ISF engine with over 500 HP?
611 HP in the R version with hybrid power?
This is STUNNING. I LOVE the design. Wow, I am really glad to see the direction Lotus is going in. They are going to SERIOUSLY bring some competition to Maserati and Aston. Hopefully Maserati will get their act together and improve their reliablity with such sort of competition now.
I love the exterior design on this, and I'm sure the interior is going to be gorgeous.
I wonder what the full performance figures will be like. Also if this is using an existing Toyota engine, I can't wait to see what engines future Lotus models will use.
Toyota/Lexus enthusiasts are going to be awfully envious of that supercharged ISF engine. Hopefully Lexus can wow the enthusiasts with a GSF with an impressive powertrain.
Last edited by TRDFantasy; 09-19-10 at 08:39 PM.
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Hopefully Lexus won't need a supercharged ISF engine for the GSF if they have something more impressive to show.
#6
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If Lexus gets a version of this in the GS F
kthxbye
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#8
Beautiful car, but the thing that should be getting most Lexus enthusiasts, well, enthused, is that 611 bhp 5.0L lexus v8 and potential future prospects within the Lexus lineup.
#12
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Wow, I was not expecting to see that. That doesnt even look like a Lotus. And 3700lbs with a heavy retractable glass roof is far from what we have seen from Lotus. Not exactly sure how I feel about Lotus going after this market yet, but I really love the design.
SO I assume this is one of Toyota's new "custom" engines for Lotus. A Supercharged IS F V8 sounds awesome! Chances of seeing it in a Lexus vehicle? IMO doubtful, but anything can happen!
SO I assume this is one of Toyota's new "custom" engines for Lotus. A Supercharged IS F V8 sounds awesome! Chances of seeing it in a Lexus vehicle? IMO doubtful, but anything can happen!
Last edited by GFerg; 09-19-10 at 11:09 PM.
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I think there is going to be a new Espirit, but I think it will be positioned above the Elite .
#14
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It would be great to have these engines in Lexus vehicles. The Evora S uses a supercharged Toyota 3.5 V-6 for 350hp
http://jalopnik.com/5622975/lotus-ev...upercharged-go
http://jalopnik.com/5622975/lotus-ev...upercharged-go