LOTUS car picture 2010 Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar

2010 LOTUS Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar

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2010 LOTUS Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar

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Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar

The Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar has been developed from the award-winning Lotus Evora road car and is built to FIA regulations and safety standards.

The Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar is the next step in the evolution of the Evora. The car will make its 24 hour racing debut at the ADAC Nürburgring 24 Hours which provides a great test for the Evora's performance, efficiency and durability under tough and demanding endurance race conditions.

At the heart of the Lotus Evora are fundamental racecar elements: mid-engine layout, high-tech and super-stiff extruded and bonded aluminium chassis and very strong lightweight forged aluminium wishbones. All these elements mean that it is a natural evolution from the road going Lotus Evora to a competitive endurance racecar.

From the outset the design team had intentions to take the Evora racing and the chassis was designed with this in mind. Endurance races are the perfect events to showcase the efficiency, handling and durability characteristics that have been fundamental to the concept of the Evora.

The Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar has a race-tuned version of the mid-mounted Toyota V6 engine, with power increased to over 400 ps (depending on race regulations). Vehicle mass is expected to be reduced by up to 200 kg, bringing the weight of the racecar to less than 1200 kg (depending on race regulations).

Further changes for the Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar include a six speed sequential paddle shift racing gearbox, full FIA specification roll cage, FIA-compliant 120 litre ATL fuel system, FIA fire extinguisher system, competition carbon fibre rear wing, diffuser and front splitter.

The racecar is fitted with AP Racing 6 piston callipers front and rear, with a race-tuned Bosch ABS system, 4-way adjustable dampers and adjustable anti-roll bars. The racecar runs on 18" rims shod with Pirelli racing slicks and the wheels widths have been increased over the roadcar to 9 ½ J on the front and 11 J on the rear.

The aerodynamically efficient Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar body design, made from lightweight composite and carbon fibre panels, remains predominantly unchanged from the road car, with the only modifications being to the lower sections of the front and rear clamshells and the side sills.

Luke Bennett, Director of Lotus Cars Limited, said, "Motorsport has been in our blood ever since our founder, Colin Chapman, built the first Lotus back in 1948. We are proud of our motorsport history, which includes victories in Formula One, Le Mans, saloon car, rally car and sportscar racing around the world; more recently, we won the British GT3 Championship in 2006 with the Lotus Exige. The Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar is from the same unique stable and we expect it to be a competitive racecar when we enter various endurance races next year."

Roger Becker, Vehicle Engineering Director for Group Lotus Plc said, "Every Lotus car is designed to be at home on the race track as well as the road, and the Evora is no different. Designed primarily as an everyday road car, the Evora's lightweight and stiff structure, its aerodynamics and performance means that it is perfectly suited to taming race tracks around the world, and we are looking forward to seeing the new Lotus Evora Type 124 Endurance Racecar line up on the grid for the 2010 season."

The racecar is expected to compete in a number of endurance races in 2010/2011 forming part of a factory-supported race program. The races that are targeted are: The 2010 ADAC Nürburgring 24 Hours (Nürburgring Nordschleife, Germany) in May 2010, Merdeka Millennium 12 Hours (Sepang, Malaysia) in August 2010, BritCar 24 Hours (Silverstone, UK) in October 2010 and the Dubai 24 Hours (Dubai Autodrome, UAE) January 2011.

1980 LOTUS Esprit Turbo car picture

1980 LOTUS Esprit Turbo
LOTUS CAR PICTURE

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1980 LOTUS Esprit Turbo

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Lotus Esprit Turbo

By the close of 1980, Lotus were effectively building three different models of Esprit, with distinct chassis designs and body moulds - the Domestic (i.e. UK) S2.2, the Export S2.2, and the dry-sump Turbo Esprit. Introduced in April 1981, the Turbo Esprit and S3 (Series 3) Esprits marked a necessary consolidation: both new models had a common chassis, inheriting much of the configuration of the Essex cars, whilst body production was based on a single common set of moulds.

The S3 continued to use the 2.2 L type 910 engine of the S2.2, whilst the Turbo Esprit reverted to a less complex wet-sump lubrication system, retaining the power and torque outputs of its dry-sump predecessor. The interior for both cars was revised and featured new trim; combined with changes to the body moulds this resulted in more headroom and an enlarged footwell. Externally, the Turbo Esprit retained the full aerodynamic body kit of the Essex cars, and featured prominent 'turbo esprit' decals on the nose and sides; the S3 gained the more substantial bumpers, yet retained the simpler sill line and glazed rear hatch of the S2.2 body style. Both models were supplied with 15" BBS alloy wheels.

In April 1986, the final incarnations of the Giugiaro-styled Esprit were announced, with raised engine compression giving rise to their 'HC' moniker. This increased the output of the naturally aspirated engine to 172 horsepower (128 kW) and 160 lb·ft (220 N·m) for the Esprit HC, and to 215 horsepower (160 kW) and 220 lb·ft (300 N·m) for the Turbo Esprit HC, with the increased torque available at a lower rpm. For markets with stringent emissions requirements, Lotus introduced the HCi variant, teaming the higher compression engine with Bosch KE-Jetronic fuel injection - the first fuel-injected Esprits.

LOTUS car picture | 1980 LOTUS Esprit Turbo

1980 LOTUS Esprit Turbo
LOTUS CAR PICTURE

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1980 LOTUS Esprit Turbo

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Lotus Esprit Turbo

By the close of 1980, Lotus were effectively building three different models of Esprit, with distinct chassis designs and body moulds - the Domestic (i.e. UK) S2.2, the Export S2.2, and the dry-sump Turbo Esprit. Introduced in April 1981, the Turbo Esprit and S3 (Series 3) Esprits marked a necessary consolidation: both new models had a common chassis, inheriting much of the configuration of the Essex cars, whilst body production was based on a single common set of moulds.

The S3 continued to use the 2.2 L type 910 engine of the S2.2, whilst the Turbo Esprit reverted to a less complex wet-sump lubrication system, retaining the power and torque outputs of its dry-sump predecessor. The interior for both cars was revised and featured new trim; combined with changes to the body moulds this resulted in more headroom and an enlarged footwell. Externally, the Turbo Esprit retained the full aerodynamic body kit of the Essex cars, and featured prominent 'turbo esprit' decals on the nose and sides; the S3 gained the more substantial bumpers, yet retained the simpler sill line and glazed rear hatch of the S2.2 body style. Both models were supplied with 15" BBS alloy wheels.

In April 1986, the final incarnations of the Giugiaro-styled Esprit were announced, with raised engine compression giving rise to their 'HC' moniker. This increased the output of the naturally aspirated engine to 172 horsepower (128 kW) and 160 lb·ft (220 N·m) for the Esprit HC, and to 215 horsepower (160 kW) and 220 lb·ft (300 N·m) for the Turbo Esprit HC, with the increased torque available at a lower rpm. For markets with stringent emissions requirements, Lotus introduced the HCi variant, teaming the higher compression engine with Bosch KE-Jetronic fuel injection - the first fuel-injected Esprits.

2010 LOTUS Elise Club Racer. LOTUS car picture

2010 LOTUS Elise Club Racer
LOTUS CAR PICTURE

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2010 LOTUS Elise Club Racer

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Lotus Elise Club Racer
Making its debut at the 2009 IAA in Frankfurt, the Special Edition Lotus Elise Club Racer introduces new and exclusive colour schemes, bespoke interior and lightweight components all in a world class, high performance and low emission sportscar.

Lotus has taken four of the classic colour schemes used by Lotus in the 1960s (Elite Yellow, Carbon Grey, Sky Blue and Old English White) and combined them with exclusive Club Racer interior design features to give a stunning sportscar that beautifully morphs function and form.

The firm and supportive Lotus Elise seats are clad with lightweight microfibre comfort pads perfectly positioned to give the right amount of support with the minimal amount of weight, but still keeping the body coloured seat shell partly exposed.

The exterior body colour theme is carried over to the transmission tunnel and combined with silver and black paint highlights, bisecting the cockpit and tying together the whole sporty theme unique to the Lotus Elise Club Racer.

Other exclusive interior design features of the Lotus Elise Club Racer are the anthracite anodised gear knob and handbrake sleeve, the Club Racer (CR) logo hand embroidered on the seat headrest and the unique anodized aluminium flooring in the driver's and passenger's footwell. The small 320 mm diameter leather rimmed steering wheel has an on-center marker, enabling the more spirited driver to quickly and safely identify the straight ahead position of the front wheels.

The lightweight six spoke alloy wheels, shod in bespoke Yokohama AD07 LTS tyres are also anthracite anodised, complementing the key interior components.

Luke Bennett, Director of Lotus Cars said, "Special Editions of the award winning Lotus Elise have always proved popular with our customers around the world, and I expect the Lotus Elise Club Racer to be no different. We have taken colour schemes from our past, used on the Elite and Elan in the 1960s and cleverly brought them up to date with a modern feel to the interior. The whole design package is modern with a classic twist, which of course matches the peerless ride and handling of a Lotus and the convertible experience of the Elise perfectly."

The Lotus Elise Club Racer is based upon the 134 hp Lotus Elise S and goes on sale on 15th September 2009.

2008 LOTUS Elise SC. LOTUS car picture

2008 LOTUS Elise SC
LOTUS CAR PICTURE

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2008 LOTUS Elise SC

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Lotus Elise SC
The biggest news from the 2008 Model Year Lotus line-up is the introduction of the Supercharged Lotus Elise SC, a 220 PS version of the multi award-winning roadster, easily identified by its new rear spoiler and unique new design of alloy road wheels.

Despite the on-paper similarity with the Exige S, this is no mere engine swap - this is an allnew, non-intercooled installation applied to the current Elise's 1.8-litre 2-ZZ VVTL-i engine.

The Lotus-designed, Magnuson-produced supercharger uses a smaller Eaton rotor pack (an M45 unit) than that of the current Exige S, and is married to the intake manifold plenum as part of a single-piece casting. Combined with the absence of an intercooler and its associated pipework, this integrated supercharger/intake assembly contributes to an 8kg reduction in engine weight compared with the Exige S.

A further benefit of dispensing with the intercooler for the Lotus Elise SC application is the supercharger packaging viability for Elise and improved rear visibility when adopted into the Exige S, where vision from the rear view mirror is masked by the current intercooler installation. The Lotus Elise SC has been designed to have different driving characteristics to the Exige S. In keeping with its role as a supremely fast road car rather than extreme track machine, throttle response is very progressive but also very direct, resulting in a measured, refined driving experience.

But, as you might expect of a car with 220 PS and weighing only 903 kg (1987 lbs), the performance of the Lotus Elise SC is electrifying - 0-60 mph in 4.4 secs / 0-100 km/h in 4.6 secs (estimated); 0-100 mph / 160 km/h in 10.7 secs (estimated); top speed 150 mph / 240 km/h (estimated). Although for the record, the Exige S remains the faster car on track, thanks to its superior aerodynamics package that generates 42 kg (92 lbs) of downforce at 100 mph (160 km/h). The fuel economy of the Lotus Elise SC is impressive with an estimated combined figure of 9.1 litres / 100 km (31.0 mpg).

A new bespoke wheel design is introduced to the Lotus Elise SC, the rears having increased half an inch in width to 8.0 inches, to give even better grip performance from the standard Lotus specific Yokohama AD07 LTS 225/45 R17 tyres.

LOTUS CAR PICTURE 2007 LOTUS Elise R

2007 LOTUS Elise R

LOTUS CAR PICTURE

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2007 LOTUS Elise R

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2005 LOTUS Elise | LOTUS car picture

2005 LOTUS Elise

LOTUS CAR PICTURE

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2005 LOTUS Elise

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Lotus Elise

Lotus, manufacturer of some of the world's greatest sports cars, has unveiled its highest-performance Lotus Elise model yet, the 1.8 litre 111R, equipped with a high-tech engine that allows it to sprint 0-60mph in a supercar-thrashing 4.9 seconds. Top speed is a certified 150mph.

The hand-assembled Lotus Elise 111R is the latest result of Lotus' work to offer a combination of award-winning design, power and accessibility for those looking to own a higher performance Lotus Elise as their everyday car.

In town, the new 111R is compact and powerful enough to dart in and out of traffic, whilst the soft-top and Blaupunkt sound system make it perfect for those hood down, music up cruises through the city. Out of town the 111R's race-bred pedigree comes into its own, with a steering and suspension set up that allows the driver to hug corners before punching out on to the straight.

To balance out the extra power under the bonnet, Lotus has developed an improved braking system. For the first time, track-tuned servo-assisted ABS brakes come as standard on a Lotus Elise, to make stopping the 111R as easy as accelerating.

Ansar Ali, general manager, Lotus Cars Ltd, said: "The 111R is a car for those who demand the style and innovation of the Lotus Elise but want increased performance. Without doubt, the new engine and set-up deliver unrivalled handling and power in its class. With the 111R we hope we've delivered our most exciting, truest and addictive drive yet."

As standard, the 111R comes with eight spoke alloys, half leather interior and central locking. Buyers can opt for the Touring Pack that includes a sound and thermal insulated soft-top, full leather trim and a DAB radio. Other options include air conditioning and hard top.

The 111R will go on sale on 26 January 2004 at an RSP of £27,995.

Background

The Lotus Elise is a true sportscar that has taken the world by storm, winning countless awards for handling, innovation and just pure fun. The Lotus Elise was first unveiled at the Frankfurt Motorshow in 1995 before entering production with first deliveries in August 1996. Since then, over 17,000 Elises have been built - some achievement for a car that was originally designed to be built in volumes of only 700 a year! The Lotus Elise was designed as a sportscar to be appreciated by real driving enthusiasts, fashion leaders and those who really appreciate technology and innovation.

The Lotus Elise introduced a range of technologies that revolutionised the automotive industry; such as a chassis made from extruded and bonded aluminium, a composite energy absorbing front crash structure and light weight composite body panels. The whole car weighed in at half the weight of an average family saloon. This light weight bestowed the car with phenomenal acceleration and handling. In 1996 the Lotus Elise was easily pulling 1g in steady state cornering with standard production tyres and a 0-100km/h (0-62mph) in 5.9 seconds.

In 2000 Lotus introduced the second generation Lotus Elise. This evolutionary car, arguably one of the most important cars in Lotus' fifty-two year history, added to the technology introduced on the Lotus Elise in 1996. It was a big stride forward, achieving the quality standards expected of a world leading sportscar manufacturer and globally respected engineering consultancy. This Lotus Elise introduced industry standard quality, much of it based upon the learning gained from working with Lotus' global motor industry partners.

All Lotus Elises are hand assembled by skilled craftsmen at Lotus' headquarters in Hethel, England. Each Lotus Elise takes about 100 man-hours to build and the final product is fine testament to the skills of Lotus.

The Interior

As soon as a driver sits behind the wheel of a Lotus, they instantly know that they are in something special. From the composite sports seats that hug the driver under the g-forces that are experienced on cornering, acceleration and braking, to the race designed steering wheel and the extruded aluminium pedals perfectly suited to both cruising as well as hard driving - the Lotus Elise is a car that invites to be driven.

The twin instrumentation dials show road speed and engine speed (for the 111R, now showing to 10,000rpm) and are updated for 2004 across the whole of the Lotus Elise range, with clearer graphics and orange back lighting which is proven to be easier on the eye. Links between the Lotus Elise and the track have always been strong, and the ambience of the facia and trim with the chassis tub sides provoke a strong sense of being seated in a racing derived but comfortable cockpit.

A four speaker Blaupunkt stereo system with CD player is provided as standard along with a radio receiver wiring loom including dipole aerial kit located in the front of the Lotus Elise 111R.

The legendary chassis

During the early days of the original Lotus Elise development programme, Lotus searched for an appropriate and available chassis technology for its new lightweight sportscar. Unable to find a suitable technology, and unwilling to compromise, Lotus set out to change the rules. Lotus engineers looked outside the automotive industry and brought together aluminium extrusions and modern aerospace bonding techniques to produce a lightweight and exceptionally rigid structure.

The ground-breaking epoxy-bonded aluminium tub chassis, unveiled in September 1995 represented a breakthrough in sportscar technology.

The structure is an assembly of individually extruded lengths bonded together by epoxy resin adhesive, a world first in automobile manufacture. The adhesive used to bond the Lotus chassis achieves exceptional strength with the ability to absorb the most extreme loads, pressures and forces that it may encounter. Never before had a modern vehicle's chassis been bonded together.

The bonding of lap joints provides a superior joint to traditionally welded butted joints (with bonded joints, there is no distortion of the material's integrity at the join). Self-pierce rivets further increase the structural integrity through reducing material 'peel' in the most severe of impacts.

The chassis received modifications in 2000, including lower, reinforced longitudinal sills to improve the access into the cockpit.

Now with the introduction of the VVTL-i power unit, further enhancements have been made to the rear of the chassis structure. Utilising experience gained from the development of advanced lightweight steel, a new highly efficient rear subframe offers increased strength. In keeping with Lotus' philosophy, this structure is an elegant integrated single solution for the engine cradle and improved suspension and exhaust silencer mounting points.

Ride and handling that sets the benchmark

The aluminium chassis allows vehicle dynamics engineers at Lotus to continue to set standards by which all other sportscars are judged. Indeed, the Lotus Elise continues to build on the multi-award winning ride and handling for which it has become renowned the world over.

Lotus has taken a no-compromise approach in carrying over these philosophies to the Lotus Elise 111R. The development team has succeeded in creating a car that leaves the driver craving more time in the cockpit and more road on which to enjoy the thrill and engagement of each journey.

Run in parallel to Lotus' USA (Federal) Elise programme, the 111R faced a gruelling development programme exceeding 500,000 miles throughout 2003 that took the car across Europe and the USA. This has resulted in an exciting and progressive ride and handling package that integrates the constituents that make up the dynamics characteristics, tuning them to work in harmony with each other, the driver and the road.

For the Lotus Elise 111R, the Eibach coaxial coil springs and Bilstein high pressure monotube gas dampers have been retuned and optimised to maintain the Lotus Elise's trademark agility, body control and poise while improving the isolation of both smaller and larger impacts.

The unique Bridgestone Potenza RE040 tyres (175/55R16 front and 225/45R17 rear) have been carried over from the Lotus Elise and the Elise 111S. The Lotus Ride and Handling team have maximised the ability to hone the chassis and tyre characteristics to ensure that this latest and highest performing version of the Lotus Elise holds true to Lotus' values of peerless ride and handling and pure driving fun.

An ABS system like no other

The servo-assisted four-channel system individually monitors and distributes braking force to each wheel as required, enhancing braking performance and minimising stopping distance.

However, Lotus has specifically tuned the initiation point to allow a skilled driver to maximise the potential of the braking system through the utilisation of forward weight transfer. In the event of the driver demanding more braking performance than is possible, only then does the system intervene to optimise the force generated at the wheel.

Power-to-weight in abundance

Lotus undertook a thorough and exhaustive evaluation of a wide range of state-of-the-art engines. Toyota's 2ZZ-GE 1.8 litre 4 cylinder 16-valve VVTL-i engine and C64 six-speed gearbox was chosen as an outstanding package, excellently suited to the Lotus Elise.

This engine has breath taking power and torque characteristics, and critically for a Lotus, is lightweight, featuring a compact metal matrix composite alloy cylinder block.

A bespoke exhaust system has been developed for the Lotus Elise 111R with the twin exhaust pipes exiting through the rear diffuser.

Lotus subjected the 2ZZ-GE to a rigorous testing and development programme covering a wide range of extreme climate conditions from the Arctic Circle to the Arizona and Nevada deserts, and at altitude in Colorado. Furthermore, the engine management system, bifurcated exhaust downpipe, and bespoke gearshift mechanism are designed and developed by Lotus, resulting in a power unit perfectly integrated with the Lotus Elise's chassis and dynamics.

Lotus has tuned the engine to suit the very essence of the Lotus Elise by employing a brand new, custom-engineered Lotus T4 engine management system (EMS). The software for the EMS was designed and developed by Lotus specifically for the Lotus Elise 111R. All calibration and validation work was undertaken solely by Lotus engineers, ensuring that the Lotus Elise performs as a true Lotus should.

Toyota's world-renowned VVTL-i system allows the engine management system the flexibility to select the optimum camshaft profile, lift and timing across the full range of engine operating conditions. This interaction between the Lotus T4 EMS and the VVTL-i system gives the Lotus Elise its optimum linear torque characteristics, peaking at 181Nm (133.5 lb.ft) @ 6800rpm coupled with the peak power of 192 PS (189hp, 141kW) at 7800rpm.

The all-aluminium lightweight Toyota C64 six-speed gearbox is fitted with an all-new Lotus designed and developed shift operating mechanism. With the closest ratios and gearset afforded by the transmission, the gearbox offers a fast, precise and light gearshift, ensuring drivers have total control and flexibility to apply the power exactly as and when required.

True to Colin Chapman's philosophy of performance through lightweight, the power density available from the Toyota power unit gives the Lotus Elise a staggering 223PS/tonne (220hp/tonne, 164kW/tonne) and a 0-100km/h sprint in 5.2 seconds (0-60mph in 4.9 seconds)!

Proof, if needed, that there actually is a substitute for "cubic inches"!

Equipment

Standard equipment for the Lotus Elise 111R includes: half leather interior, sun visors, central door locking, Blaupunkt Lausanne radio CD-R/W player and Blaupunkt high performance front and rear speakers

Optional equipment includes a Touring Pack, which provides a combination of options designed to increase comfort and convenience, while still maintaining the essence of a Lotus sports car. This pack includes:

Auxiliary front driving lights, a choice of either full leather or Alcantara trim, a soft-top with sound and thermal insulation, electric windows, an upgraded Blaupunkt Woodstock DAB radio, CD-R/W and MP3 player, interior stowage net, sound insulation, and full carpet with a lightweight aluminium passenger footrest.

Other options also include metallic paint, air-conditioning and a body coloured hard top.