Lotus definately takes a new direction in terms of its product line up and the future looks very promising! Below is the official release.
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World first for an automotive manufacturer as Lotus unveils entire new product line up and introduces the world to the new Lotus lifestyle.
We did it! At exactly 16.45 CET on September 30th 2010, via a live global webcast, surrounded by the world�s press, Lotus made the ultimate statement of intent. Five new cars, two evolutions of existing models and a concept car. A sumptuous new magazine. A flashy new website. And a range of merchandise featuring not one, not two, but three separate clothing ranges.
There�s so much to take in that we thought we�d keep the post event words simple. But for those who need details, fear not, we have a lovely media site where you can get all the information including technical specifications (see notes to editors). For now though, we�re going to let the man behind the vision do the talking, here�s what Lotus CEO Dany Bahar has to say:
The New Lotus Esprit (5.0 litre/V8/620 PS), the icon is back: �The Esprit is the ultimate supercar. There�s a fine balance between acknowledging the greatness of the past whilst at the same time rapidly leaping forward to the future and ensuring that this car not only does the name Esprit justice but also the Lotus brand. I think we�ve managed to find the balance and in doing so created a new icon, a car people will find hard to resist. The design is aggressive, you have to see it to appreciate how low and wide the proportions are but it still retains a level of dignity, of class and most of all exclusivity. I�m very proud of this car.�
The New Lotus Elan (4.0 litre/V6/450 PS), the end of compromise: �Perfect for both road and track, the Elan not only ticks all the boxes, it creates new ones too. It will convert people to Lotus, it will also go a long way towards dispelling the old misconceptions about this class, that in order to have high performance you must sacrifice usability � those days are gone. Once you drive an Elan you won�t look back, it will give you things you didn�t even realise you were missing � that�s the essence of Lotus and the Elan perfectly captures that spirit.�
The New Lotus Elite (5.0 litre/V8/620 PS), a new British expression of exclusivity: �The Elite is breathtakingly beautiful but it�s so much more than that. One could say it�s a car of perfect contradictions, it�s compact yet spacious, high performance yet low emissions, lightweight yet still reassuringly solid. It�s a car that we are exceptionally proud of at Lotus and we truly believe that there is nothing else like it out there both in terms of styling and performance. There will always be those who believe that Lotus should stick to small sports cars but we didn�t take the decision to design something like the Elite lightly, it�s based on months of careful research and planning.�
The New Lotus Elite (5.0 litre/V8/620 PS), a new British expression of exclusivity: �The Elite is breathtakingly beautiful but it�s so much more than that. One could say it�s a car of perfect contradictions, it�s compact yet spacious, high performance yet low emissions, lightweight yet still reassuringly solid. It�s a car that we are exceptionally proud of at Lotus and we truly believe that there is nothing else like it out there both in terms of styling and performance. There will always be those who believe that Lotus should stick to small sports cars but we didn�t take the decision to design something like the Elite lightly, it�s based on months of careful research and planning.�
The New Lotus Elise (2.0 litre/inline 4/320 PS), the grown up: �We worked very hard on getting the Elise 2015 exactly right, it�s our entry level car so it needs to give a proper introduction to the Lotus driving experience. The Elise you can buy now is still a fantastic car and Lotus remains very proud of it, but this is a natural progression for us moving forward. The Elise 2015 will also be class-leading in terms of performance and efficiency but it will do more than that, it will take the Elise model to the forefront of its class across the board. It�s the next generation Elise for a new generation of Lotus drivers.�
The New Lotus Eterne (5.0 litre/V8/620 PS), the statement of intent: �The Eterne is sensational to look at and as with the rest of the range it also over delivers in all other aspects as well. Similar to the Elite, it�s a car of perfect contradictions, it�s compact yet spacious, high performance yet low emissions relatively lightweight yet still reassuringly solid. The biggest difference between the Eterne and it�s class competitors is that it�s not an evolution of an existing two-door model, it�s a deliberate and considered stand-alone creation. It�s the ultimate four door sports car.�
The Concept City Car: �Lotus Design has created a vehicle that condenses the essence of Lotus into a low carbon city car, with many inspired design touches. The progressive technology from Lotus Engineering gives the car an advanced drivetrain that can be operated in Zero Emissions EV mode or run on its flex-fuel engine. As you would expect from Lotus, the City Car concept is an exquisitely designed, highly efficient vehicle with class leading performance - in this concept car, Lotus Design and Lotus Engineering have provided the perfect solution for life in the contemporary city environment.�
The Evora S: �It�s the next level of Evora experience. It communicates with you better, the suspension setting has been fine tuned for added power and control so it responds even more to direction. It�s an instinctive car, the experience is pure. We were proud of the Evora but we�re even prouder of the Evora S, I feel it does the Lotus experience true justice. The really great thing is that as we move forward the standard Evora should also benefit from some of these developments.�
The Evora IPS: �The Evora IPS is set to broaden the appeal of the Evora and reach out to a slightly different market. We hope it will be popular with established automatic locations such as Asia, the Middle East and the US. It�s been a long time since Lotus created an automatic and we�ve spent a great deal of time refining this one to make sure that it perfectly complements the Evora driving experience.�
The Concept City Car: �Lotus Design has created a vehicle that condenses the essence of Lotus into a low carbon city car, with many inspired design touches. The progressive technology from Lotus Engineering gives the car an advanced drivetrain that can be operated in Zero Emissions EV mode or run on its flex-fuel engine. As you would expect from Lotus, the City Car concept is an exquisitely designed, highly efficient vehicle with class leading performance - in this concept car, Lotus Design and Lotus Engineering have provided the perfect solution for life in the contemporary city environment.�
The Evora S: �It�s the next level of Evora experience. It communicates with you better, the suspension setting has been fine tuned for added power and control so it responds even more to direction. It�s an instinctive car, the experience is pure. We were proud of the Evora but we�re even prouder of the Evora S, I feel it does the Lotus experience true justice. The really great thing is that as we move forward the standard Evora should also benefit from some of these developments.�
The Evora IPS: �The Evora IPS is set to broaden the appeal of the Evora and reach out to a slightly different market. We hope it will be popular with established automatic locations such as Asia, the Middle East and the US. It�s been a long time since Lotus created an automatic and we�ve spent a great deal of time refining this one to make sure that it perfectly complements the Evora driving experience.�
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