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Lotus returns to the Big Screen

Wednesday, March 27th, 2013

This weekend ‘The Host’ hits cinemas and stars the Lotus Evora amongst its beautiful cast.

Evora - The Host

The long awaited movie adaptation of ‘The Host’ written by Stephanie Myer, author of ‘The Twilight Saga’ premiered in LA on 19th March and will be on international release from March 22nd at which time big screens all over the world will be alight with a fleet of awesome looking Lotus Evoras.

The movie follows the plight of ‘Melanie’ played by Irish actress Saoirse Ronan as she battles an unforeseen enemy lead by ‘Seeker’ played by Hollywood favourite Diane Kruger. A romantic action-adventure which sees Melanie join resistance fighters as they battle for the survival of the human race, ‘The Host’ is a tale of spirit, individuality and determination – traits that echo Lotus’ own character.

Treated in a chrome vinyl wrap and fitted with special-effect lighting, the Evoras are driven by the ‘baddies’ of the piece. It is the mission of ‘The Seekers’ to rid earth from all human negativity achieving this by invading human ‘hosts’ and cleansing their minds and erasing their memories to build a neutral race devoid of character and emotion.

Negotiations for a “hero car for ‘Lead Seeker’” started in early October 2011 and by the end of the month Lotus had agreed to provide a number of Evoras to the project directed by its screenwriter Andrew Niccol who was looking for an extraordinary car for the role. The Lotus Evora was chosen for its stunning and futuristic aesthetic, which when juxtaposed with contemporary locations, gives a truly alien element to the Sci-Fi movie.

Lotus has a strong cinematic history; with appearances in two ‘Bond’ films – in ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ out-racing a motorbike and helicopter before taking to the sea as the iconic submersible Esprit, and in a cool role in ‘For Your Eyes Only’; “cornering like its on rails” with Julia Roberts at the wheel in ‘Pretty Woman’; and taking part in an adrenaline fuelled chase sequence along the San Francisco coastline with Sharon Stone in ‘Basic Instinct’.

No doubt the dynamic driving scenes featured in ‘The Host’ will take their place alongside these exciting movie moments as stand out performances for Lotus.

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The Lotus Evora just got better!

Thursday, December 20th, 2012

It’s been a busy year for Lotus; the arrival of the acclaimed Exige S; featured marque at the Goodwood Festival of Speed; a new flagship retail store in Regent Street; third place in the F1 Drivers’ Championship and fourth in the F1 Constructors’ Championship; and amongst various racing exploits, another series win for a Lotus with an Evora GTC taking the MSA British Endurance Championship.

Lotus Evora Sport Racer

Following the excitement of this race series win, the new Evora ‘Sports Racer’ is a visually enhanced and optimised version of the mid-engined 3.5 litre V6 sports car, available in both naturally-aspirated or supercharged variants. The Evora ‘Sports Racer’ proves its value on the pocket, as well as on the road and track – it delivers phenomenal performance, exclusive style, incredible excitement and genuine affordability!

There are three main factors that set the ‘Sports Racer’ apart from the existing Evora range; firstly, it receives a unique exterior colour scheme with an optimised interior to match. Secondly, it comes fully loaded, boasting Lotus’ ultimate specification. While thirdly, it’s more affordable than ever, representing great value. Here’s the detail:

Aesthetics:

The Evora ‘Sports Racer’ is available in a choice of four colours: Aspen White, Carbon Grey, Nightfall Blue and Ardent Red. To stand out from the crowd, the ‘Sports Racer’ receives unique contrasting accents of gloss black across the roof, front splitter, rear diffuser and side sills, exaggerating the Evora’s aggressive stance and sleek silhouette. Further black elements include black rear badging, black door mirror pods and gloss black forged wheels with a choice of either red or black brake calipers which all work to give the ‘Sports Racer’ a more dramatic and focused appearance.

Inside, the 2+2 seating option is standard and comes adorned with black leather ‘Premium Sports’ seats trimmed with red contrast piping and stitching. The dash, doors and centre console receive a liberal dose of Slate Grey SuedeTexTM with red contrast stitching, highlighting the car’s sporting character.

Like your interiors a bit louder? Go for Venom Red leather ‘Premium Sports’ seats with black contrast piping and stitching. All Evora ‘Sport Racer’ interiors are complemented by gunmetal dashboard panels, as is standard in the Evora S.

Gadgets:

The Evora ‘Sports Racer’ comes loaded with optional extras as standard. The ‘Sports Pack’ provides switchable sports mode with sharper throttle response, increased rpm limit and sportier setting for Dynamic Performance Management (DPM), sports diffuser and cross-drilled brake discs. The ‘Tech Pack’ provides upgraded speakers and stereo system, DVD player, 7″ WVGA touch screen display, Bluetooth® mobile phone connection, USB connection for various iPod® models, MP3 players and memory sticks, tyre pressure monitoring, cruise control and rear parking sensors. This is topped of with electric power-fold mirrors and a reversing camera as standard.

Price:

Available in the UK and across Europe, the Evora ‘Sports Racer’ adds outstanding value to the already exceptional Evora range, priced in the UK at £57,900* for the Evora with 280 PS or £65,900* for the 350 PS supercharged Evora S. For UK customers, the cost benefits are clear; by opting for the pre-packaged Evora ‘Sports Racer’ savings range from £6,450 to £7,150 respectively.

Lotus Evora race cars

This year Team Bullrun won the title in the MSA British Endurance Championship in the newly developed Evora GTC and Alex Job Racing has been enjoying success in the ALMS series with the Evora GTE. Meanwhile, the Evora GT4 has been racing successfully in the Brazilian GT, the Iberian Supercar Trophy, Campeonato de España/IBER GT, Cameonato de Portugal GT, the Dutch GT championship and 24 hour races in Dubai, Barcelona and at Silverstone. The Evora GT4 is also competing in Lotus Cup series across the globe.

Press release from Lotus

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Lotus Engineering adds lightness to a Crossover Utility Vehicle

Thursday, December 6th, 2012

California Air Resources Board (CARB) publishes results of Lotus Engineering’s vehicle mass reduction study on a Crossover Utility Vehicle (CUV)

  • Results show a total vehicle mass reduction of 31% (528.3 kg or 1,162 lbs.) and a $239 (£150 / €188) saving in overall vehicle cost.
  • Body structure utilises advanced materials including high-strength steels, aluminium, magnesium and composites along with high tech joining and bonding techniques.

Following on from Lotus’ successful “Phase One” study, published in 2010, which looked at the empirical and theoretical weight saving for a standard CUV, Lotus Engineering conducted further research to confirm if a lightweight and commercially feasible body structure has the potential to meet or exceed the requirements for size, luggage volume, comfort, crashworthiness and structural integrity.

Lotus Engineering’s “Phase Two” body structure design was based on the dimensions of a 2009 Toyota Venza CUV and utilised advanced materials such as high-strength steels, aluminium, magnesium and composites along with advanced joining and bonding techniques to achieve a substantial body and overall vehicle mass reduction without degrading size, practicality or performance. The body mass was reduced by 37% (311 lbs. or 141.6 kg), which contributed to a total vehicle mass reduction of 31% (1,162 lbs. or 528.3 kg) including the mass savings of other vehicle systems (interior, suspension, chassis, closures, etc.) that had previously been identified in “Phase One”.

The detailed Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) analysis undertaken indicated that a 31% mass-reduced vehicle with a 37% lighter Body-in-White (BIW) structure has the potential to meet U.S. Federal impact requirements. This includes side impact and door beam intrusion, seatbelt loading, child seat tether loadings, front and rear chassis frame load buckling stability, full frontal crash stiffness and body compatibility and frame performance under low-speed bumper impact loads as defined by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The result is a BIW design with a 20% increase in torsional stiffness over the class leading CUV.

Although the significant mass savings in the BIW design results in an increased BIW cost of $723 (£456 / €568), the overall vehicle cost is reduced through savings of $239 (£150 / €188) identified across the whole vehicle and when manufacturing and assembly costs are included in the analysis. A significant reduction in the parts count from 269 to 169, achieved by an increased level of component integration, also helped offset the increased BIW piece cost.

The background to the study

In April 2010, Lotus Engineering concluded the first phase of a study which substantiated that a reduction in vehicle mass could be achieved for medium production volume vehicles (approximately 50,000 units per year) with a 23% reduction in fuel consumption. In September 2010 the California Air Resources Board (CARB) commissioned Lotus Engineering to initiate Phase Two of the study and take a deeper look into the future of lighter, more efficient vehicles manufactured using lighter yet stronger materials.

Lotus has always been about Lightweight

When Lotus founder Colin Chapman coined the phrase “performance through light weight” he was referring to much more than mere accelerative performance. In the broader sense he meant that a lighter vehicle does everything better, including being more fuel efficient. Over the past 60-plus years, Lotus road and racing vehicles have consistently benefited from this core philosophy and Lotus has developed a strong reputation as a leader in lightweight vehicle technologies.

After decades of most manufacturers building increasingly heavy, feature-laden cars, now the very aggressive corporate average fuel economy (CAFÉ) standards increasing from a target of 35.5 mpg in 2016 to 54.5 in 2025 have all manufacturers reevaluating the virtues of mass reduction and prioritising the materials, technologies and production methods that will enable lighter, stronger and more efficient vehicles.

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Lotus Elise Oil Line Recall details

Wednesday, September 26th, 2012

LOTUS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2006 ELISE AND EXIGE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 1, 2004, THROUGH NOVEMBER 30, 2006. THE OIL COOLER LINE MAY BECOME DETACHED FROM ITS FITTING.

A number of owners have reported that the oil line(s) have detacted from the oil line fitting at the oil coolers or at the engine. A detacted oil line can potentially spray oil on a tire increasing the risk of a crash or spray oil throughout the engine compartment increasing the risk of fire.

The NHTSA notified Lotus Cars of the recall on October 26, 2011. See NHTSA letter to Lotus Cars NHTSA Letter (pdf).

In January 2012 Lotus Cars USA sent a preliminary notification letter to all current owners of the affected cars. Owner Preliminary Notice (pdf).

On September 6, 2012, Lotus Cars sent a letter to the NHTSA with a proposed for the oil cooler line problem. The letter is in two parts. The body of the letter outlines the solution and how Lotus will reinburse owners cost of repairing oil lines that have detached.
Lotus Cars Letter to NHTSA (pdf).

The proposed reinbursement plan looks like this:

Customer Reimbursement Plan
1. Claimants(1) to be reimbursed for repairs conducted between 5th October 2010 and 19th January 2013 (customer notification + 10 days)
2. Claims will be refused if:
a) Repairs2 are not of the same type as the recall remedy (i.e. hose repair or replacement)
b) The repair did not address the problem that led to the recall
c) The repair was not reasonably necessary to correct the defect that led to the recall
3. Claims will only be paid if adequate documentation is provided:
a) Name and mailing address of the claimant;
b) Vehicle make, model, model year, and vehicle identification number of the vehicle;
c) Identification of the recall (either the NHTSA recall number or the manufacturer’s recall number);
d) Identification of the owner or purchaser of the recalled motor vehicle at the time that the pre-notification remedy was obtained;
e) A receipt for the pre-notification remedy, which may be an original or copy
f) Receipt must indicate that the repair addressed the defect or noncompliance that led to the recall or a manifestation of the defect or noncompliance, and state the total amount paid for the repair of that problem.
4. Within 60 days, claimant will be reimbursed for lesser of:
a) Cost paid by claimant for repair – OR
b) Lotus retail cost of parts + labour, taxes etc
5. Claims for reimbursement should be sent to: Mr Ron Mann, Customer Services & Warranty Manager, Lotus Cars USA Inc.

The letter proposes replacing the oil cooler hose end fitting where the original hose end fittings are removed and replace with new end fittings secured by Oetiker clamps.

It is proposed to replace the oil cooler hose end fittings, using a bespoke dealer fitting kit. This technique involves removal of the original hose end fittings and installing new end fittings, secured by Oetiker clamps. This repair will be carried out on the left and right longitudinal oil cooler hoses (4 end fittings). The lateral oil cooler hose will be replaced in its entirety. Following repair, the vehicle will be leak checked to verify oil cooler system integrity.

The letter continues to propose that Lotus Cars will need time to build and distribute the repair kits and train dealer technical staff. Thus the estimated date(s) that notifications will sent to owners, dealers and distributors will be subject to parts and tool availability, notification dates are as follows:
Dealer notification: 2nd January 2013
Owner notification: 9th January 2013

The proposed dealer service bulletin is available here (PDF)

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Lotus Raises The Style Stakes in Monaco

Wednesday, May 30th, 2012

Lotus Originals is the fashion arm of the legendary sports car and racing marque, and the collection is inspired by the British sense of style, heritage, innovation and rebellious spirit that goes into every on-road Lotus design.

Lotus is hailed for its engineering and thirst for competition. It is also known for style. Heroes of reality and fiction, from Jim Clark to James Bond, have outgunned their rivals from behind the wheel of a Lotus, and they looked good doing it. Partner Forza Rossa Holding, official Lotus cars dealer since 2011, recognise this and joins the Lotus family with the opening of the Monte Carlo store which carries the brand new Lotus Originals retail concept.

It’s fitting that this first franchise store be in Monaco, the scene of the first grand prix victory for a Lotus, in 1960 at the hands of Stirling Moss. His Serene Highness Prince Albert II, Monaco’s Mayor Georges Marsan and State Minister Michel Roger were joined by Lotus F1 Team’s Gerard Lopez, Eric Boullier and Romain Grosjean, Lotus Sales and Marketing Director Maurizio Parlato and Forza Rossa Holding’s President Ion Bazac at the opening of the store.

Here you will find apparel, accessories, gifts, toys, bikes and collectables that will thrill Lotus fans, and bring others into our Lotus world.

Speaking of which, we took the opportunity in Monaco to launch a special car designed for the next generation of Lotus drivers: a slightly smaller-than-usual Lotus Elan, one of Lotus’ most-beloved classics which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary. What’s more, the car is eligible for racing. The Little Big Le Mans which forms part of the Le Mans Classic race weekend, is designed for lucky young drivers aged 6-14, and this Elan is eligible for this events.

Also, 20 years after we helped win gold at Barcelona in 1992 with the revolutionary Lotus Type 108 Superbike, we are showing for the first time, a stunning hand made carbon fibre black and gold bespoke bicycle from our new collaboration with Condor Cycles Ltd.

Lotus Originals can also be found at the company’s Hethel HQ and at Norwich City Football Club’s stadium, and we’re also opening our flagship store in the heart of London in six weeks time: 4,800 sq ft of retail space on Regents Street. It will be, as it is here in Monaco, an iconic location for an iconic brand.

Maurizio Parlato, Director of Sales & Marketing, Group Lotus: “It is our mission to grow the Lotus brand internationally, to become more of a global player, and to do that we need to produce great cars, but we also want Lotus to be a lifestyle brand of its own. Our founder, Colin Chapman, understood this. He was a trendsetter in every way. He also recognised the marketing potential of motorsport better than anyone else at that time, and had an eye for detail that pervaded every aspect of his company’s presentation. Therefore, I believe he would be very excited to see what we’re doing here today – opening this first Lotus Originals franchise.”

Ion Bazac, Forza Rossa Holding President: “It is a big honour and pleasure for us to inaugurate the first Lotus Originals franchise store in such a prestigious and exclusive place like Monte Carlo, famous worldwide for its fabulous Grand Prix. With the new Lotus originals collections and accessories you will find a unique link between the past, the present and the future of the Lotus brand and its very passionate history and heroes. Lotus Originals Monte Carlo is more than a store, it is a place of meeting and dialogue between fans and their favorite brand, so that the legend, the winning heritage and dreams of Colin Chapman be more alive than ever.”

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