Chapman Report Online

November 3, 2010

Korean Grand Prix Review

An historic race in Korea came to an end in the dark with Lotus Racing’s Heikki Kovalainen taking advantage of an incident packed race to finish in 13th place. Team mate Jarno Trulli’s race again came to an early conclusion with hydraulic issues on lap 25, but the team now head to Brazil still at the head of the new teams after some excellent work on and off track all weekend.

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-03) 13th, fastest lap 1.55.018 – lap 43: “It was another excellent result for the team today. In tricky conditions like that with people making mistakes, we could have seen our tenth position under threat, but we were there at the end and that is what counts. I really enjoyed the race, and didn’t really have any problems that we couldn’t deal with – the team made the right calls throughout and that put us in a strong position at the end of the race. It was obviously pretty dark when we finished, but that was the same for everyone. Now we head to Brazil and we have two more races to secure our place as the best of the new teams this year.”

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127-02) DNF, fastest lap 2.05.161 – lap 20: “It was a disappointing day but I’m pleased that the team has taken another step towards tenth. I felt that there was a possible hydraulics problem when we were behind the safety car as the power steering was starting to feel very heavy. I really struggled to turn in at the first corner and had a spin, and despite the team trying to get me back out it was all over.”

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: “First of all it was great that we could go racing and give all the Korean fans and everyone who has put so much effort into making this race happen the show they wanted to see. They were rewarded with an historic event, with the race finishing in the dark and some excellent action up and down the field. For us it was a day of mixed fortunes – a great finish once again as best of the new teams and Heikki drove a great race in the very tricky conditions, but disappointing for Jarno that he suffered another hydraulic issue that brought his race to an early end. But overall a great weekend for us. We qualified and finished as best of the new teams and maintained our tenth place, which was always our main goal.”

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: “That was extremely tense for me. Of all the 17 races we have had this season, that was by far the most nerve wracking, and I feel like I was put through the ringer throughout the whole afternoon. Today shows the true mettle of this team. Heikki drove a fantastic race, and even though he also had a possible hydraulic issue with about 20 laps to go, he battled through that, and a superb performance from the race team kept him out there to make sure he was on track at the end of the race to take 13th. We are edging ever closer to that tenth place, and even though Jarno suffered more hydraulic problems, we have taken steps to change that for next year, and it is experiences like today that will stand us in good stead for next season and beyond.”

[press release from Lotus Racing]

October 20, 2010

Korean Grand Prix Preview

Next stop South Korea. Marking another first in F1™ history, the 2010 Championship now moves to the brand new Yeongam circuit for round 17 of the 2010 FIA Formula One™ World Championship – the Korean Grand Prix. Lotus Racing head to the recently finished track in buoyant mood, having recorded their best ever finish at last weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix when Heikki Kovalainen brought his T127 home 12th, with teammate Jarno Trulli just behind in 13th.

Heikki Kovalainen (Chassis T127-03): “I left Suzuka on Monday morning still buzzing after such a great race. I said then that the car was just fantastic to drive, and all drivers pray for days like that – it meant so much to the whole team, and our fans, for us to go one better than we did in Australia. That sort of result gives us a huge boost as the season draws towards the end, particularly because we were so far ahead of both Virgins – while they have kept updating their car at each race, we’ve been working on 2011 and haven’t updated our car since Silverstone, so to stay that far ahead is a major result.

“I’m looking forward to Korea. It’s new for all of us, and while I’ve had a bit of a look at the layout, the first couple of laps will be all about finding the right lines, and then we will focus on setups. To be honest, it won’t take long to get to grips with the track and I think the car will be ok there. It’s a pretty typical modern circuit – a couple of long straights with heavy braking at the end, and then a mix of a few tighter corners and a couple more quicker ones, so we should be about where we were in Japan. If I get another set of tyres like my second set in Suzuka it’ll be great, but whatever happens, we’re closer to tenth in the Championship now, and that’s what it’s all about.”

Jarno Trulli (Chassis T127 – 04): “I really enjoyed Japan but it was good to get home! The whole team performed really well over the weekend, and we took a big step towards the end goal of tenth, so everyone left happy.

“Korea looks pretty good – Some drivers use simulators or even games to take a look at the lines, but I usually find my way around a new venue by running a few laps of the track on the Thursday. It’s a good way to work out the stresses of the plane journey, and you get a view of where the braking and turn-in points are. Whatever happens, after a couple of laps I’ll know my way around and where I can push, so it doesn’t take long to acclimatise.”

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: “Looking back to Japan, we could not really have had a better weekend. I think both Jarno and Heikki managed to extract every bit of performance they could from the cars, and that showed in our advantage over our nearest rivals in qualifying and in the race. We made a couple of announcements before the race about next year that showed how ambitious we really are, and there are more to come, but for now we go to Korea in a very positive frame of mind.

“It is always a bit of a step into the unknown when you go to a new venue, but we have completed a number of simulation programs at the factory that have given us a pretty good idea of how the car will behave on track. The big unknowns are what downforce levels to run, and how the track surface will stand up to the rigours of a full race weekend. We will find the right setup over the weekend, and any track issues are out of our control – it has been passed by the FIA so we will just go there and do our best. If there are any problems, it will be the same for everyone, so we cannot waste time worrying about what might happen – we will just focus on bringing both cars home in the race and taking another step closer to the end of the season.”

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: “I am still smiling from what happened in Japan. The whole team deserved a result like that, and we were able to capitalise on what was a pretty crazy race by being in the right place at the right time. That was down to having experienced drivers who kept out of trouble on track and drove brilliantly all weekend, a team on the pitwall who made the right calls to give us the chance to grab 12th and 13th, and guys in the garage who put in the hard work to help us stay well ahead of our competition – all in all it was a fantastic team effort.”

[Press Release from Lotus Racing]

October 18, 2010

GGLC Holiday Dinner (11-Dec-2010)

Sign up and reserve your place at the gala GGLC Holiday Celebration at Ristorante Don Giovanni in Mt View. Don’t miss out on the wine, food, door prizes and welcome the new president.

GGLC Gift Exchange
Everyone attending is invited to participate in the Annual GGLC White Elephant Gift Exchange. To participate bring a wrapped unwanted “gift” item from your garage to the dinner. Please make sure your gift is non-toxic and clean. Then at the dinner you’ll have the opportunity to exchange it for another “gift”.

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Click here to sign up for the dinner.

October 4, 2010

Grand Opening and Open House @ Dietsch Werks (Oct 30th)

Join GGLC sponsor Dietsch Werks for their grand opening on Oct 30th at their new location inside Club Autosport

Event highlights:

Grand Opening @ Dietsch Werks
Tech Sessions
Drive the Fiorano race track in a 3D simulator
Raffle Prizes
Lunch and refreshments

RSVP by Oct 25th and lunch is on us.

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October 1, 2010

Dany Bahar: Lotus will be the British Porsche

Edmunds Inside Line interview with Dany Bahar about the future of Lotus

September 30, 2010

2015 Lotus Eterne – The Statement of Intent

Enter the Eterne, the four door super saloon from Lotus. If the Elite is elegance incarnate then the Eterne is elegance redefined.

The Eterne is a true four door, four seater sports GT. It’s the ultimate expression of refined style, sophistication and grace. But wait. An elegant, graceful sports car? Surely not.
A sports car by definition can’t be graceful. Powerful, exciting, aggressive yes, but not graceful. Yet here it is, the ultimate paradox – the Eterne. Power and grace, performance and elegance, beauty and strength all in one stunning package.

With a 5.0 litre pressure charged V8 engine delivering up to 620 PS the Eterne is aiming for best in class performance and efficiency.

In keeping with the rest of the new line-up, the Eterne will benefit from hybrid technology.
Dany Bahar, Chief Executive Officer of Group Lotus, said: “The Eterne is sensational to look 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 performing yet low emitting, relative lightweight yet still reassuringly solid.”

“We truly believe that there is a market for the Eterne, there is nothing else like it out there both in terms of design, capacity and performance. 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.”

Sometimes there are no rules to be broken, so it is time to define them instead.

Eterne Specification

Layout	4 seater, front-mid-engined, rear wheel drive, all wheel drive is optional
Engine	Petrol, hybrid optional
Hybrid Technology	Hybrid gearbox with integrated electric motors and KERS
Cylinder	V8
Capacity	5.0 litre
Power/Torque	620 PS / 720 Nm
Rev limit	8,500 rpm
0-100 km/h	4.0 seconds
Top speed	315 km/h
CO2 approx (CO2/km)	220 g/km**
Weight	1,800 kg
Seats	4
Transmission	Full Hybrid transmission
Drive	RWD, AWD optional
Start of production	Early 2015
Enters the market	Spring 2015
Price indication	Circa £120,000

**Using optional hybrid

September 30, 2010

2015 Lotus Elise – The Grown Up

Oh yes, here it is! There’s still room for the Elise at Lotus but what a difference a decade or two makes. The Elise due for release in 2015 is a sexy, agile beast of a car. Finally the Elise comes of age.

Aesthetically it’s definitely pleasing to the eye, it’s bold directional body gives you subtle hints of the Elise of old so it still seems a touch familiar but at the same time, it couldn’t be more different.

Perhaps a small example of how the car has changed would help. Aside from strong graphic styling, the practicality of the car has had a major overhaul too with sizeable improvements made to the ingress and egress – in simple terms, no more acrobatics but still all the fun you expect from the Elise.

Dany Bahar, Chief Executive Officer of Group Lotus, said: “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, make no mistake, Lotus remain 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.”

“The design of the Elise 2015 is perfect for the target market, it’s young, strong, confident, verging on ruthless, it mirrors the engineering and technology. It’s the next generation Elise for a new generation of Lotus drivers.”

Fear not though, despite the dramatic upgrades the Elise 2015 has lost none of the cheeky charm that made the two-seater sports car famous, it still retains performance through lightweight and handles like a dream – albeit a quite aggressive and tension filled dream. With a 2.0 litre inline 4 pressure charged engine delivering up to 320 PS, the Elise 2015 should reach 0-100kph in under 4.5 seconds.

The Elise 2015, proving great things come to those who wait.

Elise Specification

Layout	2 seater, mid-engined, rear wheel drive
Engine	Petrol with start/stop option
Hybrid technology	Mild hybrid, i.e. start/stop technology
Cylinder	4
Capacity	2.0 litre
Power/Torque	320 PS / 330 Nm
Rev limit	7,800 rpm
0-100 km/h	4.3 seconds
Top speed	270 km/h
CO2 approx (CO2/km)	150 g/km**
Weight	1,095 kg
Seats	2
Transmission	6 Speed Manual, DCT optional
Drive	RWD
Start of production	Early 2015
Enters the market	Spring 2015
Price indication	Circa £35,000
** With new technology

September 30, 2010

2014 Lotus Elite – A New British Expression of Exclusivity

Look up elegant in the dictionary and you’ll find variations on the following 1. dignified grace in appearance, movement, or behaviour, 2. superb taste in design, style and 3. something elegant; the ultimate refinement.

The ground-breaking new Elite is exactly that. It’s compact yet chic body is elegance incarnate. It’s not only exquisitely elegant, in keeping with Lotus’ core values, it’s a car of substance incorporating some of the very latest technological innovations Lotus has to offer. The slick retractable hard top and the optional use of hybrid technology with KERS are typical examples of Lotus tailoring technology to deliver perfect performance.

Set for release in spring 2014, this is an innovative, exciting GT that will set a new benchmark in design, performance and emissions. And it’s not all about sleek lines and stunning bodywork with this particular 2+2, what hides beneath this shark like exterior perfectly does the aesthetics justice. A front-mid positioned 5.0 litre V8 engine delivering up to 620 PS meaning drivers can expect to go from 0-100 km/h in approximately 3.7 seconds.

Dany Bahar, Chief Executive Officer of Group Lotus, said: “There’s no denying that the Elite is breathtakingly beautiful to look at but it’s so much more than that, it’s a car that over delivers in all other aspects as well. One could say it’s a car of perfect contradictions, it’s compact yet spacious, high performing yet low emitting, 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.

“Make no mistake, there’s a definite market requirement for the Elite – it’s the ultimate sports car feel with comfort and space. 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. It’s worth noting that total 2+2 production represented over 20 per cent of Lotus build between 1948 and 1996 (pre small car platform) and 11 per cent over all, this sector has been very successful for us in the past and now the Elite raises the benchmark higher still.”

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The Elite will redefine “modern classic”.

Elite Specification

Layout	2+2 seater, front-mid-engined, rear wheel drive
Engine	Petrol, hybrid optional
Hybrid technology	Hybrid gearbox with integrated electric motors and KERS
Cylinder	V8
Capacity	5.0 litre
Power/Torque	620 PS / 720 Nm
Rev limit	8,500 rpm
0-100 km/h	3.7 seconds
Top speed	315 km/h
CO₂ approx (CO₂/km)	215 g/km**
Weight	1,650 kg
Seats	2+2
Transmission	Full Hybrid transmission
Drive	RWD
Start of production	Early 2014
Enters the market	Spring 2014
Price indication	Circa £115,000

**Using optional hybrid technology

September 30, 2010

2013 Lotus Elan – The End of Compromise

As the old saying goes, you can’t have your cake and eat it. In the past we were educated to believe we can’t have it all. But that was the past. Today’s driver demands more and the Elan delivers.

The Elan is the beating heart of the new Lotus line-up. It’s a high performance sports car, that much is clear, it’s a Lotus after all, but thanks to some clever innovations the Elan also has everyday usability too.

With a 2+2 variant, the Elan should be the only car you need. Set for release during the second half of 2013, the Elan features a 4.0 litre V6 pressure charged engine capable of delivering up to 450 PS and taking into consideration its relative light weight of 1,295kg, the Elan’s performance edges on supercar.

From a styling perspective, the Elan is built like an athlete with a muscular physique and perfect poise. It’s a thoroughbred, rigid with tension, ambitious and addictive, nothing but best in class will suffice for this car.

It’s not enough to simply provide performance and exceptional looks, innovation is also integral to the Elan’s appeal. In keeping with the rest of the new Lotus range, the Elan features optional hybrid technology with KERS.

Dany Bahar, Chief Executive Officer of Group Lotus, said: “If there was ever a car to make you drive the long way home, it’s the Elan. Perfect for both road and track, the Elan not only ticks all the boxes, it creates new ones too.”

“The Elan will convert people to Lotus, I would challenge people not to become addicted to driving it. 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.”

One car, zero compromise.

Elan Specification

Layout	2 seater (optional 2+2), mid-engined, rear wheel drive
Engine	Petrol, hybrid optional
Hybrid technology	Optional KERS
Cylinder	V6
Capacity	4.0 litre
Power/Torque	450 PS / 465 Nm
Rev limit	7,800 rpm
0-100 km/h	3.5 seconds
Top speed	310 km/h
CO2 approx (CO2/km)	199 g/km**
Weight	1,295 kg
Seats	2
Transmission	7 Speed DCT
Drive	RWD
Start of production	Summer 2013
Enters the market	Autumn 2013
Price indication	Circa £75,000

**Using optional hybrid

September 30, 2010

2013 Esprit Revealed

The most eagerly anticipated Lotus makes its return. Without doubt, this is the car that the true Lotus aficionados have been waiting for: The ultimate Lotus.

The new Esprit represents the very essence of exclusive supercar driving. It picks up and exceeds the legacy of it’s forefathers. Think of it as a statement of superiority. Think of it as Lotus CEO Dany Bahar’s personal statement of intent, his vision for the future of Lotus.

Dany Bahar, Chief Executive Officer of Group Lotus, said: “The Esprit is the ultimate supercar. In the past when people thought of the Esprit, they thought of the movies, Bond, Pretty Woman,
Basic Instinct but this time around, the car is the star of the show.”

“One has to be very careful when taking on the challenge of reinventing such an iconic classic as the Esprit – everyone has an opinion. 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.”

“Not only does the Esprit look incredible but it has the performance to match. We’ve stuck to the Lotus core values of performance through lightweight and teamed them with future technology and exceptional engineering to ensure that the Esprit will be the leader of the pack. 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.”

Powered by a 5.0 litre V8 pressure charged engine delivering up to 620 PS, the Esprit retains exceptional performance through it’s unique lightweight design making it the ultimate expression of Lotus supercar ownership. It is the supercar that will redefine ride and handling, performance, comfort and exclusivity.

The styling of the Esprit echoes the performance with strong lines throughout the sleek low body. The symmetry through the mass and proportion of the Esprit give it an intense look, it’s the perfect example of the new Lotus DNA in action.

The Esprit is more than an evolution, it’s a redefinition.

2013 Esprit Specification

Layout	2 seater, mid-engined, rear wheel drive
Engine	Petrol, hybrid optional
Hybrid technology	Optional KERS
Cylinder	V8
Capacity	5.0 litre
Power/Torque	620 PS / 720 Nm
Rev limit	8,500 rpm
0-100 km/h	3.4 seconds
Top speed	330 km/h
CO₂ approx (CO₂/km)	250 g/km**
Weight	1,450 kg
Seats	2
Transmission	7 Speed DCT
Drive	RWD
Start of production	End of 2012
Enters the market	Spring 2013
Price indication	Circa £110,000

**Using optional hybrid technolgy