Is This The New Europa?
Date: July 18, 2005
Spy shots and AutoCar magazine report new Europa in the making!
Original Story
Reports have emerged of sighting of test mules running at Hethel and around the UK and in Malaysia. While the details are
sketchy the mules have been spotted with EcoTec derived power, an engine Lotus is very familiar with having done most of the
design and development of the engine for GM and fitting it in the Vauxhall VXR220 (2.0L Turbo) which Lotus designed, developed
and produced for Vauxhall (GM).
The new Europa is derived from an the Elise chassis and set to be more of a GT car. Entry is improved with lowered sills
and taller cabin. The rear is enlarged to accomodate a larger boot.
While the mules have the Vauxhall VXR220 Turbo, rumor swirl about a possible V6.
New Spy pix (Aug 10, 2005)
Seems that AutoCar and many others are just guessing. The car shown is an Elise derived prototype being developed for
another automaker (Proton?).
Spy photos have shown up on the web along with a report in AutoCar magazine (July 12, 2005) on a New Europa that is to
introduced in less than a year's time.
The Lotus "Circuit Car" - UPDATE
Date: 16 August 2005
In the build up to the Shelsley Walsh Centenary Celebration, excitement mounts as Lotus prepares the world launch of its greatly anticipated new "Circuit Car".
The "Circuit Car", which is based on the Lotus Elise Aluminium chassis, has been designed and engineered exclusively for Track Day and Club Racing. Reaching 100 mph in an amazing 9.0 seconds, the lightweight, open-topped circuit car will be revealed at the oldest racing track in the world – the Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb.
In contrast to the Lotus "Circuit Car", which is the face of 21st century motor sport, visitors to the three-day event that runs from the 19th to 21st August will also be able to see the Darracq. The 10 litre, four cylinder racing car broke the Land Speed record in 1905, the year the first Shelsley event took place.
Coinciding with Shelsley’s Centenary, the launch of the "Circuit Car" will take place on day two of the celebrations, Saturday 20th August. Making its racing debut on Sunday 21st August, Tony Shute, head of product at Lotus Cars, will take to the driving seat and put the Lotus through its paces on the track. Tony commented, “The Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb Centenary Festival Meeting provides an excellent platform on which to give our exciting new car its first outing. I look forward to driving on a track which carries such rich motor-sport history and to participate in an event which brings together examples of some of the world’s finest racing vehicles.”
The Lotus "Circuit Car"
Date: 12 June 2005
The all new lightweight and high performance track day Lotus.
The new Lotus "Circuit Car" was announced yesterday (Saturday, 11 June, 2005) by Kim Ogaard-Nielsen, CEO of Group Lotus, to privileged Lotus Club International members at the annual Lotus Club International Gala Dinner held at Norwich City Football Club. Based on the Lotus Elise Aluminium chassis, and weighing in at approximately 600kg, the single-seater car (with an option of two seats) has been designed and engineered solely for Track Day and Club Racing.
The lightweight composite bodywork of the visually dramatic open-topped circuit car combines high downforce from cleverly engineered aerodynamics. Part of its phenomenal performance is from a supercharged VVTL-i (Variable Valve Timing with Lift - intelligent) engine, and is estimated to achieve the 0 - 100 mph (160 km/h) sprint in a staggering 9.0 seconds. This exciting combination has allowed for a dynamic racing package producing higher performance to that of existing Elise-based products. An entry-level naturally-aspirated VVTL-i engine will also be available, powering the car from 0 - 62 mph in under 4 seconds.
Tony Shute, Head of Product Development at Lotus Cars, explains what makes the Lotus "Circuit Car" a leading high performance track car: "The new product has allowed Lotus to once again apply its key "performance through lightweight" philosophy. This is in order to achieve an innovative product for the track day and club racing Lotus enthusiast whilst staying true to the key design attributes of the Elise and Exige products. They are considered to be amongst the finest existing road and track day cars by thousands of owners around the world, and the "Circuit Car" will build on this formidable reputation, helping to further underline Lotus as the ultimate driver's choice."
The introduction of the new Lotus "Circuit Car" will generate additional exposure of the Lotus brand and provide Lotus with entry to further key market sectors, as Clive Dopson, Managing Director of Lotus Cars, explains "The introduction of this new model plays a key role in developing and enhancing the presence of Lotus Cars on the track, whilst providing the driver of today with a pure circuit car which thrives on the essential values of the Lotus brand. In addition, it will be yet another example of a high quality product to be built at our world class production facilities at Hethel."
The Lotus "Circuit Car" is due to go into production at the Group Lotus Headquarters in Hethel, Norfolk, in December 2005, with scheduled volume of approximately 100 units per annum.
Full specifications and price will be announced closer to the production date.
Predicted Performance figures:
Naturally Aspirated VVTL-i Engine:
0 to 60 mph 4 seconds (approx.)
0 to 100 mph < 11 seconds
Supercharged VVTL-i Engine:
0 to 60 mph 3.5 seconds (approx.)
0 to 100 mph < 9.0 seconds