NEW LOTUS!!

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Discussion

markgw

Original Poster:

13 posts

251 months

Wednesday 4th August 2004
quotequote all
Just read Autocar and on the front page there is a new-look Lotus tourer version to challenge Noble M12.
It is totally different to Elise, more wider and it is rumoured that it will contain new Toyota 300BHP powerplant.
Launch date is around early 2006.
Cool!

PetrolTed

34,443 posts

310 months

Wednesday 4th August 2004
quotequote all
Blimey, missed that completely... off to have another read...

PetrolTed

34,443 posts

310 months

Wednesday 4th August 2004
quotequote all
Not on my Autocar there isn't. I'm confused

martin robson

23 posts

250 months

Wednesday 4th August 2004
quotequote all
Its on the front page of autoexpress

www.autoexpress.co.uk

look at this weeks magazine in the news headlines

markgw

Original Poster:

13 posts

251 months

Wednesday 4th August 2004
quotequote all
Sorry - Its Autoexpress!

hendry

1,945 posts

289 months

Wednesday 4th August 2004
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Can anyone post a pic?

Izza

571 posts

283 months

Thursday 5th August 2004
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I thought it was an RX8 at first glance

cuzza

2,042 posts

260 months

Thursday 5th August 2004
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Must say from that one pic I'm not keen - looks like a stretched Elise but not as pretty.

DustyC

12,820 posts

261 months

Thursday 5th August 2004
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Looks similar to a Noble with a RX8 front end.

But that wouldn't put me off. I bet its gonna be brilliant.

h2dca

901 posts

247 months

Thursday 5th August 2004
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Looks great gimmie gimmie

86turbo

209 posts

262 months

Thursday 5th August 2004
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having only seen that picture, I prefer the looks of that car to the M250, but then again I never liked the M250 much lookswise. Sounds great from what the article says, though the 2+2 mid-engine arrangement the article hints at would be unusual. wonder if they'll call it the Esprit?
Dan

marcfair

204 posts

267 months

Thursday 5th August 2004
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i prefer the look of the M250 shape............not keen on this one

danger mouse

3,828 posts

268 months

Thursday 5th August 2004
quotequote all
86turbo said:
...the 2+2 mid-engine arrangement the article hints at would be unusual. wonder if they'll call it the Esprit?
Dan
Didn't really work for the Mondial.

The "unusual" packaging forced the styling into an ungainly and imbalanced corner and as a result, no matter how actually good a car it may have been under the skin, it remains to this day one of the least loved donkies in the sanctuary.

Hopefully Lotus will find a way to make it look OK.

There was a similar concept Lotus done by one my mates from uni' which looked fairly sh!t-hot it has to be said. Wonder if he landed himself a plumb job and is pushing his old ideas... that would be so coooooooool!

My imeadiate thoughts would be that if they have a Longditudial engine/tranmission configuration, the dirty bits can be pushed further forward between two separate rear seats, thus allowing the midsection of the car to remain relitively short and keep the CoG fairly close the driver's hip point.

...the car would end up pretty wide though, and I seriously hope that is not the final styling concept, it mings from a great height IMO. Sorry.

>> Edited by danger mouse on Thursday 5th August 12:53

DanH

12,287 posts

267 months

Thursday 5th August 2004
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To me it looks like a retouched vx220 turbo with Exige spoiler.

Won't expect it to look anything like that come release.

mastiff

2,515 posts

248 months

Thursday 5th August 2004
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no matter how actually good a car it may have been under the skin, it remains to this day one of the least loved donkies in the sanctuary.



Great expression!!

FWIW I believe Lotus WILL build this car, as it will need a model to sit between the Elise and the new V8 Supercar (Esprit?) due in 2007/8.

M.

cuzza

2,042 posts

260 months

Thursday 5th August 2004
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Well I've bought the mag to have a proper look and there are a couple of spy shots inthere too.

Speculation by them is that it could see the return of the Excel or Elite name and cost £40k. Now bearing in mind the Exige goes for £30k without options surely that's pretty close?

In one of the spy shots the statement is that it is 'Clearly wider than the Elise..' looking at where the driver is and the amount of room next to him I don't think so.

Looks more like an Elise/Exige S3 to me.

cathalm

606 posts

251 months

Friday 6th August 2004
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Lotus are building such a car but take no notice of the pisture. Auto express are a bunch of clowns, every week there is some photoshop special fabricated by them

Lotusacbc

2,591 posts

291 months

Friday 6th August 2004
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I doubt thats a Lotus. If it is, then I'm sorry, but it's fugly

NJS25

446 posts

256 months

Sunday 8th August 2004
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Bought the mag, read the article.

Car looks like a mule to test chassis/ engine configuration. To extrapolate the styling from this car is over zealous to say the least.

Clearly Lotus are experimenting with something larger than the Elise, if it gets the go-ahead don't expect it to look like the dog in the magaine. Lotus want to sell cars not win awards in ugliest car competitions.

Regards, Neil

Lotusacbc

2,591 posts

291 months

Tuesday 10th August 2004
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It looks like it could be a cool Rally Car though...