All new Lotus in 2021? - Type 131

All new Lotus in 2021? - Type 131

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Ryvita

Original Poster:

716 posts

216 months

Wednesday 2nd September 2020
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Apologies if I've missed a thread, but has there been any discussion yet of the now widely reported new Lotus coming next year...

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/lotus/106611/new-202...

This looks like press release material to me:

"Lotus will launch an all-new sports car in 2021. It’s internally known as the Type 131 and, when it eventually reaches the UK market, it’ll be the British brand’s first all-new model in 12 years. However, the Type 131 won’t replace any of Lotus’s existing vehicles. It’ll sit somewhere between the Exige and Evora in the company’s line-up,and it will adhere to the Lotus mantra of “simplify, then add lightness.”

Little is known about the Type 131’s specification, other than that it’ll be based on an all-new, lightweight platform. Contrary to early rumours, the new sports car will shun hybrid drive in favour of a purely combustion powered reliant powertrain, in the interest of weight reduction. This decision means that, for the time being, Lotus will reserve electrification for its flagship Evija hypercar. It’s also possible that Lotus could source the Type 131’s engines from within parent company Geely’s roster, rather than relying on Toyota.

Back in 2019, Lotus’s CEO, Phil Popham, outlined the Type 131 project to Auto Express last year. He said: “We’re busy now investing in a pretty aggressive business plan that will deliver an all-new sports car next year. It’ll be shown towards the end of next year and go on sale some time after that. We are investing in new platforms as well.

Popham continued, saying: “The [Type 131], won’t be all-electric – unlike the hypercar, which will. Beyond that, whatever cars we have will include BEV [pure-electric] derivatives. It’s not the only propulsion system we’re working on, but BEV will be part of it.”"

GTRene

17,497 posts

230 months

Thursday 3rd September 2020
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looks like the Bahar cars from 2010 ? when they came with 5 new models.



https://www.dagelijksauto.nl/autoverhalen/verloren...

Yolevas

3,788 posts

212 months

Thursday 3rd September 2020
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Back end and side windows somewhat reminiscent of the Panther Solo:










Fishlegs

3,021 posts

145 months

Thursday 3rd September 2020
quotequote all
Between this and the Evija showcar, it's great to see Solar Yellow making a comeback.

Although, I might be biased... smile

Ryvita

Original Poster:

716 posts

216 months

Thursday 3rd September 2020
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So far all the images I've seen have been Autocar's imaginings which are, yes, heavily based on the Bahar-era Elan. I'm not aware of anything anywhere aledging to be real or a spyshot yet.

I'm guessing that it will take at least some styling cues from the Evija (Which remember is Type 130...) so maybe some swoopy air tunnels or the two layer / floating centre effect on the front bonnet.