Lotus Europa spy shots are wrong
New Lotus GT confirmed but it's not like the pictures
Lotus Europa Mk. I
Sources suggest that Proton's Elise features many of the engineering upgrades that will be required for the Elise to meet US standards in 2007. And for support for the theory that the spy-shotted car is not the Europa but a Malaysian Elise, consider the following:
- The new Europa is to be more of a GT car that "goes like stink", according to Lotus spokesman Alistair Florance. Yet the spy shots floating around on the Web show a car of the same dimensions as the current Elise, with just two seats -- not a GT-style 2+2.
- According to a recent edition of Autocar, the Elise's Toyota engine, which needs high revs to get the best out of it, will be replaced by a 2.2-litre turbocharged Vauxhall engine to provide "a more relaxed driving experience".
- Yet in the US, the Vauxhall powerplant would create big marketing issues since the same unit is being used in the GM Solstice/ Sky/Lighting Kappa-based vehicles, which are similar in size and market to the Elise. Using this engine in a GT car at the top of the model range is therefore unlikely.
- The car has been spotted testing on several occasions with other upcoming Proton models in Malaysia. Why test the car in Malaysia unless you were planning to build it there?
This suggests that that the new Europa is to be built by Lotus' plant at Hethel, while, Proton's new mid-engined sports car has production planned in Malaysia. By producing this model in the same facility that will eventually manufacture the Esprit, the workers get to learn the manufacturing process prior to building the more expensive and likely more complex, Esprit.
So what do we know?
In the Europa, Lotus is promising a car with a more compliant ride, more toys and -- maybe -- a car that the - er - more horizontally challenged will find easier to get into and out of. Despite this, Lotus MD Clive Dopson reckoned that the car will retain the "essential strands of Lotus DNA" to produce a driver focused car.
The Europa's launch, due in Geneva next spring, will follow the Porsche Cayman, which is sure to suck sales from the mid-priced sports car market. It will also fill the gap before the launch of the new Esprit, which is based on the new Versatile Vehicle Architecture (see link below) and is due by the end of 2007.
Our spies are still digging...
Links
A Europe should be small, easy, ultra direct and in-budget . . . I hope they manage that.
PH said:
According to a recent edition of Autocar, the Elise's Toyota engine, which needs high revs to get the best out of it, will be replaced by a 2.2-litre turbocharged Vauxhall engine to provide "a more relaxed driving experience".
Are we kidding?
What'll happen to the elise?
>> Edited by dinkel on Tuesday 16th August 11:33
Proton have testing facilities in Malaysia so it makes sense to make and run prototypes there as much as in Norfolk. Who also says they don't plan to make the next Elise in Malaysia (that's assuming VW doesn't swallow the whole operation up, of course)?
ph article said:
Yet in the US, the Vauxhall powerplant would create big marketing issues since the same unit is being used in the GM Solstice/ Sky/Lighting Kappa-based vehicles, which are similar in size and market to the Elise. Using this engine in a GT car at the top of the model range is therefore unlikely.
Non issue I'm afraid. The Solstice, et al, will top out at about $19,000US. The Lotus will probably go for about $41,000US. Different market demographics all together. Also, it makes sense to use an engine where somebody else has already had it EPA certified.
The rest of the article makes some interesting points, however.
ErnestM
jazzyjeff said:
Has anyone considered this might be a development of the Elise?? It's going to stay in production for some time yet, alongside the new Europa and Esprit.
The Europe as an Elise follow-up would spoil the Elise brandname . . . There will be a next gen Elises imo.
The name Europa has associations with the past . . . we all know: small fast (affordable) and dynamic streetracer. The Elise / Exige has made a name for it's own. The Esprit has a heritage and can make her comeback as a supercar.
Europa should be Lotus entry level car, imo.
The Vauxhall "turbo" engine is a 2litre 
The 2.2 was in the NA VX220 and never turbocharged.
And as I can see already one of the pictures is fake.
Compare www.hazelnet.org/europa/coupe.jpg
with
http://home-14.tiscali-business.nl/~acre6490/a.jpg
The 2.2 was in the NA VX220 and never turbocharged."
GM will use in its future models (Solstice etc) the 2.2 I4 with forced induction. Probably with a supercharger.
So, you are right on your comments, but they refer to the past. The future is a different story
Elise, Europa, and the rest of the experimentals looks "el chipo", ricey, exotic insects and a design with non functional curves. Good for X-box, gran turismo & need for speed. Lotus young designers
busy playing computer games.
Esprit looks dignified and classy.
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