Is there a list of Lotus-developed cars anywhere?

[Twincam16]

Just for stats/research reasons, I was wondering if there was a list anywhere of all the cars which enjoyed Lotus involvement in their design process. There are the obvious candidates - Lotus Cortinas, Sunbeams and Carltons, post-2000 Protons, VXR-badged Vauxhalls, the Mk1 Toyota MR2, Isuzu Piazza etc - but I understand they work with a vast number of manufacturers and have been working on all Vauxhalls since the late eighties - is this correct?

So, has anyone got a list?

[Sam_68]

Given that much of this type of work is covered by confidentiality agreements, I doubt that any such list exists outside Lotus' company archiives.

[Hedgerley]

To quote from their 2008 results, announced last November -

"Lotus Engineering, the company’s high technology engineering consultancy business, grew its global third party customer base and was awarded with new and valuable contracts worldwide – 340 projects with over 140 clients. Lotus Engineering Inc. in the US made record profits and Lotus Engineering Malaysia returned to profitability. Further expansion overseas took place including the opening of a sales office in Japan and setting up a subsidiary in China."

The vast majority of those 140+ clients will remain confidential so unless someone wants to announce a 'halo' model developed by Lotus again, I doubt we will ever know who they are.

[Auntieroll]

Twincam16 said:

Just for stats/research reasons, I was wondering if there was a list anywhere of all the cars which enjoyed Lotus involvement in their design process. There are the obvious candidates - Lotus Cortinas, Sunbeams and Carltons, post-2000 Protons, VXR-badged Vauxhalls, the Mk1 Toyota MR2, Isuzu Piazza etc - but I understand they work with a vast number of manufacturers and have been working on all Vauxhalls since the late eighties - is this correct?

So, has anyone got a list?

Metro Turbo!!

[The Pits]

Examples of work undertaken by Lotus Engineering include:

Lotus Talbot Sunbeam—Talbot's hot hatch rally car of the early '80s
DeLorean DMC-12. Changes to the original concept led to considerable schedule pressures. The car was deemed to require almost complete re-engineering, which was turned over to engineer Colin Chapman, founder of Lotus. Lotus replaced most of the unproven material and manufacturing techniques with those then employed by Lotus in the Lotus Esprit
Vauxhall Lotus Carlton (also Opel Lotus Omega, internal name Lotus Type 104) – At the time (early 1990s) this was the fastest saloon car available, with a top speed of over 175 mph (280 km/h)
The 1991 Dodge Spirit R/T with a version of the 2.2 L K-car engine with a 16-valve DOHC head designed by Lotus with over 220 hp (160 kW)
Vauxhall VX220 (badged Opel Speedster outside of the UK) – Lotus produced and based upon the same aluminium chassis design as the Lotus Elise. Production of these models ended in 2005
Lotus styled and assisted with the engineering of the Tesla Roadster, an electric sports car based on the Elise, as well as licensing some technologies to Tesla Motors and constructing the Roadster at their plant in Hethel[32]
The Aston Martin DB9 chassis was developed with the help of Lotus Engineering
Lotus was responsible for most of the design, development, and testing, of the LT5 DOHC V8 powerplant for the Chevrolet Corvette C4 ZR-1
Lotus designed, developed and tested the GM Ecotec engine and its variants
Lotus was responsible for various aspects of the Sinclair C5 electric tricycle
Lotus was responsible for the suspension calibration of the Toyota MR2 Mk. I, the Toyota Supra Mk. II and Mk. III, the Isuzu Piazza, the Isuzu Impulse as well as newer Proton models
Lotus Engineered PROTON Satria GTi model
Lotus was responsible for the development of the Campro engine together with Proton,[33] as well as its variable valve timing system, the Cam Profile Switching (CPS). Currently available in the 1.6-litre and 1.3-litre variants, the Campro engine now powers most of Proton's newer models
Lotus has worked on the suspension of the Mahindra Scorpio to make it more stable at high speeds
Lotus produced the revised chassis of the Isuzu Piazza
Lotus has worked on the suspension and handling of the Volvo 480
The Dodge EV concept electric vehicle from Chrysler is based on a Lotus Europa S
Lotus has worked on the suspension and handling of the Nissan GT-R [34]
Lotus rebuilt, modified, and tuned a Lada Riva on Top Gear season 1, episode 8. 1 of 1 ever made
2006 Volkswagen GX3, Lotus develop chassis for VW
2009 Kia Soul gets Lotus tuned suspension (UK only)
2010: Limo-Green project with Jaguar Cars. Lotus provided the Range Extender engine for a prototype XJ series-hybrid car. The car returned 58 mpg (imperial) running off the range extender alone[35]
2010 Jaguar CX-75, Lotus are partner with Jaguar for developing chassis system and engine management. Powering the engine is a supercharged 1.6 turbo petrol engine with 500bhp. With 175 bhp electric motor, power output of 313bhp/litre compare to Bugatti Veyron of 125bhp/litre
The 2015 Hyundai Genesis, Lotus has worked on handling and steering
2015 Spyker B6 Venator to use a Lotus-built engine that made from a Toyota-sourced block
GM-built Baojun 730 Is a Chinese Minivan with Lotus-tuned suspension

[WonkeyDonkey]

Lotus also helped Nissan with the current GTR

[jayemm89]

Didn't Lotus also have a hand in developing the Ford GT? The mid-00s roadgoing one?

[marshalla]

Ozzie Osmond said:

IIRC the first use of Lotus 900 series engines (907) was in the ill-fated Jensen-Healey sportscar. Since that was a brand new engine in a brand new car it would be fair to say Lotus was involved in the car's development.

Or rather, Jensen paid for the engine's development. ISTR that Lotus managed to sell them to Jensen without any form of warranty - and a lot of them needed work...

[twinturban]

Lotus did some work with the Ford GT but a LOT of work for Nissan's 'R35' GTR.

The original press release mentions 2 years of development.

[Impasse]

Also the original Ford Focus chassis.

[Ozzie Osmond]

Strange but true - Lotus Sinclair C5.

OT, but I just watched the F1 qualifying and they showed highlights of the 1986 Australian GP where Mansell suffered his infamous tyre blow-out. There was Ayrton Senna near the front of the grid in his black and gold JPS Lotus. No sign of the Sinclair though!

Eagle eyed F1 fans will have noticed the second C5 in the pic has "Elio" written on the seat back so was taken in the early 1980s before the unfortunate death of Elio De Angelis. He was killed in May 1986 by an F1 testing accident with Brabham, having left Lotus at the end of the 1985 season.