IAA 2011: New Lotus Evora GTE Limited Edition with 444-horses

After receiving positive feedback and ongoing interest from buyers, Lotus decided to expand the availability of its special edition Evora GTE road car instead of sticking to its original plan that called for a limited production run of 114 cars for the Chinese market.

The special edition is based on the Evora GTE racecar featuring the same 3.5-liter supercharged V6 engine delivering 444-horses, up from the Evora S' 350-ponies.

A new sequential AMT (Automated Manual Transmission) racing gearbox transfers power to the lightweight forged alloy rims with center lock hubs shod in Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tires.

Lotus engineers also reduced the car's weight by 105kg or 232 pounds over the base Evora through the use of carbon fibre throughout the exterior and interior. For example, the lightweight material has been used for all the bodywork modifications including the front and rear bumpers, the rear wing and the doors.

Commenting on the Evora GTE road car, Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar said: “The response to this model in China has been so incredible, within days we had sold out with 114 orders. In response, we decided that the only logical step from a business perspective was to increase production and widen our reach.

“What is unique about this car is not just that it’s a serious race car – it’s a serious car. People get so excited when they see and especially hear it for the first time. It’s a very special car and will appeal to a very special type of driver – and they won’t be disappointed," Bahard added.

 

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IAA 2011: Lotus Debuts New Exige S with 350HP V6 and Rally-Spec Exige R-GT

Among the many world premieres at the Lotus stand in Frankfurtis the new Exige series and more specifically, the street-legal Exige S, and the competition Exige GT with which the British company plans to make its comeback to the world of rallying.

The road-going Exige S somewhat deviates from Lotus' philosophy of making ultra-lightweight sports cars with small displacement engines as it brings in the Evora S' 3.5-liter supercharged V6 that produces 350-ponies.

While the new Exige S boasts an impressive 130HP increase over the previous model, it is also 145kg (310 pounds) heavier at 1,080kg (2,381 lbs).

The Exige S is fitted with high-performance Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tires as standard and comes equipped with a Lotus DPM (Dynamic Performance Management) switch that allows the driver to change between three driving modes: Touring, Sport and DPM off.

As an option, Lotus offers the Race Pack that adds a fourth driving mode setting along with a Launch Control and a more hardcore suspension tuning.

Commenting on the Exige S, Group Lotus Chief Executive Officer Dany Bahar said: “Anyone who has ever driven an Exige will tell you that it’s not for the faint-hearted. The new Exige S skips a few rungs on the ladder to give the driver the ultimate Lotus experience. Quite simply you can’t get more Lotus than the Exige S.”

Joining the Exige S is the R-GT competition model that ill participate in the newly formed FIA GT category of the FIA Rally Championship on asphalt in Monte Carlo, Tour de Corse and San Remo.

The R-GT sports the V6 3.5-litre engine as the new road Exige S, but features changes to the gearbox and the restrictors on the engine in order to control the power.

“With the new R-GT rules in rally, it’s a very interesting time for us to return to the sport," said Lotus’ Director of Motorsport Claudio Berro.

"Naturally our approach this time around will be different to when we won the championship three decades ago, but I think our philosophy is definitely the same, we want to compete and ultimately we want to win. Our new rally car, the Exige R-GT is a dream come true for those who are passionate about GT racing – this will be their car,” Berro added.

 

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IAA 2011: New Lotus Elise S with 220HP and Elise SPS

The most popular car in Lotus' lineup is up for its annual model year upgrade with the presentation of the Elise S that features a new supercharged four-banger and the Elise SPS that utilizes a new lightweight, robotized automated manual transmission.

Starting with the Elise S, it replaces the Elise SC with a new 1.8-liter supercharged four-cylinder engine generating 220-horsepower. According to the British firm, the Elise S is more fuel efficient and delivers lower CO2 emission than the outgoing Elise SC. Lotus has not yet released any specific performance numbers or fuel economy figures.

As for the Elise SPS, it combines the 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with a robotised automated manual transmission that allows the driver to switch between manual and automatic driving modes via paddles fixed to the steering column.

 

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