Lotus Type 131 - The Rumour Mill

[Bibs]

There's a new sports car on the way apparently, anyone know anything? 

[exeterjeep]

I've heard that someone has ordered one and is down for the first UK spec car.

[stephenwhyte]

2 hours ago, Bibs said:

There's a new sports car on the way apparently, anyone know anything? 

Ha - you’re good!😂

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

This?

[Neal H]

Ooh, I like that. I had a Type 131 1600TC Supermirifiori when I was a lad.

[exeterjeep]

what about the images from auto express - are they close to what may be coming

[Bibs]

Unless Russell Carr has forgotten his glasses and decided he doesn't like designing cars any more, I'd say no

[Barrykearley]

Ooh an SUV - can’t wait.

[tim_marra]

6 hours ago, exeterjeep said:

what about the images from auto express - are they close to what may be coming

No.

[LOTUSMAN33]

The new Elan ?😍

Dave  

[cor]

We have seen the bahar cars in the flesh, beautiful.

If they want a market the etherne (not my kind of car)

This elan looks great.

The bahar esprit is overruled by the huracan....

[Barrykearley]

What was the test drive like @Bibs

[Bravo73]

19 hours ago, exeterjeep said:

what about the images from Jackanory - are they close to what may be coming

EFA. 

[NedaSay]

Are they dropping it on xmas day? Would look great under the tree I'm sure.

[NedaSay]

Also where have they been testing this thing1?! Not a single mule was spotted in the usual spots and if it was, it was wearing an Evora skin. The ability of Lotus to test cars under the radar is becoming slightly annoying. Especially now that they have access to  Geely's top secret playgrounds in China.

The only thing we may know is that it would be wider and not necessarily longer, but being a strict two seater to compete head to head with the Cayman/Boxster, A110 etc.  way roomier on the inside.

[NedaSay]

Still no leak and no teaser... Am I still right to assume that the car will be presented in Q1 of 2021? I hope so, but it will clash with the release and first deliveries of Evija. This car is seating on VVA+ so the architecture was mostly there dynamically speaking... The only things leading to delays ( considering the car was supposed to be a 2019 car under JMG) is components integration, tooling, if as it was rumoured at some point it would be aluminum intensive, and fine tuning the powertrain. This car is still ICE, with maybe a 48v battery to go MHEV. The loom and the gearbox  that have been the "weakness" of Lotus, cannot be that much of a problem anymore considering the might of the group behind them... And the fact that Aisin recently released an auto transverse gearbox good for a whopping 550 nm  of torque and that Lotus have done quite a lot of work on the manual one to keep pushing this one further and further . So other than COVID crapping on everybody's style and the recent shitshow of Brexit for which Lotus has said they were ready.What gives...

Edited December 28, 2020 by NedaSay

[LotusLeftLotusRight]

On one of the Evora threads, a poster bemoans the lack of ongoing investment/development in the car, but considering that the car has been on the market for over 11 years in 3 different iterations and a replacement appears to be around the corner, why would Geely  spend any more on it? Do we know if the new sports car will be 2 seat only, or 2+2? Will it mark the end of Evora production? It has been talked about so much on here that I can’t remember what we know. I’m pretty sure it’s a transverse V6 (probably hybrid) on VVA architecture with a wider track.

[NedaSay]

^^^ it won't be the end of the Evora production, the new car will slot between Elise and Evora, effectively occupying the Exige slot in the range. However it will be less hardcore than the Exige... It is a strict two seater like the Exige but with better creature comfort than Evora ( lower sills, better ergonomics, cargo space, head and shoulder room, ease of egress and ingress...) The Evora as of mid 2020 is set to soldier on until 2022 at least if not 2024.

[C8RKH]

I really think you would struggle to get lower sills than the current Evora 4xx range, they are barely higher than the seat runners as it is. 

[TBD]

On 28/12/2020 at 20:32, NedaSay said:

Still no leak and no teaser... Am I still right to assume that the car will be presented in Q1 of 2021? I hope so, but it will clash with the release and first deliveries of Evija. This car is seating on VVA+ so the architecture was mostly there dynamically speaking... The only things leading to delays ( considering the car was supposed to be a 2019 car under JMG) is components integration, tooling, if as it was rumoured at some point it would be aluminum intensive, and fine tuning the powertrain. This car is still ICE, with maybe a 48v battery to go MHEV. The loom and the gearbox  that have been the "weakness" of Lotus, cannot be that much of a problem anymore considering the might of the group behind them... And the fact that Aisin recently released an auto transverse gearbox good for a whopping 550 nm  of torque and that Lotus have done quite a lot of work on the manual one to keep pushing this one further and further . So other than COVID crapping on everybody's style and the recent shitshow of Brexit for which Lotus has said they were ready.What gives...

Positioning a car at that point doesn't really make sense. The Exige is currently the cash cow, a hard-core beast keeping the Lotus fans tied to the brand. On the other habnd, the Evora has never found its real market niche and ha seen slumping sales.

Any new model must initiate the brand upshift and clearly set the targets for the future. It must also be profitable and Lotus doesn't have the base to achieve this belw the Evora price range.  I would expect something slightly uprange from the Evora, trying to get as far into the 911-market as possible with the existing base. Uness they transform the Evora into a GT3 monster at the same time.

[NedaSay]

The car replace the Exige because Exige doesn't have global homologation... Evora does. Or at least that is how I understand things. for the seals they may not be lower but maybe a bit narrower if  as I think there will be a bit of a central tunnel in the car a la "volvo carbon spine core"

[stephenwhyte]

16 hours ago, NedaSay said:

^^^ it won't be the end of the Evora production, the new car will slot between Elise and Evora, effectively occupying the Exige slot in the range. The Evora as of mid 2020 is set to soldier on until 2022 at least if not 2024.

Time for change.....

[Barrykearley]

Porsche have managed to drag it out with the beetle

[scotty435]

It is obvious the product is somewhat delayed, it’s easy to blame Covid, is that the reason I think not. In my humble opinion it is the massively changing market and some amazing cars being launched by rival manufacturers in recent times. Lotus and Geely know this car as to be the best in its segment to stand a chance of making a impact in regards of sales and rightly putting the brand back into a wider audience to achieve this. Does it matter what it replaces probably not as long as it’s good as we all expect. For me I would rather delay and get the product bang on point and I sincerely think that is what the company is going achieve. Is it going to be ground breaking? It as to be.

[exeterjeep]

This suggests mid year launch, with production quite a bit later

https://www.carscoops.com/2021/01/all-new-lotus-sports-car-to-be-unveiled-this-summer-with-production-set-for-2022/