Posted on March 6th, 2008 by Auto News
As wonderful as they may be on a racetrack, Lotus cars aren??™t known for their comfort. The current Elise and Exige S are loud, cramped vehicles meant for one thing only: going fast.
That changed with the introduction of the Europa S at the 2006 Geneva auto show. Hoping to compete with the likes of the Porsche Cayman and BMW Z4 coupe, Lotus began building the GT-type Europa S in summer 2006.
The Europa is intended to be an Elise for the masses. It has a higher roofline, lower sides, a larger trunk, and luxuries such as carpeting??”all in the name of practicality. The Europa is built on the same sporting platform as the Elise and Exige, with an unequal-length control-arm suspension, giant disc brakes, and a lightweight aluminum chassis.
Beginning this June, Lotus will offer an even-cushier model. In stark contrast to the nearly race-ready Elise and Exige S, the Europa SE packs a leather interior with carpeting and additional sound-deadening material. Power windows, air conditioning, and a navigation system make the SE qualify as almost civilized. It rides on wider, stickier tires wrapped around new lightweight wheels: 17 inches in diameter up front, 18 inches in back.
The Europa S has a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine from GM, making 197 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque. In SE trim, the ECU was recalibrated to 222 horsepower and 220 pound-feet.
The Europa S weighs just 2200 pounds, and we expect the SE to be a little porkier. Even so, Lotus says the SE will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds, with a top speed of 143 mph.
The Europa is for Europe only. The 2008 Europa S will cost the equivalent of $55,000, and the SE will sell for $65,000.
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Posted on November 22nd, 2007 by Auto News
If you get out of your 2060-pound, 220-hp Lotus Exige S after a day at the track and yearn for more, the Exige GT3 is right up your alley. Based on the race-ready, track-only Exige Cup and Exige Cup 255, the GT3 concept shown at the Geneva auto show is a tribute to the cars that race in the British GT3 Championship. The concept? uses the same engine as both the street and racing Exiges, a Toyota-based supercharged-and-intercooled 1.8-liter inline-four that, in this case, produces 271 horsepower. Lotus claims that should be enough to propel the GT3 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds (0.2 second quicker than an Exige S) and to a top speed of 160 mph. Visually, the GT3 stands out with its large rear wing, flared rear wheel arches, and new clamshell front cover. Although this GT3 is officially a concept, Lotus has already announced plans to sell this rocket in the U.K. later this year for about $100,000.
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Posted on November 22nd, 2007 by Auto News
In a fad that appears to be gaining traction, Lotus unveiled a more-powerful, roofless track-day version of its already extreme Exige S two-seat sports car.
Lotus says its new track treat was ???designed with the most serious of track-day enthusiasts in mind.??? That seems a bit of an understatement, and a description that applies equally well to the company??™s regular-production Exige S, a car that??™s already too much for some of our staff.
At any rate, the 220-hp supercharged-and-intercooled 1.8-liter engine from the Exige S has been cranked to 252 horsepower in the 2-Eleven. That additional power goes even further with new, ultralight bodywork that contributes to a claimed 600-pound decrease in weight over the 2060-pound Exige S on which the 2-Eleven is based. The 2-Eleven??™s power-to-weight ratio of 5.9 pounds per horsepower eclipses that of a Corvette Z06 and approaches that of a 1960s Formula 1 car, according to Lotus. The six-speed manual from the Exige S remains.
To make the most of available grip, the 2-Eleven sports even more extreme Yokohama A048R tires in the same 195/50R-16 front and 225/45R-17 rear sizes as on the Exige S. Upgraded Pagid pads grip the same 11.3-inch cross-drilled rotors front and rear. Adjustable dampers and an adjustable front anti-roll bar (part of the Exige S??™s track pack) round out the chassis tweaks.
Lotus claims the 2-Eleven will now blast to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, which is a 0.3-second improvement over the last Exige S we tested.
Two 2-Elevens will be on sale??”one of which will be able to be licensed for public-road use??”in the U.K. in April, with prices starting at just over $78,000.
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