Lotus is bringing back the Elan name for this new mid-engined two-seater due for launch in 2013.
The 1295kg Lotus Elan will be given a price tag of £75,000 and will be powered by a 4.0-litre version of the Evora’s transverse V6. A 2+2 seating configuration will be optional.
Insiders call this “the heart of the range” of Lotus’s new sports cars and GTs; expect it to fight the Porsche 911 and Audi R8.
Shapes in its rear section allude to “one of the most iconic grand prix cars ever designed, the Lotus 79”.
Power will be between 400 and 470bhp, and the 0-62mph time will be 3.5 to 3.9 secs depending whether you’re at the wheel of an R-model or not.
Either model will emit less than 200g/km of CO2, an impressive figure since the smaller-engined, less powerful Evora (already admirably clean) emits 199 g/km.
“Our plan is to change Lotus from its present position as a niche sports-car company to a builder of a range of premium sports cars”, says CEO Dany Bahar, architect of the company’s new five-year plan.
Thanks to: Autocar