In a marked departure from most other manufacturers, who have already told us what to expect once the IAA Frankfurt Motor Show opens its doors, Lotus is being very coy about its line-up.
The Hethel based company does provide details of the replacement for the Elise SC; the Elise S, which is set to be powered by a 220bhp supercharged 1.8-litre engine that promises more torque than its predecessor yet lower fuel consumption and CO
2 emissions.
Also detailed is the new 444bhp Evora GTE road car. Originally designed as a special limited edition for the burgeoning Asian market, Group Lotus has decided to increase production of the race derived car to reach further customers.
The two options are transmission related with the 1.6-litre Elise getting a new automated manual transmission, dubbed SPS (Serial Precision Shift) while the Evora S will get the IPS (Intelligent Precision Shift) automatic gearbox.
The final pieces of the puzzle are those being kept close to the chest but Lotus does provide a clue for both. One is set to be one of the quickest road cars Lotus has ever built, believed to be a hard-core Exige model fitted with the 3.5-litre V6 from the Evora. The second surprise is news of Lotus' return to 'another adrenalin filled motorsport discipline.' Bets are currently split between a move into rally circles with a special Exige or into the LMP2 category at Le Mans.
With less than two weeks until the
Frankfurt Motor Show kicks off we do not have to long to wait.
Paul Healy - 2 Sep 2011