Lotus Cars

Lotus Cars is an English manufacturer specializing in sports cars, headquartered in Hethel, Norfolk, created as Lotus Engineering Ltd by engineer Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman in 1948. In the 1960s and 70s he actively participated in Formula 1 racing.

Chapman died in 1982, leaving behind a delicate financial situation with the DeLorean project, for which it is likely that he would have had to answer in court.

In 1986, the company was acquired by General Motors and resold in 1993 to the ACBN group of Luxembourg, which is a company controlled by the Italian businessman Romano Artioli, who also owns Bugatti. In 1996, the majority of Lotus shares were sold to Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd (Proton), a Malaysian state automobile company. Lotus is currently owned by the Chinese automotive company Geely.

The company also acts as an engineering consultant, carrying out developments, particularly suspension, for other manufacturers.

Your models

Elise SC of 2007

Traditionally, the cars it has manufactured have been characterized by prioritizing lightness over power. The Elise is a very light car, whose chassis only weighs 650 kg (1,433 pounds) and the whole car only weighs 820 kg (1,808 pounds), with a small size and a generous power range, but well below expected of a sports car of such a degree of dynamism. It is surely the fastest production vehicle of these characteristics in the world and also far exceeds many other more powerful ones.

Toyota-sourced engines range from the 160 to 221 PS (158 to 218 HP) (118 to 163 kW) of the Exige version, which has some aerodynamic differences. They allow the fastest of them to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.1 seconds and a top speed of 236 km/h (147 mph).

Despite its 750 kg (1,653 pounds), it makes it one of the best cars, perhaps the best there is for a stretch of twisty corners.

The Lotus Europa S aims to be a more usable model, but without losing the sporty Lotus character. It's somewhat larger and more refined, with few concessions to comfort, luxury, etc., but it does have a few more than the Elise and Exige.

Lotus has designed a new model called the Lotus Eleven, offering 250 PS (247 HP; 184 kW) of power. The visual appearance is that of a buggy, it has no windows and comes with a standard vinyl design. There are two models that are distinguished by color.

They have designed a new version of the Exige called "Exige Cup", being the sportiest of this.

Previous models

Mark II

Seven Series 1 of 1959

Academias de idiomas en Estados Unidos

Requires S LF1 Series 3

Evora

2-Eleven

• Mark I
• Mark II
• Mark III
• Mark IV
• Mark V
• Mark VI
• Mark VII
• Mark VIII
• Mark IX
• Mark X
• Eleven S1 and S2
• 12
• Seven
• Elan
• Europe S
• Elite
• 16
• 17
• 18
• 19
• 20
• 21
• 22
• 22
• 24
• 25
• 27
• Cortina
• 30
• 31
• 33
• 34
• 35
• 38
• 41
• 42
• 43
• 44
• 48
• 49
• 51
• 55
• 56
• 59
• 62
• 63
• 64
• 69
• 340R
• Elise
• Demand
• Evora
• 2-Eleven
• 3-Eleven

Emira

2020 Evija

Current models

• Lotus Evija
• Lotus Emira

Previous models (up to 2004)

• Lotus Esprit
• Lotus Excel

Motor sports

Formula 1

Monkey of Romain Grosjean at the 2015 Canadian Grand Prix

Its sister company Team Lotus, founded in 1958 by Colin Chapman, has been one of the most prestigious teams that have run in the world of Formula 1 in the past, leaving behind great world champions from 1958 until their retirement in 1994 and its return in 2011, winning 7 constructors' championships, being the fourth team in this section.

Years later, in 2010, the Lotus name returned to Formula 1, at the hands of an Anglo-Malaysian representative who failed to bring the team back to its glory days. Two seasons without points, added to legal disputes over racing as Team Lotus, meant that he stopped racing as such for 2012. The path of representing Lotus in Formula 1 was taken up by Lotus F1 Team, a team owned by Genii Capital that competes currently licensed by Lotus Cars. Lotus Cars has sponsored the Lotus F1 Team since 2012 (ex Renault F1 Team).

Formula 1 world champions with Team Lotus

• 1963: Jim Clark (7 victories, 7 pole positions, 6 quick laps).
• 1965: Jim Clark (6 victories, 6 pole positions, 6 quick laps
• 1968: Graham Hill (3 victories, 2 pole positions).
• 1970: Jochen Rindt (5 victories, 3 pole positions 1 quick lap – He died before the end of the season and was the only posthumous champion of the entire F1 history.
• 1972: Emerson Fittipaldi (5 victories, 3 pole positions).
• 1978: Mario Andretti (6 victories, 8 pole positions, 3 fast turns).

IndyCar

Previous story

Lotus already competed in the IndyCar Series during the 1950s and 1960s, culminating in Jim Clark winning the Indianapolis 500 in 1965.

Back in 2010

Takuma Satō at the wheel of his KVRT-Lotus in the qualifying phase of the Indy Japan 300 of 2011

Lotus and Cosworth have entered into a new technical and commercial collaboration with IndyCar Series team KV Racing Technology to compete in the 2010 IndyCar races in classic Lotus green and yellow colours.

At the wheel of the IndyCar Series Lotus-Cosworth is former Formula 1 driver Takuma Satō, in his first season in the IndyCar Series.

Entry into the IndyCar Series follows Lotus and Cosworth's recent announcement to enter into a strategic partnership looking at the opportunity to develop high-performance on-road engines.

During the days leading up to the Indianapolis 500, Sato and his Lotus held a memorial service for Lotus' victory in the 1965 Lotus 500, driven by Jim Clark. Jimmy Vasser drove the Lotus in parallel with Sato's, to remember that victory and celebrate the brand's return to competition. In addition, Takuma wore a special helmet during the legendary race, in which he finished 20th.º after being penalized when he was in the first ten places. Sato was about to get a podium finish in Iowa, lapping third, when some bends forced him to leave the line and he had an accident. In addition, the Japanese qualified third on the starting grid for the Mid-Ohio race.

In addition, Lotus has already announced that in the future it intends to play a more prominent role in the category, supplying the aerodynamic package and engines since 2012.

In 2011, Lotus Cars remains associated with KV Racing, but in an even greater way, sponsoring three single-seaters. That season, KV-Lotus improved its performance, achieving three podiums and two pole positions by the hand of Tony Kanaan and two other preferred positions with Takuma Satō.

From 2012, Lotus starts sponsoring several teams in the category.

ART GP

Jules Bianchi driving his Lotus ART at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza in 2011

From 2011, Lotus Cars becomes the main sponsor of the ART Grand Prix team, which changes colors and wears the name Lotus ART in GP2 and GP3.