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Lotus broadens production, market for Jim Clark Elise
Filed under: Sports/GTs, Euro, Lotus, UK, Special/Limited Editions  Click for updated gallery of the Lotus Clark Type-25 Elise SC
Lotus has a dedicated following around the world, and many of them were undoubtedly disappointed that the first special edition of the new supercharged Elise was limited to just 25 examples, all of which were sold within the UK and Ireland. Although Lotus enthusiasts in the U.S. will surely remain disappointed, a handful of those in Europe will get another lucky chance at limited edition Elise ownership with Lotus' announcement that it will produce an additional run of 25 examples of the Clark Type-25 Elise SC for...
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Project Kahn and Lotus team up on 60th anniversary Elise
Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Lotus, UK, Special/Limited Editions  Click above for a gallery of the Lotus Elise by Kahn.
Special edition Elises are becoming a dime-a-dozen, but Lotus decided Kahn Design should be tasked with creating its own bespoke version of the Elise to celebrate the automaker's 60th anniversary.
Kahn, primarily known for its body-kit-equipped Astons, Benzes, Landies and Rollers, has taken the standard Elise and given it an aesthetic once-over in an attempt to justify it's yet-to-be-disclosed price tag. The enhancements include a new front splitter, side skirts and rear wing, along with silver mesh fitted to the...
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Lotus develops Concept Ice Vehicle for Antarctic expedition
Filed under: Concept Cars, Etc., Videos, Lotus, UK  Click above for high-res gallery of the Lotus Concept Ice Vehicle
We can forget all about the price of gas when we get news like this. Sure, we'll probably never ride in the Concept Ice Vehicle (CIV), but just knowing that folks at Lotus are working on things like this while we sleep... well, it's like finding out that there is a Santa Claus.
The CIV was developed to aid research for the Moon Regan TransAntarctic Expedition. The biofuel powered, propeller-driven trike on skids is 4.5 meters long and 4.5 meters wide with an independent...
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Lotus developing efficient two-stroke OMNIVORE engine
Filed under: Green, I.C.E., Lotus  Click above for a high-res gallery of the Lotus Exige 270E Tri-Fuel
Lotus Engineering has been hard at work developing new engine technologies that allow the use of sustainable alcohol fuels. It's recent Exige 270E Tri-Fuel concept showed that the British firm knows how to make an engine run on various fuels, including gasoline, ethanol and methanol. In fact, the 270E Tri-Fuel concept was the most powerful Exige ever conceived by the Hethel-based company and made its highest power output using synthetic methanol fuel. Lotus has started a new research project called the OMNIVORE engine -- cleverly indicating that it will...
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Arial vs. KTM vs. Lotus 211 comparo in progress at the 'Ring
Filed under: Etc., Lotus 
Back in April, fellow Autoblogger Chris Tutor caught the Veritas RS3heading out onto the Nurburgring for a photoshoot. Today, Chris took a brief break from his day-job to see what he could spy on the 'Ring's webcam and found the same trio of lightweight, track-tools that dance in our minds when we hit REM sleep. A Lotus 211, a KTM X-Bow and an Ariel Atom were all getting ready for their close-ups at the entrance to the Green Hell, likely a feature story for a European buff. There's no way to tell who's doing the shooting, but don't be surprised if a video begins floating...
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Rumormill: Lotus considering a Carlton successor
Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Euro, Lotus, Holden, Vauxhall, Rumormill  Click above for a gallery off the original Lotus Carlton.
Of all the sleepers in automobiledom, the Lotus Carlton holds a special place in our hearts. Based off the Vauxhall Carlton sold in Europe, Lotus stroked out the 3.0-liter inline-six of the standard car to displace 3615 cc, added a couple of Garrett turbos and sent the resulting 382 hp and 419 lb.-ft. of torque through a six-speed ZF transmission pulled from the original Corvette ZR-1. In short, it was the ultimate low-flying aircraft, with room for four, a 0-60 time of 4.9 seconds and...
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Lotus Evora has room for supercharger, 400 hp "S" variant coming
Filed under: Coupes, Lotus  Click above for a high-res gallery of the Lotus Evora, with six new images.
After the Evora was officially revealed in London, Lotus CEO Michael Kimberley has made it clear that more variants of the 2+2 were on the way. Six different versions are planned, including a convertible - originally confirmed the day the Evora debuted - that will keep the coupe fresh over its eight-year lifespan.
While a drop-top is nice, power is what the people crave. So within two years expect another naturally aspirated variant that boosts the 3.5-liter V6's engine from 280 to 320 hp. After that, it's all about...
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Lotus gives hybrids a V8 soundtrack
Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Etc., Green, Lotus, Toyota  Click above for gallery of Lotus' Safe and Sound Hybrid
Hybrid vehicles have the potential to save a few bucks at the pump, but advocates for the blind have continued to warn about their potential to harm to the seeing impaired. Lotus' automotive consultancy arm is trying to avert the risk of hybrids quietly running in electric mode with its "Safe and Sound" demo car.
This specially equipped Toyota Prius has been fitted a waterproof speaker mounted above the radiator that can emit a sound similar to a flat-six or V8, based off the vehicle's speed and...
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Drive the Lotus Evora... virtually... in the UK
Filed under: Coupes, Sports/GTs, Lotus, Toys, UK 
The Lotus Evora, which you can't drive on real streets yet, has already been driven in GT5. Attendees at the British Motor Show got a chance to put Lotus' latest over the kerbs, thanks to a tie-in between the folks at Hethel and those at game developer Polyphony. If you didn't attend the show, fear not: you can be pretty sure there'll be a version of it in an upcoming batch of downloadable content for GT5 Prologue.
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