Lotus Announce First Elise-based Pickup

Lotus Cars is delighted to announce that its first light commercial

vehicle rolls off the production line today.

The Lotus Elise 'Load Lugga' is an Elise-derived flatbed that seeks

to secure a slice of the ever-growing worldwide market for sportscar-derived

pickup trucks.

Utilising a Briggs and Stratton pull-start diesel engine, uniquely

supercharged by Lotus's own engineers, the Elise 'Load Lugga' is the first

Lotus to marry advanced 4-wheel drive technology with the Lotus design

philosophy of 'performance through lightweight'. A useful 5kg payload,

together with an optional towing hitch offering a further 10kg of

load-hauling capacity, ensures the new Lotus will be equally at home

carrying a small bag of sugar as an expanded polystyrene surfboard.

With carbon fibre roof rails and perforated aluminium bull bars

ensuring the new Elise derivative looks the part without compromising

performance, hopes are high that 0-60mph acceleration is less than 3

seconds, and will have flatbed fans reaching for their chequebooks.

An active payload management system, linked to the engine's oil

pressure control module, optimises ride and handling round even the sharpest

bend, while big chunky tyres increase ground clearance to an

all-terrain-conquering 4 inches.

Trevor Houghton-Berry, Lotus Head of Commercial Operations looked to

the future 'The Elise 'Load Lugga' is our first move into the lucrative LCV

market and certainly lives up to the Lotus philosophy of 'change the rules'.

We like trucking and we like to truck!'

Mark O'Shaughnessy, Lotus USA Sales and Marketing Director

commented, 'We can no longer ignore Lotus's big opportunity in the pickup

market - we want a slice of the action and are gunning for a 0.0026% market

share this year and 0.0027% next. The Elise 'Load Lugga' will be known as

the F1.50 stateside and we are set to take the market by storm. 200 Lotus

Elise F1.50's in the first year? Bring them on.........'

Sounds good