Lotus Gt - New Car Pictures

[Zircon450]

Think its page 6 of AutoExpress Mag (£1.80ish)

 

Page 6 - pictures and exclusive !!!!

 

THE NEW LOTUS GT CAR - TAKING LOTUS ABOVE THE ELISE MODELS.

 

Anyone else seen this mag or confirm the new car ?

[daves2111s]

Yes I saw this... couldn't believe no one had commented on this before now

 

Yes the idea does make sense they reckoned it would be to go up against the likes of Noble so it's going to need a good power plant. The general opinion was that with the link to Toyota it would be a three litre unit from them.

The car looked like a grown up Elise and they were thinking that one of the old Lotus names may be used Eclat etc.

Release date 2005 ???

 

 

Dave

[simondann111s]

 

For those who didn't get a copy in time...............

[JohnnyM]

saw it in the supermarket last weekend, i thought is looked like a load of rubbish to me hence me not posting on it.

 

the picture looks like stevie wonder has been let loose with a picture of an S2 and photoshop.

 

when all the other mags start writing about it, perhaps !?

[daves2111s]

Got to agree on the Photoshop picture.... same reason for not buying the mag

The article was rather short too

 

 

Dave

[Mark H]

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/ae_news_story.php?id=48840

[emmajaneb]

So, when do u reckon it'll be released?

[Scott_Mac]

Its a Lotus prototype... it'll be hyped up, restyled, designed and then shelved.

 

But its fugly anyway... bring back the M250!

[Mark H]

Looks official

 

 

Lotus works on new GT sports car

17 August 2004

 

CHRIS STARKIE, EDP BUSINESS EDITOR

 

 

Car maker Lotus has admitted it is working on a new GT sports car in a move that could expand production at its Hethel headquarters.

 

A prototype of the new car, which looks like a larger and more powerful Elise, has been spotted on a test drive in the lanes near the Lotus factory.

 

The new car, which could mean the revival of the Excel or Elite names, would be more expensive than the Elise and Exige, priced at around £40,000.

 

A four-seater version of the new car is being considered, which would make it the first car with rear seats to have been produced by Lotus since the Excel.

 

The company is currently evaluating the prototype and will decide soon whether to put the car into production.

 

Lotus is in the throes of recruiting another 100 workers to cope with increased demand for the Elise, which is now on sale in the US for the first time.

 

As well as the Elise, Lotus also manufactures the Exige as well as the Vauxhall VX220 and Opel Speedster, and makes advanced composite structures for the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish.

 

But if a new model was to go into production, more jobs would almost certainly be created.

 

Lotus spokesman Alastair Florance said: "Yes it is true that we are looking at a GT-style car. At this stage it is just a concept car and we have not decided whether it will go into production.

 

"It is likely to be more touring and less track based. It is in the very early stages of evaluation. We are looking at the market and whether it fits into our long term ambitions."

 

The car is likely to be wider than the Elise, giving it a more roomy and comfortable interior for longer journeys. It would also have greater luggage space at the rear, adding to the versatility of the vehicle.

 

The company has yet to decide which engine will power the car, but it is likely to be sourced from Toyota as the two companies have a good working relationship.

 

Lotus is placing great emphasis on how lightweight the car would be, with a glass fibre body designed to keep weight to a minimum. The model is likely to feature a sporty new chassis, using the same bonded aluminium structure as the Elise.

 

A GT model would face fierce competition, not least from the Noble M12, a lightweight GT car which is produced by the Leicestershire-based Noble car company.

 

Lotus is aiming to make the GT a world car – available in markets around the world, including the US, Japan and Mexico where the Elise is now on sale.

 

The first US-modified Elise was delivered to its new owner just four weeks ago and the company is hoping to sell more than 2000 cars a year in the US.

 

Plans for the GT are in addition to the development work which is under way at Lotus on a successor to the Esprit, which ended production earlier this year.

 

Design teams at Lotus are in the early stages of design on a family of mid-engined super cars, which would sell for close to £50,000.

[Scott_Mac]

Yup spotted that... lets see then.

[Kris H]

Saw the pictures and it didn't look good as far as I am concerned, but then if it's a prototype I don't think you can pay a huge amount of attention to the panels on it since they'll pretty much stick whatever's convenient on, so they could well have been VX bits or combinations. If they've got a decent engine sourced then making a bigger car would make sense if they're looking at wider markets, and if at least a little more practical it might be a good thing for those of us who have to run two because of the seats issue. My 2p worth anyway.

 

Kristian

[Jonathan E]

Was at Hethel on Saturday and sat outside the motorsport garage was what looked like a 111r...However as you all know I have a 111r and this one was different.Beefy zorst that came out under the diffuser and a strange looking front access panel(had a hump in it).On closer inspection there was a different intake housing and it deffo wasn't a vvtli engine in there niether was it a K,I could only see through the slats on the engine bay but if I had to put money on it I would have said it was a big old lump of some sort,I did ask a few people what it was all about but nobody cared to comment ,Personally I think it was a mule for the GT but thats just imho.Different suspension from the Exige and 111r there was an exige parked next to it so it was quite a good comparison.

They're up to something those boys at Lotus,like has already been said they will probably test it to destruction then shelve the whole thing.

Regards

Jon

ps.Driver training is fantastic at Hethel,Al McQueen is a God and I got to spend the whole day with him.Really nice fella who apparently is a freelance driving instructor hired by Lotus to show people what the cars can do as is Hyla Breeze(sp?) if you get the chance do it

[Scott_Mac]

Hmm... may be interesting then.

 

Hope they do change the looks though, as the prototype pics look awful

[Mark H]

[Bramble111s]

kinda a Vauxhall / RX8 front combo with an MX5 side vent?!?!?

Not too keen either,

but would love a 4 seater Liz