There was dismay at Lotus last week
after pictures appeared on the internet of a Lotus Motorsport project car.
Photos taken on a track day at Hethel, they appeared to show the front
corner of an Elise S2 with flared arches, big wheels and a large rear
spoiler, fueling speculation of an Exige S2. According to Lotus its
something far less exciting.
Lotus's greater concern was the breach in trust. After
taking some time to persuade elements within the company to open up the
test facility for track days it immediate jeopardised future events and
has certainly resulted in certain areas being off limits to visitors.
With many consultancy projects for other manufacturers
on the go, Lotus take secrecy very seriously. |
With hundreds of Lotus fans in the US eagerly awaiting the arrival of the
Elise, it's no surprise that many of them are badgering their dealers for every
last snippet of info. Lotus dealers are claiming that the first year's
production is now sold out with some dealers having secured dozens of deposits.
Beyond that, Lotus are particularly good at keeping schtum however.
Our sources in the US suggest that the launch date could hit late 2003 or
even 2004. There's a myriad of tests to do to and the hot weather/air con
testing and frontal impact issues are reported to be consuming more time than
anticipated.
Testing continues in the USA
The final engine choice probably won't be revealed until closer to the launch
date but changes are afoot in the UK market currently which will slowly wind up
the power.
Talk in the Lotus community is that the current Elise S2 is going to be
renamed the Elise S and that new models will be launched with 160bhp. It would
of course make sense for Lotus to find one engine to suit all markets rather
than have an expensive reengineering project for US cars. Speculation will
continue!