Lotus has given the world a sneak preview of its future design direction with this, the Lotus Design Hot Wheels Concept.
You may be wondering why they named it after a toy car, and that is because the concept will be made into a Hot Wheels 1:64 scale model.
But the same team who created the concept is responsible for designing the new range of Lotus’s, including Project Eagle, which will go into production at the end of the year.
The all new car, codenamed Eagle, is expected to be a four-seat coupe with a mid-mounted Toyota V6, and rumour has it the finished car could have design cues from the Hot Wheels Concept.
To celebrate its 40 th anniversary next year, Hot Wheels approached Lotus with the challenge of producing a vehicle that embodies its own engineering philosophy and brand.
Steven Crijns, Design Manager at Lotus Design and creator of this concept design said: 'The car needed to be recognisable as a Lotus without having to turn it over to look at the badge underneath, so I took elements from the Elise and Exige such as the headlight design, the Lotus "mouth", the pronounced wheel arches and trademark bonnet graphics.
'I was keen for the design to express the Lotus philosophy of performance through lightweight: the shrink wrapped body is kept to an absolute minimum to save weight.
'The dynamic voluptuous curves make the car look agile and fun to drive.
'Bold aerodynamic aids are incorporated to achieve exceptional Lotus handling.
'The top exit radiator at the front, a distinctive Lotus design feature, the rear diffuser and a large rear wing all provide down-force helping the vehicle stick to the road.'
Mike Kimberley, Chief Executive Officer of Group Lotus Plc added: 'The same design team who created this stunning concept is also designing our new range of cars, the first of which, codenamed Project Eagle, will go into production at the end of next year.'