Lotus has released some bold new figures claiming their 2010 Elise and Exige models will be up to 9 per cent less polluting than the current models.
New models from the Hethel factory will not only emit less CO2, but will also return better average mpg figures, with the new Elise S showing the largest gains. Fuel economy will rise by 3.2mpg on the combined cycle, up from 34.0mpg to 37.2mpg. Emissions fall from 199g/km to 179g/km.
The company claim the improvements are a result of light weight technology and small, efficient engines.
Speaking about the greener cars, Lotus boss, Mike Kimberley said “We are at the cutting edge of green transport technology and we will continue to push the boundaries with our green research and environmental strategy. We are keen to ensure that Lotus as a company and its products offer an ethical, green option that appeals to our customers".
Lotus also point out that their range-topping Elise SC is more environmentally friendly than the competition, and compiled a list of similarly fast open-top cars. We doubt you'll be surprised to find out that the Elise is significantly more economical than a Ferrari F430 Spider, though.
| |
Combined
(mpg) |
CO2 g/km |
0-62 mph |
| Lotus Elise SC |
33.2 |
199 |
4.6 |
| Porsche Boxster S |
29.7 |
223 |
5.3 |
| Mercedes Benz SLK 55 AMG |
23.5 |
288 |
4.9 |
| Ferrari F430 Spider |
18.6 |
345 |
4.1 |
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