RE: Lotus looks ahead

[CraigyMc]

DonkeyApple said:

ORD said:

I agree. I have thought for a while that an electric city car would be really good fun if done properly!

Or just a .5 litre petrol with stonking turbos. Either way, Lotus could blow the main manufacturers away in this field with not just their brand and ethos but expertise. No one has been making light cars with tiny engines that out perform their peers better than they have.

Who wouldn't like the idea of something like an Arbarth 500 but with added lightness.

Has anyone done a teeny engine with a mahoosive turbo (and consequent awful driveability) with a small battery/emotor to provide instant response, short of a BMW i8?
A 1.5l triple with 250bhp (the BMW one in the i8 peaks at 227bhp I think) is interesting but sort of unnecessary.

[kambites]

Lotus already have a dedicated range extender engine that they've been trying to sell to other people. I'd imagine that's the path they'd go down if they were planning on producing an EV/hybrid. It's not particularly powerful (about 40kw, I think), but that doesn't really matter in a range extender road car and it only weighs about 50kg.

I'd imagine 50kg of range extender and 30kg of motors and 100kg of batteries could produce a drive-train for the Evora no heavier or less powerful than the supercharged V6 with no significant down-sides in terms of range or performance unless you thrash it constantly for long periods, which isn't really what the Evora is about.

Edited by kambites on Monday 21st December 18:24

[DonkeyApple]

CraigyMc said:

DonkeyApple said:

ORD said:

I agree. I have thought for a while that an electric city car would be really good fun if done properly!

Or just a .5 litre petrol with stonking turbos. Either way, Lotus could blow the main manufacturers away in this field with not just their brand and ethos but expertise. No one has been making light cars with tiny engines that out perform their peers better than they have.

Who wouldn't like the idea of something like an Arbarth 500 but with added lightness.

Has anyone done a teeny engine with a mahoosive turbo (and consequent awful driveability) with a small battery/emotor to provide instant response, short of a BMW i8?
A 1.5l triple with 250bhp (the BMW one in the i8 peaks at 227bhp I think) is interesting but sort of unnecessary.

It doesn't matter. Turbos, no turbos, massive turbos. The point is a proper, performing town car. The minute detail is pretty irrelevant. Could be petrol, NA, turbo'd or an EV.

The relevance lies in The fact that The world is having to produce lighter cars with smaller engines so as to meet ever tightening emission targets and Lotus has been the master of this since their origins.

So just to clarify, the point being made is that Lotus have been the masters of the kind of products that everyone else now has to make for over half a century. In addition, what needs to be recognised is that no one wants that in a little sports car in any decent commercial numbers but as a hatchback, for example, it would probably be a very different scenario.

But obviously, if it was the wrong colour or had wheels someone didn't like then it just wouldn't work.

Edited by DonkeyApple on Monday 21st December 20:18

[dunc_sx]

Just to add fuel to the Cayman/lotus fire I've owned both a cayman and an exige for a year. I'm no brand we by any means at all but the Porsche is the better car imo. There's not much difference in levels of grip if any at all but the lotus does have better steering feel. Beyond that the Cayman is better in any other category I can think of. Great cars the Cayman, I've little interest in 911's, I'm not convinced the back seats are as handy as people suggest - I'd rather have the extra boot for practicality and lower weight.

Dunc.

[ORD]

dunc_sx said:

Just to add fuel to the Cayman/lotus fire I've owned both a cayman and an exige for a year. I'm no brand we by any means at all but the Porsche is the better car imo. There's not much difference in levels of grip if any at all but the lotus does have better steering feel. Beyond that the Cayman is better in any other category I can think of. Great cars the Cayman, I've little interest in 911's, I'm not convinced the back seats are as handy as people suggest - I'd rather have the extra boot for practicality and lower weight.

Dunc.

You cant put your child in a boot! This is the main advantage of the 911.

[dunc_sx]

ORD said:

You cant put your child in a boot! This is the main advantage of the 911.

This is why the 911 does not does not appeal to me, no kids

[DonkeyApple]

ORD said:

You cant put your child in a boot! This is the main advantage of the 911.

Not strictly true. I went to school a few times in the boot of a Lotus 7.

I guess it boils down whether you like your kid.