Emira PHEV on the way

[theicemario]

According to Autocar

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/lotus-...

Wonder what engine that’ll be. Volvo B315 or B4204 perhaps?

So as long as the car’s still built in Hethel I see this as good news. But what I’d love to see is a roadster.

[Frimley111R]

Yes, interesting that both current engines can't be used.

[BertBert]

how would a plug in hybrid work for the Emira? What would be the point? So you can do the school run on electric?

[johnymac]

theicemario said:

According to Autocar

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/lotus-...

Wonder what engine that’ll be. Volvo B315 or B4204 perhaps?

So as long as the car’s still built in Hethel I see this as good news. But what I’d love to see is a roadster.

I remember reading years ago that the Evora platform was not rigid enough for a roadster. It needed the roof in order to pass crash testing.
Of course a chassis could be designed for use as a roadster, but it would apparently need a major redesign. They didn't envisage one - in the same way as there was never an Esprit roadster, so they designed the best chassis for what they had in mind .
I can't remember though where I read this.

[Throttle Body]

To me, the PHEV story sounds like a smokescreen to distract attention from the 550 jobs that are being lost and from the company's recent "leak" that UK production would end. Watch what the company does, not what it says.

[DMZ]

BertBert said:

how would a plug in hybrid work for the Emira? What would be the point? So you can do the school run on electric?

Presumably same reason(s) that lots of performance cars are using hybrid drivetrains these days. Emissions or whatever. Euro7 no doubt. More power.

The question is what the engine portion of the package is. And what the V6 replacement will be.

At least there’s some life in the ol dog.

[Frimley111R]

DMZ said:

BertBert said:

how would a plug in hybrid work for the Emira? What would be the point? So you can do the school run on electric?

Presumably same reason(s) that lots of performance cars are using hybrid drivetrains these days. Emissions or whatever. Euro7 no doubt. More power.

The question is what the engine portion of the package is. And what the V6 replacement will be.

At least there’s some life in the ol dog.

Yes, new emissions regs are extremely tough. Plus, I imagine, it helps with the step to full EV at some point. A number of supercars are hybrid now.

[Frimley111R]

johnymac said:

I remember reading years ago that the Evora platform was not rigid enough for a roadster. It needed the roof in order to pass crash testing.
Of course a chassis could be designed for use as a roadster, but it would apparently need a major redesign. They didn't envisage one - in the same way as there was never an Esprit roadster, so they designed the best chassis for what they had in mind .
I can't remember though where I read this.

It was speculated a few times on various groups but the reality was that they just didn't have the money for an Evora convertible at the time as this was all pre big money investments. By the time they had the money the Emira was on its way. They could make that a convertible but having seen an Ai image of one I hope they don't. It looks stunning and I won't be able to afford one!

[Winston Wolf]

Frimley111R said:

johnymac said:

I remember reading years ago that the Evora platform was not rigid enough for a roadster. It needed the roof in order to pass crash testing.
Of course a chassis could be designed for use as a roadster, but it would apparently need a major redesign. They didn't envisage one - in the same way as there was never an Esprit roadster, so they designed the best chassis for what they had in mind .
I can't remember though where I read this.

It was speculated a few times on various groups but the reality was that they just didn't have the money for an Evora convertible at the time as this was all pre big money investments. By the time they had the money the Emira was on its way. They could make that a convertible but having seen an Ai image of one I hope they don't. It looks stunning and I won't be able to afford one!

Nothing I have read ever suggested the Evora / Emira chassis is not torsionally stiff enough. Indeed quite the opposite.

Any convertible would I suspect be akin to a Alfa 4C - pretty simple, certainly not folding.

[johnymac]

I think the inference in the article that I read was that the Evora tub could easily be made to be suitable for use in a convertible, but only with a redesign. Whereas the Elise was designed as a convertible and the chassis design reflected this. The Evora - when first designed - was only ever going to be a coupe - much like the Esprit, so the chassis was designed with this in mind. They MAY have thought that a chassis for a convertible would have been heavier than needed in a coupe, and if this was all they wanted, why make it any stronger / heavier. It is very strong in normal use, both on the road and track. However in a crash situation, the standard Evora chassis was apparently deemed marginal as a convertible. I suspect the redesign for a convertible chassis would have been straightforward, but any testing / type approval may have made the whole thing uneconomic. Remember they never at any time sold in the numbers anticipated. They will have been aware later that a convertible might have been popular, but the numbers just wouldn't have made the project viable.

The above is a sprinkling of what I remember (or mis remember) of the article and some of my own thoughts. Unfortunately whether any of this is true or not, it is a moot point. There will be no convertible on this platform as Lotus is struggling to draw breath at the moment.