Lotus Evija makes its (sideways) dynamic debut
New 2,000hp hypercar shown testing at Hethel. In the wet
It seems like only yesterday that Lotus unveiled its Evija hypercar in the sweltering heat of London's Royal Horticultural Halls. That was over four months ago now, though, a period of time starkly illustrated by the sodden gloom in which the car has recently been shot testing. It's still a relatively short spell in the world of automotive development, however, and Lotus says that the new film highlights just how far work has progressed since that summer reveal.
Of course, having been given little idea of just how advanced the Evija was at back then - all of the figures provided being of the 'target' and 'projection' variety - it's rather difficult to verify the rate of progress for ourselves. But the marque has also confirmed that production of its most powerful, most expensive and most controversial model ever is on course to begin next year, so things are presumably going well.
The dynamic testing seen here is said to involve the 2,000hp EV being put through its paces not just at Lotus' Hethel home, but "on other demanding high-speed and performance handling circuits across Europe" too. The manufacturer revealing that several prototypes are gearing up to cover "many thousands of miles and many hundreds of hours of driving assessment, including on public roads" over the coming months. Prepare for plenty of spy shots, then.
With the Evija's kinematic and compliance testing already complete, the subsequent rounds of dynamic and static trials are said to be part of a comprehensive validation process "designed to guarantee the car will meet customer expectations and demands in key global markets and environments." To that end Gavan Kershaw, Director of Vehicle Attributes at Lotus said of the update: "Physical prototype testing at speed is a landmark moment for the Evija and hugely exciting for everyone involved. Our aim is to make sure it's a true Lotus in every sense, with exceptional performance that's going to set new standards in the hypercar sector."
And Matt Windle, Executive Director of Sports Car Engineering, added: "Everything about the Evija is 'For The Drivers'. I don't believe there is another EV in the world that can claim this. From the mid-engined-inspired Lotus layout, to the aerodynamics and downforce, the driving position, vehicle stance and unbelievable performance. It is instantly recognisable as special with a unique character, yet it is unquestionably a Lotus."
Of course, we can think of more than a couple of rival EV manufacturers that will disagree with Windle's assessment. With such stiff competition in such an unbelievably niche sector, and the added burden of a far greater heritage to uphold, the Evija's greatest test may not come until the first production cars roll off the line.
I'm amazed no one has written any image processing software to remove the swirls. I did ask an AI expert at Huawei who said he thought it possible but he'd never encountered the idea of camouflaging pre-release cars before.
This struck me as very odd.
I'm amazed no one has written any image processing software to remove the swirls. I did ask an AI expert at Huawei who said he thought it possible but he'd never encountered the idea of camouflaging pre-release cars before.
This struck me as very odd.
ref "I did ask an AI expert at Huawei who said he thought it possible but he'd never encountered the idea of camouflaging pre-release cars before"
Huawei don't bother with decoding camouflage - they just hack in and steal the blueprints if the US government is to be believed
Anyway, I think this car is going to be a real acid test for the EV in a way. While the cost and straight line performance are obviously stupendous, it's going to be really interesting to see how it is rated in terms of driver engagement. This seems to have been forgotten in EVs for the most part, with steering feel and things largely ignored.
A small electric sports car that has great steering and brake feel would be a real step forward and make the idea of an EV much more appealing to luddites like me.
I'm amazed no one has written any image processing software to remove the swirls. I did ask an AI expert at Huawei who said he thought it possible but he'd never encountered the idea of camouflaging pre-release cars before.
This struck me as very odd.
Great marketing.
I know marketing budgets are tight and timeframes short but it's a false economy to try and make a film for their halo product for pennies.
Lotus are going places, no doubt about it, but they need to project the right image in everything they do if they are to command premium prices and present themselves as a global competitor for Porsche, McLaren etc.
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