Monday 21st June 2010

EU Kills 1.8-litre Lotuses

Exige and Elise 1.8s sign off with a pair of supercharged special editions

---

Euro 5 emissions regulations are set to kill 1.8-litre Lotus Elises and Exiges in EU markets by the end of 2010, and Lotus is to mark the occasion with two special editions. The Elise SC and Exige S-based cars will be named RGB, after former director of vehicle engineering, Roger Becker.

The RGB Special Editions will go on sale in September, and are available in four colours: Aspen White, Starlight Black, Solar Yellow and Carbon Grey. Each one is also identifiable by a numbered interior plaque, Roger Becker's signature on the side of the bodywork and a monochrome Lotus nose badge.

The RGB Lotuses get the Sports and Touring equipment packs as standard. The Elise SC RGB gets the 217bhp supercharged version of the Toyota 2ZZ VVTL-I 1.8, getting it to 60mph in 4.3secs, while the Exige RGB uses the full-house supercharged and intercooled 1.8, which gives 257bhp and a 0-60mph time of 4.0secs.

"I am honoured that Lotus has named these two special editions after me, especially as it allows me to offer the customer my favourite specifications," said Roger Becker, who retired from Lotus in January. "The past 44 years have been an incredible journey and I'm looking forward to watching Lotus progress in the future."

Andreas Prillmann, Chief Commercial Officer for Lotus Cars said: "I would like to thank Roger for his dedication to Lotus. It's fitting that an exclusive number of the last of the 1.8-litre Elises and Exiges for Europe are dedicated to Roger, who has been instrumental in the development of so many Lotus cars over the years, in particularly the Evora, the Exige and the recent versions of the Elise."

Although the EU versions of the Elise R and SC, and the Exige S and Cup 260 die at the end of this year, production of the cars continue for all other markets. The latest 1.6-litre Elise will continue in European markets.

Technical specifications:
The Lotus Elise SC RGB Special Edition in more detail

• 217 hp (220 ps) supercharged 1.8 litre engine
• Lotus ultra lightweight forged alloy wheels
• Sport pack
• Touring pack
• Four paint colours – Aspen White, Starlight Black, Solar Yellow & Carbon Grey
• Roger Becker signature on rear of the car
• Roger Becker numbered plaque 
• Monochrome Lotus badges 
• Air conditioning
• Recommended Retail Price:
o UK: £38,550 (including VAT)
o Euro Zone: € 43,655 (excluding regional taxes)
o Switzerland: CHF 71,435 (excluding taxes)
Official European Combined Cycle = 8.5 litres / 100 km (33.2 mpg)
Official European Extra Urban Cycle = 6.4 litres/100 km (44.1 mpg)
Official European Urban Cycle = 11.8 litre/100 km (23.9 mpg)
199 g/km of CO2

The Lotus Exige S RGB Special Edition in more detail

• Standard Features
• 257 hp (260 ps) Supercharged 2ZZ 1.8 engine 
• Lotus ultra lightweight forged alloy wheels
• Performance pack
• Sport pack
• Touring pack
• Four paint colours – Aspen White, Starlight Black, Solar Yellow & Carbon Grey
• Roger Becker signature on rear of car
• Roger Becker numbered plaque
• Monochrome Lotus badges 
• Structural shear panel which gives increases lateral stiffness to the rear subframe by 30%
• Air conditioning
• Recommended Retail Price:
o UK: £41,950 (including VAT)
o Euro Zone: € 50,042 (excluding regional taxes)
o Switzerland: CHF 81,887 (excluding taxes)
Official European Combined Cycle = 8.5 litres / 100 km (33.2 mpg)
Official European Extra Urban Cycle = 6.5 litres/100 km (43.5 mpg)
Official European Urban Cycle = 11.9 litre/100 km (23.7 mpg)
199 g/km of CO2

 

[rypt]

God damn EU regs

[Insight]

Good on them, naming them after the old chap.

[Fordo]

is 199 g/km of CO2 really that much?

[kambites]

Presumably they'll release something to continue the higher end models? I can't believe that Lotus can afford to not have a replacement for the higher end models ready by the time the current engine is axed.

[erolb]

Sign off. Not sign of.

[jazzdevil]

rypt said:

God damn EU regs

+1

The same regs have killed the RX8 too... so who/what is next on the hit-list?

[RobCrezz]

What engine will they replace it with?

[soad]

rypt said:

God damn EU regs

Tell me about it. Madness.

I'd be very tempted by a used Exige S RGB in few years time though.

[kambites]

RobCrezz said:

What engine will they replace it with?

Presumably another member of the same family as the 1.6. I think they do ZR engines in 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 capacities I think, although none of them are very powerful in standard guise.

[RobM77]

How can emissions regulations kill off an Elise or Exige? Surely even in supercharged spec they use far less fuel than almost all other performance cars, luxury cars and off roaders? I don't understand.

[Brian McGee]

What the..

since when has a 1.8 VVTi engine been considered "too bad" for production?

How do cars such as the M6 etc get past such crazy laws.

[kambites]

RobM77 said:

How can emissions regulations kill off an Elise or Exige? Surely even in supercharged spec they use far less fuel than almost all other performance cars, luxury cars and off roaders? I don't understand.

I assume that it's not CO2 emission regulations that it can't meet, it's emissions of other gasses.

[V88Dicky]

Fordo said:

is 199 g/km of CO2 really that much?

It is to our EU bureaucrats, who believe that the trace gas CO2, upon which all life on earth depends, is a 'pollutant'.

[Nardies]

jazzdevil said:

rypt said:

God damn EU regs

+1

The same regs have killed the RX8 too... so who/what is next on the hit-list?

Anything remotely fun I'd wager!

[petrolveins]

jazzdevil said:

rypt said:

God damn EU regs

+1

The same regs have killed the RX8 too... so who/what is next on the hit-list?

Damn all these cars being killed off before I can afford to own them. Words cannot describe the loathing and hate I have for these cretinous environmentalists. They choose cars because for some reason they are an easy target. Sort out the bigger issues first! I could rant all day, but co2 is something like a 0.04% part of the global warming bks so why focus on that, what about the other 99.6%???? What about planes, power-stations, volcanoes even!

Phewww.... deeep breath and... relax.

[Mr Gear]

RobM77 said:

How can emissions regulations kill off an Elise or Exige? Surely even in supercharged spec they use far less fuel than almost all other performance cars, luxury cars and off roaders? I don't understand.

Emissions regs are not just about CO2 or fuel consumption. They are about NOX, CO, unburned hydrocarbons etc, so are more a measure of how efficient the burn is and how much "cleaning equipment" can be fitted into the exhaust. Because the Elise is a short car with a short exhaust, you can't cram as much tech in.

[Mr Gear]

petrolveins said:

jazzdevil said:

rypt said:

God damn EU regs

+1

The same regs have killed the RX8 too... so who/what is next on the hit-list?

Damn all these cars being killed off before I can afford to own them. Words cannot describe the loathing and hate I have for these cretinous environmentalists. They choose cars because for some reason they are an easy target. Sort out the bigger issues first! I could rant all day, but co2 is something like a 0.04% part of the global warming bks so why focus on that, what about the other 99.6%???? What about planes, power-stations, volcanoes even!

Phewww.... deeep breath and... relax.

You're an idiot. Read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_emission_sta...

[ZesPak]

Fordo said:

is 199 g/km of CO2 really that much?

Idd, 199g/km doesn't really sound that much.
Lots of diesel repmobiles have 180+.
Yet they are perfectly acceptable?

[300bhp/ton]

Sorry I'm

Is this all the 1.8 variants, the n/a's too, or just the SC'd ones?

If it's the former then I find it even more confusing.....

[Graham]

blimey an elise is 40k these days... and people still think TVR should be able to build a car with a v8 and flog it for less than 30k