Lotus Cars is a British car manufacturer that produces sports and racing cars.
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Lotus Car Reviews
Lotus Overview
Brief History
The company was formed as Lotus Engineering Ltd. by engineer Colin Chapman, a graduate of University College, London, in 1952.
Team Lotus, which broke away from Lotus Engineering in 1954, was active and competitive in Formula One racing from 1958 to 1994. Lotus won a total of 79 Grand Prix race, and during his lifetime Chapman saw Lotus beat Ferrari as the first team to achieve 50 Grand Prix victories.
In 1986 the company was bought by General Motors, four years after the death of Chapman. The man who founded Lotus in 1952 had witnessed his cars win the Formula 1 World Championship 7 times.
In 1993 General Motors sold the company to a company controlled by Romano Artioli. Later, in 1996, a majority share of Lotus was sold to Proton. Lexus is now recognised as the Lotus Group and divided into two sections consisting of Lotus Cars and Lotus Engineering.
Model Range
Lotus Esprit
The Lotus Esprit is a high-performance sports car that was built by Lotus between 1976 and 2004.
The car was initially unveiled as a concept car in 1972. To date there have been five generations of the Esprit, the latest of which features a V8 engine and a top speed of over 175mph. Since production ceased in 2004 over 10,000 models have rolled off the production line.
The Esprit is set to make a return in 2013 after Lotus unveiled a completely redesigned model in 2010. The company claim a top speed of over 200mph.
Lotus Evora
The Lotus Evora is a sports car, and one of three currently being produced by Lotus.
The model has been produced since 2009 and is the first in a series of products planned to expand the Lotus range. It has a top speed of 162mph and can accelerate from 0 – 60mph in 4.9 seconds.
The car uses a 6-speed transmission and is priced at around £50,000.
Lotus Elise
The Lotus Elise is a two-door, two-seater convertible sports car.
The car has been in production since 1996, and its current model since 2002. There are currently three versions of the Elise available in Europe, the Elise S, Elise R and Elise SC. The SC has a top speed of 150mph and can accelerate from 0 – 60mph in just 4.3 seconds.
The Elise is quality built and handles extremely well. Seats are low to the floor and the focus is mainly on providing a good driving experience. The latest model also focuses on some of the extras, providing a luxury trim, carpet and a state-of-the-art audio system.
Lotus Exige
The Lotus Exige is a two-door, two-seat sports car made by Lotus Cars. It is essentially a coupé version of the Lotus Elise and has been in production since 2000. The car is a very stylish one, designed brilliantly in terms of aesthetics.
The Exige sports a composite roof, aerodynamic alterations and a high revving petrol engine designed with performance in mind. Exige models have received many enhancements geared toward increasing the car’s performance and usability. The latest production model is the Exige S, which has been available since 2005. The S has a top speed of 148mph and can accelerate from 0 -60mph in 4.1 seconds.
There have also been non-production models built in recent years, the Exige 265E and the Exige GT3.
