Elise S Review Day – Review Roundup

Posted on 30th April 2012

Following on from last weeks pieces on the Exige S it’s now time for the Elise to get some attention. So now the reviews are starting to trickle through for the latest Elise, the 2ZR-FE engined Elise S, which replaces the Elise SC which was killed off last year as the engine did not meet Euro V emission regulations.

The new engine delivers the same 217bhp as the previous generation supercharged Elise, but thanks to it’s Magnuson built Eaton R900 TVS supercharger with integrated charge-cooling, torque is increased to 184lb/ft, while emissions and fuel consumption are improved to 175g/km CO2 and 37.5mpg respectively.

Reviews:
PistonHeads – Driven: Elise S

Discussion: SELOC Chat – Elise S Reviews Thread

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Exige S Featured In This Months Top Gear Magazine

Posted on 29th April 2012

If last weeks reviews haven’t been enough to satisfy your interest in the new V6 engined Exige S then be sure to pick up this months Top Gear Magazine.

Road tester Dan Read takes the car on a road trip down to the remains of the historic Clermont-Ferrand track to put the car through it’s paces both on a long run and out on the tortuous twists and turns of this former F1 circuit.

In fact, the Exige doesn’t feel at all scary on this twisted old track, yet it tackles it harder than anything else for this money. Or any money, come to think of it.

Inside there is also a visit to see Lotus F1 Team owner Gerard Lopezs rather extensive car collection, including the last Esprit Sport 300 produced and a JPS Esprit.

Discussion: SELOC Chat – Exige S V6 reviews released

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Video – Chris Harris On Cars in the Lotus Exige S

Posted on 25th April 2012

Chris Harris video review has been posted up online where he takes the new V6-engined Exige S out on Lotus’ Hethel test track and talking through the modifications to this latest Exige with Matt Becker, and we think he might just like it….

It’s well worth a watch, and if you haven’t already done so be sure to read his full review on the PistonHeads website.

Discussion: SELOC Chat – Exige S V6 reviews released

Posted in SELOC

Exige S Review Day – Review Roundup

Posted on 25th April 2012

It’s been a long, painful, wait but the new V6 engined Exige S is inching closer to release.

Today sees the lifting of the press embargo for Exige S reviews after magazines and websites travelled to Hethel recently to experience the highly anticipated car both on the companies test track and the road.

Reviews:
Auto Express – Lotus Exige S (inc. video)
Autocar – Lotus Exige 3.5 V6 S First Drive
CAR Magazine – Lotus Exige (2012) CAR review
EVO – Driven: Lotus Exige S V6
PistonHeads – Driven: Lotus Exige S
Top Gear – Driven: the new V6-engined Lotus Exige

Discussion: SELOC Chat – Exige S V6 reviews released

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The Lotus Position – What Happening At Hethel?

Posted on 24th April 2012

It’s been a tough few months at Hethel following the DRB-Hicom takeover of Proton. We take a look at the causes, the effects, and what it might mean for the future of Lotus.

Read on to find more, or have your say in the forums.

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Lotus Release Two Teams From Indycar Contracts

Posted on 24th April 2012

While Lotus have had a good weekend in F1, GP2 and Britcar, it seems things are a little less rosy over in the US

Lotus looks set to release the Dreyer & Reinbold – which runs Oriol Servia – and Bryan Herta Autosport – with driver Alex Tagliani – from contract over disputes regarding engine supply and performance, culminating in the decision not to supply engines for the Indianapolis test ahead of this years Indy 500.

The move will leave only 3 cars running the Judd developed V6 for the rest of the 2012 season, although a 4th car run by Newman/Haas Racing is set to compete in the Indy 500, driven by Jean Alesi.

Source: Lotus Cars – Lotus Raises IndyCar Commitment
Discussion: Chapman Arms – ‘Lotus’ engined cars in Indycar

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Lotus Cars – Enter The Dragon

Posted on 24th April 2012

News from Lotus at the Beijing International Auto Show with the company showing off the China Edition of the Evora GTE along with the introduction of the Evora IPS to the Chinese market and the Racing Club for Chinese Lotus Enthusiasts.

The 2012 Beijing International Auto Show kicks off today, and Lotus Cars is showing off its full model range for the first time, including a very special supercar that’s been custom-made for China.

When the Lotus Evora GTE was unveiled at the Frankfurt show last year, the Chinese market went crazy for this, Lotus’ most powerful road-going model ever. Now the British sports car company has prepared the Evora GTE China Limited Edition, which makes its world debut in Beijing. Continue reading →

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Lotus Cars – Something From The Weekend – 23/04/2012

Posted on 23rd April 2012

A great weekend for Lotus in motorsport, with podiums in F1, GP2 and a class victory for Team Bullrun in the GT4 class in the Britcars at Donington.

You can read the full Lotus report below:

FORMULA ONE – BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX

“#Wheresmypodium” tweeted the Lotus F1 Team throughout the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend. Having come close in each of the opening rounds, the obvious pace of the Lotus E20 and the unquestionable skills of Kimi Raikkonen and young hotshoe Romain Grosjean, it was only a matter of time. Finally, in the Middle East, it came together. Continue reading →

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Lotus F1 Team – Bahrain GP – Team Report and Driver Interviews

Posted on 22nd April 2012

Following on from a successful race today in Bahrain, the Lotus F1 Team have posted up their Race Report along with an interview with star of the day Kimi Räikkönen and podium finisher Romain Grosjean.

Kimi, your first podium of the season here in Bahrain today; you must be delighted?

I am very happy. At last, we made the podium after a few missed opportunities. We had the car already in the first three races to be up there, but we made some small mistakes and it cost us a lot. Of course I wanted to win today, and I would have been much happier if we had managed to get the victory, but nevertheless it’s a good result and the team deserved it for all their hard work. Hopefully we can put ourselves in this position more often.

Discussion: Chapman Arms – Today’s F1

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Lotus F1 Team – Bahrain GP – Sunday Race

Posted on 22nd April 2012

The Lotus F1 Team delivered on their promise from pre-season testing to turn the tables on some disappointing early races to gain a fantastic double podium. Promoting the team to third place in the constructors championship.

Both Räikkönen and Grosjean gained places off the grid having started 11th and 7th respectively, and Grosjean took advantage of the DRS zones to make his way up to 2nd place in the early stages. Meanwhile Räikkönen put in a series of impressive overtaking maneuvers and made the most of the extra new sets of soft tyres he’d saved in qualifying to gain on his French team-mate and ultimately overtake him in to Turn 1 just ahead of his 2nd pit stop.

As they approached the third and final stops Räikkönen looked like being a serious contender for the race victory, closing to within 1 second of Vettel, but couldn’t match the Germans place after the final stop as the cars switched to the harder tyre compound and settled in to 2nd place a few seconds back.

The race finished in the order they went in to their final stops, with Räikkönen giving the Lotus F1 Team their first podium of the year and the first of his comeback, along with the first podium of Grosjeans career.

Discussion: Chapman Arms – Today’s F1

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