British maker Lotus has confirmed that it will be building its own V8 engine for its upcoming range of new supercars. But at the other end of the line-up, it has also confirmed that a new city car will go on sale in the UK in 2014 too.
The new engine will be 4.8-litre V8, designed and built in Hethel, Norfolk. It will weigh around 170kg – that's 80kg lighter than the engine from the Lexus IS-F that was originally going to be used. The latter was vetoed by prospective buyers who thought the reborn firm should produce its own engines from the ground-up.
With a flat-plane crankshaft and a dry sump, the V8 will develop 570bhp and rev to 9,000rpm in standard tune. That figure will rise to 620bhp in even faster R versions.
The engine will be fired up on a test bench on August 18 and used in a new LMP2 racing car. It will then appear in the Esprit – due in 2013 in coupe and convertible form – and then the Elite 2+2 drop-top and Eterne four-door coupe. The engine will be a modular unit, so a four-cylinder unit (for the next-generation Elise) and a V6 will be produced from it too.
Lotus also confirmed it will build its city car concept, which will be based on the EMAS from parent company Proton. Of the five sports cars revealed at last year's Paris Motor Show, the Elan has been shelved. Lotus boss Dany Bahar told Auto Express that the noses of the Esprit and Elan had been redesigned to distance the two cars from each other, but the Elan has now been put on ice completely.
LOTUS V8 ENGINE: 90 degree V8, 4.8-litres
First run: August 2011
Specification: 570bhp@9,000rpm, 540Nm@3,000rpm
Built: Hethel, UK
Plans for the new V8 engine are well advanced, and the unit will be run for the first time on August 18th 2011. The unit is modular, meaning engineers can create a four cylinder by chopping it in half, and a V6 by chopping the final two cylinders off it. As well as appearing in the Esprit (below) the engine could also see duty under the bonnet of a new Lotus developed LMP2 car and power the forthcoming Elise, Eterne and Elite. Capable of developing up to 620bhp the engine could also be used to power high performance editions of Lotus core line-up.
Lotus made the decision to abandon its earlier plans to use the Toyota V8 (as appears in the Lexus IS-F) as it was deemed to big and too heavy. It will be fitted to test mules for road tests later this year.
LOTUS ESPRIT: mid-engined coupé, two-seater
Launch: March 2013
Specification: 4.8-litre V8, 570bhp, 0-60mph 3.4
Built: Hethel, UK
Price: £100,000-plus (estimate)
The Esprit will be the first all-new Lotus to be designed by Danny Bahar’s team, and is arguably the most ambitious new car the firm has ever launched. Its Lotus designed and built 4.8-litre V8 engine will run for the first time in August. Built entirely from aluminium the Esprit’s target weight is 1,460kg. It’s chassis will be very different to that of the extruded alumium arrangement in the Evora. It’s ‘torque tube’ design is reminiscent of the original Esprit’s backbone chassis. Engineer Zimmermann claims the whole arrangement will weigh around 230kgs. Forged aluminium wishbone suspension features as does electro-hydraulic power steering. Bahar says the management structure’s focus on cost, and the speed with which the company can make decisions has kept development costs for the new Esprit “at around £100million”. The technology developed will also be used across Elite, Eterne and Elise Evolution models.
LOTUS ETHOS: front-engined citycar, four-seater
Launch: Spring 2014
Specification: 1.2-litre 4-cyl, hybrid (unconfirmed)
Built: Malaysia, trimmed UK
Price: £30,000 plus (estimate)
According Lotus Chief Technical Officer Wolf Zimmermann, the Ethos citycar was only agreed two days before it was presented to Auto Express. Though detail is scarce, it’s being tipped to use a 1.2-litre, 4-cylinder hybrid engine, capable of returning more than 60mpg. Amazingly, this engine could also find its way into an Evora… The front engined car Ethos will offer room for four passengers, and will be built alongside a Proton equivalent, possibly at Proton’s factory in Perak, Malaysia. In a mirror of the arrangement between Toyota and Aston Martin, that sees the iQ turned into the Cygnet, the car will then be delivered to Lotus and trimmed, ready for sale to customers.
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I only hope that the MP4 doesn't turn out to be what the Esprit should have been engineered like.
I can understand (a bit) the idea of doing a V8 for super car kudos, but why not buy in a 4-cylinder engine for entry level models?
Are they mad? Why would anyone pay £30,000 plus for a Proton with a Lotus badge? Even £15,000 is too much. On top of that it can only achieve 60mpg - what a joke. Much better to buy a proven Prius for only £24,045***
With "MP4" you mean the McLaren MP4-12C?
Could you please explain the rest of your comment because it's very fuzzy to me?
Why Lotus would make it's own small 4-cylinder engine instead of buying one? Because they can do it better.
This would have been the ideal opportunity to produce Gordon Murry's superb T25 with its VERY low manufacturing costs. It is a true City Car in dimension and economy with the interior space for three. Better still it has ride and handling better than any most cars on the market with 4 star safety by European standards.
Why will Lotus / Proton not take this golden opportunity to set new World standards - I would buy one. Hopefully it's not a not invented here so we must reject cooperation to the disadvantage of the car user.
Rod H
At around £30k, even with the Lotus name, the Ethos does seem a bit much. Proton's factory was featured on tv not long ago and, despite a very high-tech set up their cars just don't look well built. Presumably Lotus will fit out the body shell making it very luxurious but, let's be honest, it's still a Proton no matter how much you gild the lily. At least Aston Martin's Cygnet is based on a good car, the IQ, whereas Lotus will have an uphill struggle trying to justify their pricing for a car built by a company [Proton] whose track record is based on cars which have never been the obvious choice for image conscious drivers.
lOTUS are still here rejoice this fact. A manufacturer like Lotus can only make a few cars per year to make it pay these cars have to be top of the pile with the maximum added value. Developing a new V8 of there own is vital if you want to compete with The Italians. Once this engine is up and running it will have a long production life. Developing a small engine for a city car is pointless The world is full of mass produced small engines. Remember BMW make the mini but all the deisels are peugeots and the first of the mini's used a Chrysler Neon engine. So once again I say dont knock it
Looks like Lotus are trying to go head to head with the established makers, lets wait and see, the car might achieve its aims and be a world beater, but is there any kudos in a £30 grand Proton/Lotus city car?? or an expensive Aston Martin city car for that matter, how many of those have they sold?
So with its engineering prowess, the best Lotus can come up with is a small hybrid 4 seater with "more than 60mpg".
Already on the market, there are conventionally powered small 4 seater cars that can do better than that!
Top marks to Lotus for grabbing the 'bull by the horns!' Lotus's original Esprit put the company up with the Italians 30 years ago then it all fell apart. This project has a strong foundation and the car has the flesh and the meat to hit the supercar market head on.
They just need to be careful with their brand on a city car. What looks like a fast buck could be a PR problem it it proves to be anything other than robust. £30k is pricey, badge or not.
Dangerous_Dave is alluding to Lotus' cars of the past which looked sensational but had a reputation for being unreliable and poorly built, the polar opposite to the MP4-12C in his eyes. Personally I think the McLaren is a bit of a looker.
Lotus have no need to build a city car, unlike Aston Martin. They are owned by Proton and are therefore part of the Proton group which already produces a large number of small, environmentally friendly models for the world market. Why waste money when there is no need?
Dan, please proof-read your articles before you post them on this website, you leave yourself wide open for much of the adverse criticism I've observed over the past year or so. This article in particular is riddled with inaccuracies and repetition.
I understand that Auto Express was never mooted to be a competitor for Autocar and the like, but AE's lax editorial standards sometimes make me cringe with embarrassment..
I wonder if the marketing arm of these car companies do a market poll to see what is acceptable. Personally I think these Supercars designed by Lotus are unattractive. Past Lotus have always been great looking from I remember then in the early 70s.
This City car wont sell because it brings nothing unique to the market, and is priced at double the market segment cost.
This new V8 sounds like just what the doctor ordered. Any V engine that revs beyond 6000 rpm is great, so you can imagine what it sounds like at 9000, and how smooth and balanced it must be. Can you imagine what a twin-turbo version to this engine will produce? At least Lotus has maintained it's tradition of building great engines even if the cars look odd. Since this engine is modular, no doubt the V4 and V6 with turbo application would be great also. Looking forward to seeing how this pans out.
Aston have truely started something quite revolutionary with the Cygnet.
Lotus obviously intend to get a slice of the pie by making an easy £20k profit.
This is not a new idea though, I remember back in the 80's you could buy a Mini Wood & Pickett for around the same price as a Ford Granada 2.8i Ghia. With Leather seats and a wooden dashboard you could live like a King.
They still make the Wood & Picket Mini's and when you look at the spec and price (£25,000) they are temptingly cheap in comparison.
Of course the main reason for the small car for both Lotus and Aston Martin is a F***ing EU directive on MPG.
I really wish Toyota had bought Proton, then Lotus could have tapped into Toyota financial muscle, and been left alone to carry out the legacy of engineering genius.