Lotus Unveiling New Sports Car Range In 5 Months

A decade ago, Lotus tried to compete with Porsche 911 and other Grand Touring cars with the Evora and that did not change the fortune of the brand. 

With Geely acquiring a majority stake in the company soon after the same activity with national carmaker Proton in the second half of 2017, much excitement built up as to where the Chinese giant can propel the sports car brand to.

The fully electric Evija project was announced in 2019, with deliveries of just 130 units slated to begin in 2021. The Evija is however a very niche and exclusive Lotus model, which is not capable of sustaining the company in the long term. 

As such, the company has formally announced plans replace the Evora, Elise and Exige models with this year being the transitioning from old to new.

According to a new report by Automotive News Europe, the new models are expected to be unveiled as early as June this year. Phil Popham, Lotus CEO said the car will have a wider price point and cater especially to the US market.

Mr. Popham also said the new internal combustion engine sports car “will focus on usability” and is “designed so you can live with it on a day-to-day basis”. 

Production of the new sports car is scheduled to begin late this year at Lotus’ revamped factory in Norwich, approximately 170 kilometres north-east of London. The new facility with an investment of over GBP 100 million is necessary for Lotus to embark on a new journey of new products with greater sales volume.